Chapter I: Preface

The object of the present work is to bring before the notice of the general reader and tourist the advantages and pleasure accruing from a few weeks’ sojourn among the mountains and fjords of that grand yet simple country, Norway. Everywhere abounding with features of interest, it will especially commend itself to the Englishman when he calls to mind how close was the link between the Scandinavians and his ancestors.

To travel profitably it is not sufficient merely to notice or admire scenic effects. Men and manners should also be closely observed; and no object or detail, however trivial, should be neglected or deemed beneath regard. Norway presents a wide field for observation and research, whatever may be the tastes and predilections of the visitor. Here may the geologist, if so disposed, find ample material for study; the archæologist and antiquarian may revel among Runic stones, Viking tumuli, rites and ceremonies, quaint wood-carvings adorned with the ever-twining serpent, costumes, customs, &c.; the keenest sportsman will find a treat in store for him; while the lover of the grand in nature and of simple rustic life will meet with them here to his heart’s content. But to do this the main roads and cities must be abandoned for the mountains and fjelds, with their reindeer tracts and trout streams.

To the Fjeld, then, to the Fjeld! with its beautiful flora and mosses, its sport, its avalanches and landslips, its balmy air and soothing zephyrs. To the Fjeld—off to the Fjeld!

R. T. P.

CONTENTS.

I.—CHRISTIANSAND AND CHRISTIANIA.

PAGE

GAMLE NORGE—AN EARLY MURRAY—UNEXPLORED STATE OF THE
COUNTRY—THE PIONEERS OF SPORT—CROSSING THE NORTH
SEA—NOT THEN AS NOW—CONTENT OF THE PEASANTS—CHARM OF
THE FJELD—CHRISTIANSAND—CHRISTIANIA—THE EMIGRANT’S
VICISSITUDES—THE VICTORIA HOTEL AND OSCAR HALL 3

II.—THELEMARKEN.

LYSTHUS—COMPONENT PARTS OF TRAVEL—HITTERDAL CHURCH—THE
CHAIR—THE CAMP AT SKEJE—FLATDAL—RELICS OF THE PAST—THE
ASTONISHED MAGPIE AND UNKNOWN MUSIC—THE COSTUMES OF
THELEMARKEN—THE “HULDRE”—THE BEAUTIFUL TROLD—BERGE AND
THE MANGLETRÆ—MOGEN—THE PLOUGH, REIN HORNS, AND SNOW
SHOES—BOCKLEY AND PUKKINGS—BLACK-BROWN BEER—JAMSGAARD—A
NIGHT IN THE LAAVE—CAMP BEDS AND HAMMOCK—BOTTEN—NEW
ROAD-MAKING—WEIRD SCOTCH FIRS—A BLASTED FOREST 19

III.—HARDANGER.

HAUKELID—SLAUGHTER OF REINDEER IN A BOTTEN—THE BROKEN
BRIDGE—THE FORD—USEFUL OLD PONY—THE ASCENT—ROLDAL VALLEY
AND BRIDGE—THE LENSMAND—FLORA AND LONG TRAMP—DOUBLE SOLAR
RAINBOW—SNOW SHOES—GRÖNDAL AND DISTANT FOLGEFOND—ZIGZAG
ROAD—SELJESTAD—NO FOOD, BUT A GOOD PONY—GRÖNDAL
WATERFALLS—SANDEN VAND—THE LATE ARRIVAL AT ODDE 41

IV.—BERGEN AND ARCHÆOLOGY.

FROM ODDE DOWN SÖR FJORD—UTNE—HARDANGER FJORD—FAIRY
TROLDS—BJERG TROLDS—THE HULDRE—THE NÖKKEN—THE
NISSER—HAUGE FOLKET—TUFTI FOLKET—THE DRANGEN—CRACA, THE
WITCH OF NORWAY—OLAF KYRRE, THE NORSE KING—BERGEN—THE
HANSEATIC LEAGUE—THE GERMAN MERCHANTS—THE “PFEFFER
JUNKERS”—THE FISH FOLK OF BERGEN—THE MUSEUM—STRAX—THE
SILDE KONGE—NORWEGIAN WHALE SKELETONS—THE FLINT
PERIOD—BRONZE PERIOD—INHUMATION AND CINERATION—ROMAN
INFLUENCE—THE IRON PERIOD—ARCHÆOLOGICAL PERIODS IN NORWAY 53

V.—WEST COAST AND NORDFJORD.

COAST TRAVELLING—BERGEN HARBOUR—THE SCHOONER YACHT—SKAALS
OVERDONE—WEST COAST—STEENSUND—ALDEN—OUSEN AND
ITS GARDEN ROOFS—EN ROUTE FOR SANDE—DELIGHTFUL
STATION—GOOD FISH—JOLSTER VAND AND NEDRE VASENDEN—THE
ANXIOUS BATHER—PICTURESQUE CHURCH-GOING—NORWEGIAN
BLAKKEN—THE ACCIDENT—THE FRIENDLY TOILETTE—COSTUMES
AND BABY SWADDLING—SCARCITY OF FOOD—THE TENTMASTER
COOKING—NORDFJORD ANTIQUITIES—PROFESSOR WORSAAE AND
M. LORANGE—CONTENTS OF TUMULUS—THE VIKINGS’ GAME OF
“MYLLA”—UDVIG—THE BAD PASS FROM MOLDESTADT—SNOW POLES—THE
POSTMAN AND BIRCH BOUGHS—BIRTHDAY FESTIVITIES—FALEIDET—LYTH
FISHING—HAUGEN AND HORNINGDALSKRAKKEN—HELLESYLT—BELTS—THE
GEIRANGER FJORD—CAPTAIN DAHL—THE SEVEN SISTERS—THE VIKING’S
HEAD—THE PULPIT—MARAAK—STORFJORD 73

VI.—MOLDE AND ROMSDAL.

MOLDE—THE GOOD SHIP “TASSO”—STATLAND—AALESUND—MOLDE
LANDING—HERR BUCK—THE LOVE OF FLOWERS AT MOLDE—THE LEPER
HOUSE—MOLDE TO VEBLUNGSNÆS—THE BEAR AND THE PIGE—ROMSDAL
FJORD—AAK—THE RAUMA—THE OLD CHURCH OF GRYTEN—THE
CANDELABRA—HERR ONSUM—NÆSS—THE SKYD-GUT—THE SAIL WITH SEA
ROVERS—THE INEBRIATED BAKER OF WHITE BREAD—OLE LARSEN—THE
LAAVE—HERR LANDMARK AND THE HOTEL AT AAK—KJERULF THE
COMPOSER—THE ROMSDAL HORN—THE TROLTINDERNE—FIVA—THE
MEAL HOUSE—THE STEEN-SKREED—THE SOLGANG WIND—THE SHEEP
BOY AND GOAT HORN—SEA-FISHING—WOODWORK—CARRIOLES—HOW TO
CROSS A RIVER—OLD KYLE—MØLMEN CHURCH, AND THE SLEEPER’S
CURE—FLIES—SALMON-FISHING FROM A TINE 101

VII.—THE FJELD AND REINDEER.

OPENING DAY FOR REINDEER—AALESUND—AURORA
BOREALIS—INQUIRING FRIENDS—BERRY VARIETIES—TO THE
FJELD—NECESSARIES—REINDEER-FLOWERS—TO THE TENTS—THE
DOGGIES—DANJEL AND OLE—MØLMEN—THE ARRIVAL—OUR
CONCERT—PTARMIGAN—REINDEER SPÖR—TROUT-FISHING IN THE
VAND—GOOD SPORT—THE TENTMASTER’S STORY—PASSOP AND THE
STOR BUCK—SNOW-WORK—SÆTER LIFE—MARITZ’S LONELY STATE—HER
KINDLINESS—THE SWIZZLE-STICK—THE OLD BOAT—THE EAGLE AND
NEST—REINDEER AND RED DEER HEADS—THE DIFFICULTY OF GETTING
THEM—INDFJORD—OLE ERIKSON BOE—HALVE JACOBSEN—INGEBORG
AND THE STEEN-SKREED—INGRANA’S ACCOUNT—INGEBORG’S
FUNERAL—RUNICSTONE—GRAVE-BOARDS—ISTERDAL—THE
MEAL-MILL—OLD KYLE—A SIMPLE-MINDED COW—OLE
FIVA—AIGUILLES—VALDAL—THE SOURCE OF THE ISTER—EXPEDITION
TO A FROZEN LAKE 137

VIII.—CEREMONIES, WEDDINGS, ETC.

WEDDINGS—COSTUME—THE PROCESSION TO THE
CHURCH—THE BRIDE’S RETURN—MOTTOES—BETROTHAL
AND MARRIAGE—CONFIRMATION—FUNERALS THEIR “ONLY
ONE”—GRAVE-BOARD INSCRIPTIONS—HOME LIFE—ANTIPATHY
TO VENTILATION—NEW CURRENCY—GEOLOGY—VARIATIONS IN
TEMPERATURE—WATERFALLS—POPULATION—WOOD-CARVING—OLD SILVER 191

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE
THE MEAL MILL: ISTERDAL Frontispiece
THE COURTYARD, VICTORIA HOTEL, CHRISTIANIA 11
A TIMBER SHOOT 13
KONGSBERG: THELEMARKEN 23
HITTERDAL CHURCH: SUNDAY MORNING 27
FLATDAL: THELEMARKEN 31
JAMSGAARD LAAVE 37
THE WOODEN BRIDGE AT ROLDAL 43
SKJÆGGEDAL FOS 47
BERGEN 58
BERGEN: FISH MARKET IN THE DISTANCE 59
THE VILLAGE AND CHURCH OF ALVA 75
THE FRIENDLY TOILETTE 81
SANOE, LOOKING DOWN THE VALLEY 83
BRONZE BOWL, WITH ENAMEL CASE, SWORDS OF VIKING PERIOD: BERGEN
MUSEUM 84
THE POST ARRIVING AT UDVIG 87
HELLESYLT 96
THE GEIRANGER FJORD: SEVEN SISTERS FALL 97
VEBLUNGSNÆS: ROMSDAL 109
THE TROLTINDERNE BY MOONLIGHT 119
ROMSDAL SNOW 123
MAKING FOR THE FJORD 124
INTERIOR OF MØLMEN CHURCH 129
NEAR OVENDAL: AFTER REINDEER 145
THE STIGE-STEEN, OR LADDER ROCK 161
VOLDA 171
SYLTEBØ: WITH FARM IMPLEMENTS 172
LANDSLIP AT SYLBOTTEN: INDFJORD 179
RUNIC STONE, WITH INSCRIPTION, NEAR INDFJORD 180
THE GRAVESTED: INGEBORG’S FUNERAL, INDFJORD 181
THE HEAD OF THE VALLEY: ISTERDAL 185
A BRIDAL PARTY CROSSING THE FJORD 193
THE BRIDE’S RETURN BY WATER 194
RETURN FROM THE CHRISTENING 198
THEIR “ONLY ONE” 200

ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT.

PAGE
Tyssestrængene Fos 3
Christiansand 7
Christiania 12
Hour Glasses 19
Norwegian Carved Lintels 20
Carved House in Thelemarken 21
Carved Houses, Bru, Thelemarken 22
The Raft Boat: Thelemarken 25
Porch at Hitterdal: Thelemarken 28
Chair in Hitterdal Church 29
Smoking the Cows: Thelemarken 36
The Mangletræ 37
Seljestad 42
Odde: Hardanger 44
Odde: Hardanger 46
Buerbræ Glacier 48
The Spring Dance: Hardanger 49
The Market: Bergen 54
Rosendal 55
Church Candlestand: Bergen Museum 62
Knife-stone on Bronze Belt: Bergen Museum 63
Hard Schist Implements: North Cape 64
Sword and Bracelet: Bergen Museum 65
Rowlock Knot of Birch-stones and Viking Rowlock 65
Sword Handle: Bergen Museum 66
Arrow Heads and Sword Handle: Bergen Museum 67
Ousen 76
The Island of Alden 77
Nordfjord Peasants 78
Norwegian Plough 80
The Lych Gate, Nordfjord 82
The Pass: Moldestadt 86
Postman and his Carriole 87
The Saw-Mill: Udvig 88
Faleidet: Nordfjord 89
The Olden River 90
Lyth Fishing 91
Haugen, near Hellesylt 94
The Horningdalskrakken, near Haugen 95
Breen-stok, or Bucket for Sharpening Stone 97
The Landing-place: Molde 102
Molde, from above the Town 103
Sea Warehouse: Molde 104
The Flower Market: Molde 105
The Churchyard: Molde 106
The Coast Inspector 108
Carriole crossing a River 111
Næss 112
Ole Larsen, our Shoemaker 114
The Farm at Aak 116
Meal House: Fiva, Romsdal 120
The Laave at Fiva: Romsdal 121
Rauma River Boat 122
Sheep Boy’s Horn 123
Shipping a Carriole 127
Grave-board, Mølmen Churchyard 128
A Norwegian Salmon Stage 131
Hardanger 132
Powder Flask, &c. 137
Snow Plough 139
Snow Pass: Thorbvu 142
After Sport 144
An Anxious Moment 145
Thorbvu: Encamping 146
Easing down the Patriarch 147
The Gralloch 148
Maritz Sæter 149
A Friend in Need 152
The Eagle’s Nest 153
Reindeer Head 154
Red Deer Head 155
Worm Box 159
Fresh Fish al Fresco 160
Casting 162
A Good Beginning 163
Wool Holder 166
Reeb Holder 168
Eikesdal 170
Looking across Indfjord 176
The Halt at Griseth 177
Spinning in the Sæter: Isterdal 184
Melting Glacier over Valdal 186
Church Axe 187
Bridal Crown 192
The Wedding 193
Drinking Horn 194
Before the Wedding 196
The Arrival at Home 197
Hitterdal Church 198
The Funeral: Bergen 199
The Stolkjær and Boat 200
Sledging 203
The Gentle Reproof 204
Stabur and Wooden Tankards 208
Costume of Lutheran Priest of Norway 210