Talk:Nils Olav/Archive 1

Archive 1

Did You Know

I'd love to see this on the Main Page on April 1st next year, whether it's in the "Did you know" section or even a featured article... HAM 17:39, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

Second that~. This talk page would become quite interesting. Brainman 18:57, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Oh yes! This page has a lot of potential. (Boy it is tempting to classify him as "Norwegian military personnel" and tag him with a -bio-stub. (ROFL)) Valentinian ^{(talk) / (contribs)} 23:37, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I have to say that when I stumbled on this article I thought it had to be a hoax! Especially since the only link was in Norwegian. After a little search, though, I'm very pleased to discover it's all true. So I added some links in the article. --- Deville (Talk) 19:43, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I've read the Norwegian page, and I contacted a Norwegian editor who confirmed that it is the real thing. But I know what you mean. Valentinian ^{(talk) / (contribs)} 21:00, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Thirteen years on, it's finally happened! Ham II (talk) 12:22, 1 April 2019 (UTC)

Picture of the statue?

It would be nice if someone could upload a picture of the penguin statue. Brainman 18:57, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

I couldnt find a picture of the statue but i wonder if [1] could be added. Oddly though there is no mention of Nils Olav on the Norwegian wiki. --RND 12:59, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

He is mentioned here: no:Edinburgh Military Tattoo (bottom). Valentinian ^{(talk) / (contribs)} 09:08, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

I added {{reqphotoin}}. The specific photo is one of a bronze statue of the subject in Edinburgh Zoo. The actual penguin is also there, though he may be more difficult to identify. --Cherry blossom tree 13:45, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

This page has pictures of the statue, but the images are most likely copyrighted. [2] Valentinian ^{(talk) / (contribs)} 09:08, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

uploaded pic of statue - its now on the article —ÅñôñÿMôús _{Dîššíd3nt} 01:33, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

The reason why I didn't add it myself is that I very much doubt that it will live up to the new firmer policy on fair use images. The picture featuring both the guard and the penguin is close to irreplaceable due to the infrequent visits of the guard, but the image of the statue can be recreated by anyone visiting the zoo. We need somebody in Edinburgh to go there and take a new photo. Valentinian ^{T / C} 10:05, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

I was at the Edinburgh Zoo just this past week, and so have uploaded a photo that I took. First photo I have uploaded in Wikipedia, hope I have done it correctly. I have other photos of Nils Olav, but it didn't seem necessary to me to add any of them. Farmer erik 01:14, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Nicely done, thank you! --Stlemur 02:18, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

Nice image. Thanks. Valentinian ^{T / C} 08:34, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

yeah, it's better quality than mine. Well done. Anonymous Dissident ^Utter 10:31, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Patron or mascot?

I think it is interesting that his role as Colonel in chief is not mentioned in Norwegian articles. His rank as major and status as mascot is highlighted, but there is no mention of him being some sort of honorary patron or head og the Guard. I wondered a bit when I first saw the English articles stating a penguin had been given the same role in the Guard King Harald had in the Green Howards. It's just too silly. I think it's safe to say the penguin is the mascot, but someone has let themselves get carried away with the colonel in chief bit.

http://www.mil.no/haren/hmkg/start/article.jhtml?articleID=79889

http://www.mil.no/haren/hmkg/start/article.jhtml?articleID=45314

Inge 11:30, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

I don't think an editor has got carried away. At the 2005 ceremony, the Norwegian military referred to NO as "Colonel-in-Chief" and they also had that title engraved on the plaque beside his statue. You will also find him referred to as "Colonel-in-Chief" on the official website of the Norwegian Consulate in Edinburgh, which is an official site of the Norwegian Crown!

http://www.norway.org.uk/edinburgh/events/nopromotion.htm

Timothy Titus ^{Talk To TT} 11:23, 31 December 2007 (UTC)

Moving the page?

Now that Nils Olav is a knight, should the page be moved to Sir Nils Olav, with a redirect to that page from the current page?

ihatefile007 (talk) 23:45, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Nope. Look at the names of the articles for Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Tom Farmer, Sir Sean Connery, etc, etc, etc, nearly ad infinitum. --Mais oui! (talk) 05:19, 16 August 2008 (UTC)

Makes sense. Thanks for clearing this up. Good thing i wasn't bold this time... ihatefile007 (talk) 07:15, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Third Nils Olav?

According to this msnbc article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26219632/ There have been three Nils' (is that how I pluralize it?), yet, I've only been able to find info on the first and second, and then all the articles I've read just say that Nils is currently on his third incarnation, but nothing about when the 2nd one died, or retired to live out his twilight years with his wife and one-flippered son, or whatever. At the very least, shouldn't it say somewhere one the Wikipedia page that there are 3 Nils Olavs? Zivlok (talk) 22:00, 13 March 2009 (UTC)

Knighthood

What order of knighthood does he belong to? 95jb14 (talk) 09:01, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav I would presume. Ose (talk) 11:45, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Quote:He is the first penguin to receive such an honor in the Norwegian army.

I'm pretty sure he's the only penguin to receive such any honor in any army, and if no one can prove me wrong, the only non-human. But if someone can that would be hilariously awesome. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.136.237.184 (talk) 23:45, 26 July 2009 (UTC)

See William Windsor (goat) --Joshua Issac (talk) 20:31, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Yes, but that's a goat. Completely different from a penguin. 65.185.124.35 (talk) 22:34, 8 October 2010 (UTC)

which honor, the knighthood or the position of colonel in chief? do other Norwegian regiments have colonel in chiefs? 98.206.155.53 (talk) 05:34, 1 March 2011 (UTC)

This is pretty much the best line in Wikipedia. john k (talk) 05:14, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

Mascot

Quote: "In Norway he is consistently referred to only as the mascot of the King's Guard [citation needed], although both the plaque on his statue, and the website of the Norwegian Government's Consulate in Edinburgh, refer to his promotion to Colonel-in-Chief." The word "although" seems to imply a contradiction between being the mascot and being a Colonel-in-Chief. No reasonable person would think that the penguin had received this rank due to his outstanding service in HMKG, he has received it because HMKG has a certain love for this individual penguin. To insist on this contradiction seems odd, and I don't quite see what point the article is trying to get across with this sentence. V85 (talk) 12:37, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

That despite being a CiC, he's not referred to as such generally in Norway. It doesn't suggest a contradiction between being a Mascot or CiC, only in how he's depicted/titled; it requires a citation still anyway. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.23.57.46 (talk) 13:40, 30 May 2011 (UTC)