Chapter X: Legends and Literature

In Norwegian folk-lore the devil is a person with many relations, who are called _Jutuls_. In favour of the legends about them there is often some circumstantial evidence. Does a mountain or a rock bear similitude to the figures of human beings or of animals? Be sure that the Norwegians will have some tradition to account for the formation by proving to you that such rocks or mountains are the various creatures they resemble, bewitched. In the voyage along the northern coast of Norway from Trondhjem to the North Cape, the traveller will pass seven extraordinary mountains called "The Seven Sisters." A little farther he will see a rocky island which from certain points of view resembles a cloaked man on horseback riding into the sea. The head and ears of the horse are particularly natural.

The history of these islands is entertaining. One of the devil's younger brothers, who lived in this district, went on a visit to his seven sisters, who, like himself, were of giant growth. The sisters had with them a female cousin. With this Jutula their brother fell in love, and, as is customary in such cases, they swore eternal fidelity to each other. Business called the Jutul home; his beloved cousin was sent for to nurse a sick brother. She fulfilled this duty to admiration, and in the weakness of his convalescence her brother listened to the story of her love and promised her that she should wed her Jutul cousin. On his complete recovery he became less amenable, and, ignoring his promise, insisted that his sister should wed one of his dissolute companions. It is said that the Jutula's chief objection to this man was that he smelt strongly of tobacco; but I think that this must be embroidery, as my story is older than the use of tobacco. In any case, her refusal was absolute, and the brother was obliged to employ malignant magic. All the messengers from the Jutul, loving and beloved by his sister, were turned into rocks before they could reach her ear. The amorous Jutul was not aware that his beloved had a brother, or any other relation, and, concluding that she was the last of her race, believed also that it was she who had petrified his messengers. Wrathful, and having as his birthright an unerring aim, he mounted his steed and shot from his cross-bow a bolt at the dwelling of the Jutula. The perfidious brother was bathing at the time, and, presumably for the purposes of the story, he wore a sou'wester. The bolt, shot from seventy miles' distance, passed through the hat, and carried away a portion of the victim's skull; then, skimming the water, it pierced the heart of the fair one. She knew that only her lover had this unerring aim, and, thinking him faithless and cruel, used her dying moments in the exercise of her hereditary power, and petrified herself, her lover, his horse, and the floating sou'wester. There they remain to this day. Overlooking the scene of sorrow stand the seven sisters of the misguided lover, petrified with horror at the fate of their relations. The distance between the various islands is considerable; but it must be remembered that we tell of giants.

Norwegian geography abounds in spots such as these, to which are attached legends; and in no country is the folk-lore more rich and varied. The charming story-teller, Asbjornsen, and his friend Bishop Moe, collected many delightful fairy-tales, mostly traditional, but eked out by their own imaginations. These stories are entrancing, and at the time when they were first given to the public they awoke a romantic tendency in Norwegian literature. They had a great influence on the work of Joseph Welhaven, contemporary with the great Weigeland, who died at this time. Welhaven had been rather overshadowed by his rival, who, for the part he had played in political struggles, was idolised as the people's hero. Also, his work had been too much influenced by the great Germans who were his contemporaries. The charming figures in the fairy-tales of his country gave him inspiration for wonderful romances with the genuine Norwegian ring and subjects taken from national life. Asbjornsen, however, is more than a retailer of folk-lore. He frames his tales in description of the country in which he has found them on the lips of the people, and thus produces vivid pictures of peasant life. The sister of Henrik Weigeland, Camille Collett, during her widowhood burst forth as a literary genius. Apart from her talents as a writer, she was one of the pioneers of the women's movement in Norway, which country has been more influenced by this agitation than any other European State. Immense importance is attached to it; the great geniuses Ibsen and Bjornson show much interest in the moral side of the question; and all Norwegians are very eager to discuss the subject, which is far too large and complicated for myself.

Ibsen is best known as a playwright. Indeed, from the time he succeeded in drama all other interests were put aside. The Norwegian Government provided him, at the age of thirty-six, with pecuniary aid to enable him to travel. It was in Rome that he wrote two of his greatest plays, _Peer Gynt_ and _Brand_. To-day his literary activity has ceased, and all who will may see the great man seated at a window of his flat in Christiania almost any time during the livelong day.

Bjornstjerne Bjornson is still producing. He has written delightful romances; but for the last few years he, like Ibsen, has devoted himself to the stage. It is interesting to note that the splendid National Theatre in Christiania is managed by the writer's eldest son. His plays and those of Ibsen are magnificently acted, and always received with enthusiastic appreciation by the Norwegian public, which gives all its great men a splendid meed of appreciative recognition--how well deserved it is, the whole world will acknowledge. The translated commentary on the Norwegian literature of the last fifty years makes me feel that I would give everything for a knowledge of the language sufficient to let me enter into the treasure-house of untranslated genius.

Many of our modern authors are translated into Norwegian. I noticed that every book-shop window contained caricatures of Mark Twain and translations of his works. Surely there was some particular reason for this celebrity of an American humourist in Norway over and above the excellence of his work, which one would have thought difficult to do justice by in translation?

German books form a large part of the stock-in-trade of the Norwegian bookseller. The German language is very generally known--much more so than either French or English. In this and many other things it is plainly to be seen that there is much good feeling between Germany and Norway.

Public baths are to be found all over Norway--in some places are still found the _badstuer_. These are primitive Turkish baths, timber rooms heated with red-hot stones. Water is poured on the stones, and scalding steam is produced. I read in an old book on Norway an account by an American traveller of a visit to such a bath. He appears to have been rather a popular person among the Norwegian peasants, and was invited one Saturday in the depth of winter to assist at the general ablution. He relates with much amusing comment how all the bathers ran from their dwelling-places to the "bath chamber" in what he calls "the costume of Paradise." This in the depth of winter! Determined to do the whole thing properly, he followed their chilly example. At the bath, the whole company sat round the room on a sort of shelf. When they were thoroughly well steamed they wended their way back to their respective houses in the same lack of costume. There was no discrimination of sexes.

The writer speaks in high praise of the simplicity, innocence, and cleanliness of the people. There is in all writings on Norway a unanimity as to their good qualities. For my own part, the points about them that impressed me most were their absolute honesty and the complete absence of servility. While any Norwegian is delighted to show politeness to the stranger, and even to take a good deal of trouble in helping him on his way, all these attentions arise from a supreme feeling of courtesy and rarely from hope of reward. Anyone wishing to have particular information as to a subject concerning the country will be met on all sides with practical offers of assistance. He will find books relating to his subject showered upon him, and kind offers to accompany him and show him practical illustrations. This generous spirit, which has its source in love of the native land, is nowhere more marked than in such an establishment as Bennet's, the Thomas Cook and Sons of Norway. This, one would say, is a strictly commercial affair; yet there is no end to the trouble Bennet or his staff will take to encourage visitors to see as much as possible of their lovely country in a pleasant way, and this without remuneration of any kind.

Writing from Norway in 1820, a visitor says--"There is no country which accords better with my taste than Norway, nor is there any cast of inhabitants or people that I have visited for whom I have more esteem. Here at least are the true haunts of simple natures, and it has been one of the pleasantest passages of my life to dwell among the mountains. The Norwegians are a virtuous race; patriarchal simplicity, uprightness and hospitality, kindness and piety, are their characteristics. They entertain great reverence for their laws. In many other countries the laws are not obeyed on one uniform principle; here, on the contrary, the people respect them from principle."

INDEX

AALESUND; 48
Anglers; 6
Antiquaries; 69, 125
"Aqua vita"; 66
Arac punch; 65
Art, Norwegian; 118
Asbjornsen; 189
Aune; 24
Avalanches; 30

_Badstuer_; 192
Bandak Lake; 97
Baths, public; 192
Bennet's; 194
Bergen; 4, 51
Bjornson; 191
Boarding-houses; 14
Bonaparte; 47
Bread; 15
Brottem; 18
Buar glacier; 64
Butter; 16
Bygdo; 114

CANAL; 97
_Carriole_; 9
Catholic nursing sisters; 179
Catholicism; 99
Cereals; 159
Christiania; 110
Christiania Fjord; 116
Christmas; 79
Cod; 170
Collett, Camille; 190
Common land; 158
Courtesy; 194
Cows; 27, 59

DALEN 73, 79
Dutch character; 31

ELK; 164
Embroidery; 122

FIDDLERS, official; 181
Filigree work; 123
"Fish pig"; 165
Fishing; 5
Fjord steamers; 32
Folk-lore; 187
Forester; 154
Fruit, wild; 149
Funerals; 144

GERMAN EMPEROR; 48, 63
Gjora; 28
Goblins; 37
Good-looking people; 24
Goose wine; 117
Grieg, Edward; 184
Guinea-pig; 149
Gulf Stream; 116

HAUKELIDSAETER; 67
Hanseatic League; 52
Hardanger bridal; 136
Hardanger Fjord; 57
Hardanger violin; 183
Hell; 8
Herring; 172
History; 96
Holmenkollen; 111
Honesty; 193
Horghheim; 36
Horre; 65
Horses, Norwegian; 150, 160
Huldra; 77

IBSEN; 190
Intoxicating liquors; 7

JESUITS; 179
Jewellery, peasant; 124
Jews; 179

_Kaleschevogn_; 10
Karasjok; 176
Kontokeimo; 176

_Langelik_; 183
Lapps; 161, 176
Leprosy; 165
Lerfos; 8
Liffeld Mountains; 107
Lindeman; 181
Lofoten; 170
Lure, the; 180

MANGLING; 154
"Marie Stige"; 71
Marienborg; 14
Moe, Bishop; 189
Molde; 35, 45
Moldoeen; 49
"Monk and Lady"; 91
Morality; 177
Munch, Edward; 121
Music; 180
Mythology, Norwegian; 39

NAES; 36
National dances; 182

ODDE; 60
Osterthal; 46

PIXIES; 37, 76
Population; 47
Posting system; 9
Prawns; 16

RAILWAY; 8
Rain; 5
Ravngju; 76
Reindeer; 160
Rjukan Fos; 71
Roldal; 65
Romsdal Mountains; 36, 45
Roofs of grass; 16

SAETERS; 131
Saetersdalen; 85, 93
Saint Michael; 99
St. Michael's Chapel; 100
St. Olaf; 94
St. Olaf's Ship; 94
Salmon; 5
Salmon fishing; 175
"Sanatoriums; 14
Sea fisheries; 169
Saelbo; 8
Seljestad; 65
Service in hotels; 23
"Seven Sisters"; 187
Shops; 117
Signposts; 150
Skating; 117
Ski competition; 111
Skien Fjord; 97
Skiing; 116
Skis; 116
Sliper; 26
Snake; 149
Snow ploughs; 151
Snow tunnel; 67
Sogne Fjord; 51
_Stavekirke_; 115
_Stolkjaerre_; 8, 10
Storehouses; 129
Storen; 23
Sundal; 30
Sundalsoren; 31

TIDEMAND; 121
Thaulow, Fritz; 120
Tobogganing; 117
_Torfisk_; 171
Trains; 110
Trolls; 77
Trondhjem; 5, 6

ULEFOS; 98

VIKINGS; 38
Voss; 56
Vrangfos; 98

WEAVING; 122
Wedding customs; 34
Weigeland; 190
Welhaven, Joseph; 190
Whale; 51
Whale fishing; 174
Wireways, aerial; 132
Women's movement; 190
Wood-carving; 124
Wood-pulp; 108
Wooden boxes; 54
Woodsmen; 155
Wrecks; 172

X; 33

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