Poetry
Norske Folkeviser
Not translated into English
Magnus Brostrup Landstad · 1853
Synopsis
The collection brings together ballads transmitted orally in Telemark, whose material goes back to medieval Europe: heroes and knights, trolls and creatures of the mountain, ancient gods. It includes a version of the dream song, which Landstad reconstructed: Olav Åsteson wakes after thirteen days of sleep, goes to church and tells what he has seen of the other world, the bridge of Gjallar, purgatory and paradise. An appendix gives the melodies collected from the singers.
Context
The collection appeared in three volumes from C. Tønsberg, in Christiania, in 1852 and 1853, and is held to be the first collection of authentic Norwegian ballads. A large part of the texts and tunes came from Olea Crøger, of Heddal, whom Landstad named only in his preface; L. M. Lindeman notated the melodies. The editor was reproached for unscholarly methods, since he recast the texts and normalised their spelling. Ibsen drew subjects from it for his first dramas.
Who it is for
A collection of ballads in Norwegian of the period, without translation, with an appendix of popular melodies.
Prizes and reception
A pioneering collection of the country's folk songs, in which the young Ibsen found subjects for drama.
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