Norwegian Folktales
Norwegian Folktales is a collection of Norwegian folktales and legends by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. It is also known as Asbjørnsen and Moe, after the collectors.
Asbjørnsen and Moe
Asbjørnsen, a teacher, and Moe, a minister, had been friends for about 15 years when in 1841 they published the first volume of folktales - the collection of which had been an interest of both for some years. The work's popularity is partly attributable to Norway's newly won partial independence, and the wave of nationalism that swept the country in the 19th century; and the Norwegian written language they contributed to developing. The language of their publication of the fairy tales struck a balance in that, while it did not preserve their original dialect form in its entirety, it did import certain non-Danish features from it.Asbjørnsen and Moe were inspired by the German folktale collectors, the Brothers Grimm, not merely to emulate their methodology, but drawing encouragement by it, their endeavor was a work of national importance, especially as the Grimms openly gave high praise for the Norske folkeeventyr. Asbjørnsen and Moe applied the principles espoused by the Grimms, for instance, using a simple linguistic style in place of dialects, while maintaining the original form of the stories. Moreover, Asbjørnsen and Moe did not publish collected folktales in the raw, but created "retold" versions, seeking to reconstruct the lost Urform of the tales—although the alterations performed were not as drastic as the Grimms sometimes allowed license for themselves. The Norwegian pair also collected tales from the field themselves, in contrast to the Grimms.
Publications
The original series, entitled Norske Folkeeventyr went into publication piecemeal. It first appeared a slim pamphlet offering a selection of a few tales, without a title page, the editor's names or table of contents. This was sufficiently well-received, and championed by P. A. Munch in a German newspaper. It led to the appearance of a reprint of the first volume in 1843 and the second volume in 1844 as proper hardcovers. The second edition appeared in 1852. Another series dubbed the "New Collection" appeared later. The tales are numbered, the original collection containing 58 tales, increased to 60 tales in later editions. The new collection held 50 tales.Asbjørnsen as a solo project collected and published Norske Huldre-Eventyr og Folkesagn I-II, which also was expanded by a "second collection,".
Illustrators
The first fully illustrated of these book was the 1879 edition of Asbjørnsen's Norske folke- og huldre-eventyr, which featured the artwork of a battery of artists: Peter Nicolai Arbo, Hans Gude,, Eilif Peterssen, August Schneider, Otto Sinding , Adolph Tidemand, and Erik Werenskiold.In later editions Werenskiold and Theodor Kittelsen became prominent illustrators. Kittelsen was an unknown artist when he began collaborating on the project on the recommendation of his friend Werenskiold.
Translation into English
The tales were first translated into English by Sir George Webbe Dasent. He translated all but a few of the tales from the two series of Norske Folkeeventyr. Dasent's Popular Tales from the Norse, contains all 58 tales from the initial edition of the original collection. Dasent's Tales from the Fjeld: A Second Series of Popular Tales covers the two tales added to later editions of the original collection and 45 of the tales from the new collection.Asbjørnsen and Moe evidently approved of Dasent's translations: "In France and England collections have appeared in which our tales have not only been correctly and faultlessly translated, but even rendered with exemplary truth and care nay, with thorough mastery. The English translation, by George Webbe Dasent, is the best and happiest rendering of our tales that has appeared." The latest translation into English is by Tiina Nunnally in 2019.
H. L. Braekstad, Round the Yule Log: Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales includes tales from the Norske Huldre-Eventyr. An abridged translation of Stroebe's Nordische Volksmärchen, rendered into English by Martens, provides additional tales from the various collections, and complements the above translations to some extent. Carl Norman's Norwegian Folktales is a selection that includes some of the tales from the Ny Samling omitted by Dasent.
List of Norwegian folktales
Norske Folkeeventyr
Legend:- "NF#" - Tale number as they appear in Asbjørnsen and Moe's Norske Folkeeventyr
- "Modern Norwegian Title" - Modernized spelling.
- "AT index" - Aarne–Thompson classification system index for folktale type.
- "Da#" - Tale number as appears in Dasent's translation, usable as sort key.
- "Br." "Iversen&Nor." "Str.&Martens" "Nunn." - the Braekstad, Iversen&Norman, Stroebe&Martens, and Nunnally translations.
NF# | Modern Norwegian Title | AT index | Da# | English translated title | Alternate translations |
1 | Askeladden som stjal sølvendene til trollet | AT 328 | 32 | "Boots and the Troll" | "About Ash Lad, Who Stole the Troll's Silver Ducks, Coverlet, and Golden Harp" |
2 | Gjertrudsfuglen | AT 751A | 31 | "Gertrude's Bird" | "The Gjertrud Bird" |
3 | Fugl Dam | AT 301 | 55 | "The Big Bird Dan" | "The Griffin" |
4 | Spurningen | AT 853 | 19 | "Taming the Shrew" | "The Quandary" |
5 | Rike Per Kremmer | AT 461 | 30 | "Rich Peter the Pedlar" | "Richman Peddler Per" |
6 | Askeladden som kappåt med trollet | AT 1000 | 5 | "Boots Who Ate a Match With the Troll" | "Ash Lad, Who Competed with the Troll" ; "The Ash Lad Who Had an Eating Match with the Troll" |
7 | Gutten som gikk til nordenvinden og krevde igjen melet | AT 563 | 34 | "The Lad Who Went to the North Wind" | "About the Boy Who Went to the North Wind and Demanded the Flour Back" ; "The Lad and the North Wind" |
8 | Jomfru Maria som gudmor | AT 710 | 27 | "The Lassie and Her Godmother" | "The Virgin Mary as Godmother" ; "The Child of Mary" |
9 | De tre prinsesser i Hvittenland | AT 400 | 26 | "The Three Princesses of Whiteland" | "The Three Princesses in White Land" ; "The Three Princesses in Whiteland" |
10 | Somme kjerringer er slike | AT 1384 | 24 | "Not a Pin to Choose Between Them" | "Some Women Are Like That" |
11 | Hver synes best om sine barn | AT 247 | 25 | "One's Own Children Are Always Prettiest" | "Everyone Thinks Their Own Children Are Best" |
12 | En frierhistorie | AT 1459 | 14 | "How One Went Out to Woo" | "A Tale of Courtship" |
13 | De tre mostrene | AT 501 | 28 | "The Three Aunts" | ibid. |
14 | Enkesønnen | AT 314 | 44 | "The Widow's Son" | "The Widow's Son" ; |
15 | Manndatteren og kjerringdatteren | AT 480 | 17 | "The Two Step-Sisters" | "The Husband’s Daughter and the Wife’s Daughter" |
16 | Hanen og høna i nøtteskogen | AT 2021 | 54 | "The Cock and Hen a-Nutting" | "The Rooster and the Hen in the Nut Forest" |
17 | Bjørnen og reven: | — | N/A | "The Bear and the Fox" | |
17.1 | Hvorfor bjørnen er stubbrumpet; | AT 2 | 23 | "Why the Bear Is Stumpy-Tailed" | "Why the Bear Has a Stump of a Tail" |
17.2 | Reven snyter bjørnen for julekosten | AT 15 | 57 | "Bruin and Reynard" | "The Fox Cheats the Bear Out of His Christmas Meal" |
18 | Gudbrand i Lia | AT 1415 | 21 | "Gudbrand on the Hill-side" | "Gudbrand Slope" ; "Gudbrand of the Hillside" |
19 | Kari Trestakk | AT 510AB | 50 | "Katie Woodencloak" | "Kari Stave-Skirt" ; "Kari Woodencoat" |
20 | Reven som gjeter | AT 37 | 10 | "The Fox as Herdsman" | "The Fox as Shepherd" |
21 | Smeden som de ikke torde slippe inn i helvete | AT 330 | 16 | "The Master-Smith" | "The Blacksmith They Didn’t Dare Let Into Hell" ; "The Smith They Didn't Dare Let Into Hell" ; "The Smith and the Devil" |
22 | Hanen og høna | AT 2075 | 15 | "The Cock and Hen" | "The Rooster and the Hen" |
23 | Hanen, gauken og århanen | AT 120 | 29 | "The Cock, the Cuckoo, and the Blackcock" | "The Rooster, the Cuckoo, and the Black Grouse" |
24 | Lillekort | AT 303 | 20 | "Shortshanks" | "Lillekort" |
25 | Dukken i gresset | AT 402 | 52 | "Doll i' the Grass" | "The Doll in the Grass" |
26 | Pål Andrestua | AT 1725 | 58 | "Tom Totherhouse" | "Paal Next-Door" |
27 | Soria Moria slott | AT 400 | 56 | "Soria Moria Castle" | ibid. ; ; |
28 | Herreper | AT 545B | 42 | "Lord Peter" | "Sir Per" ; "Squire Per" |
29 | Vesle Åse Gåsepike | AT 870A | 59 | "Little Annie the Goose-Girl" | "Little Aase Goosegirl" |
30 | Gutten og fanden | AT 1158 | 53 | "The Lad and the Devil" | "The Boy and the Devil" ; "The Lad and the Devil" ; "The Young Fellow and the Devil" |
31 | De syv folene | AT 471 | 43 | "The Seven Foals" | ibid. |
32 | Giske | AT 1353 | 33 | "Goosey Grizzel" | "Gidske" |
33 | De tolv villender | AT 451 | 8 | "The Twelve Wild Ducks" | ibid. ; |
34 | Mestertyven | AT 1525A-F | 35 | "The Master Thief" | ibid. |
35 | Høna tripper i berget | AT 311 | 3 | "The Old Dame and her Hen" | "The Three Sisters Who Were Taken Into the Mountain" |
36 | Risen som ikke hadde noe hjerte på seg | AT 302 | 9 | "The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body" | "About the Giant Troll Who Never Carried His Heart With Him" ; "The Giant who had no Heart" ; "Anent the Giant Who Did Not Have His Heart About Him" |
37 | Grimsborken | AT 531 | 40 | "Dapplegrim" | "Dappleband" |
38 | Det har ingen nød med den som alle kvinnfolk er glad i | AT 580 | 36 | "The Best Wish" | "Nothing is Needed by the One That All Women Love" |
39 | Askeladden som fikk prinsessen til å løgste seg | AT 852 | 7 | "Boots Who Made the Princess Say, 'That's A Story'" | "Ash Lad, Who Got the Princess to Say He Was Lying" ; "The Ash Lad who made the Princess Say "You're a Liar" " ; "Ashiepattle who made the Princess tell the Truth at last" |
40 | De tre bukkene Bruse | AT 122E | 37 | "The Three Billy-Goats Gruff" | "The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Who Were Supposed to Go Up to the Mountain Pasture to Fatten Up" ; "The Three Billy Goats who went up into the Hills to get Fat" |
41 | Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne | AT 425 | 4 | "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon" | ibid. ; ; |
42 | Høna som skulle til Dovre forat ikke allverden skulle forgå | AT 20C | 49 | "The Cock and Hen That Went to the Dovrefell" | "The Hen Who Had to Go to Dovre Mountain, or Else the Whole World Would Perish" |
43 | Mannen som skulle stelle hjemme | AT 1408 | 39 | "The Husband Who Was to Mind the House" | "The Man Who Had to Keep House" ; "The Man who was going to Mind the House" |
44 | Tommeliten | AT 700 | 51 | "Thumbikin" | "Tom Thumb" |
45 | Håken Borkenskjegg | AT 900 | 6 | "Hacon Grizzlebeard" | "Haaken Speckled-Beard" |
46 | Mestermø | AT 313 | 11 | "The Mastermaid" | "Master Maiden" ; "Master Girl" |
47 | Vel gjort og ille lønnet | AT 154 | 38 | "Well Done and Ill Paid" | "Well Done and Poorly Rewarded" |
48 | Tro og Utro | AT 613 | 1 | "True and Untrue" | ibid. |
49 | Per, Pål og Espen Askeladd | AT 577 | 46 | "Boots and His Brothers" | "Per and Paal and Esben Ash Lad" |
50 | Kvernen som står og maler på havsens bunn | AT 565 | 2 | "Why the Sea is Salt" | "The Mill That Keeps Grinding at the Bottom of the Sea" ; "The Mill that Grinds at the bottom of the Sea" |
51 | Jomfruen på glassberget | AT 530 | 13 | "The Princess on the Glass Hill" | "The Maiden on the Glass Mountain" |
52 | Smørbukk | AT 327C | 18 | "Buttercup" | "Butterball" ; "Smorbukk " |
53 | Store-Per og Vesle-Per | AT 1535 | 47 | "Big Peter and Little Peter" | "Big-Per and Little-Per" |
54 | Lurvehette | AT 711 | 48 | "Tatterhood" | "Ragged-Cap" |
55 | Buskebrura | AT 403 | 45 | "Bushy Bride" | "The Bushy Bride" |
56 | Kjetta på Dovre | AT 1161 | 12 | "The Cat on the Dovrefjell" | "The Tabby-Cat on Dovre Mountain" |
57 | Bonde Værskjegg | AT 325 | 41 | "Farmer Weathersky" | "Farmer Weather-Beard" |
58 | Det blå båndet | AT 590 | 22 | "The Blue Belt" | "The Blue Twine" |
59 | Den rettferdige firskilling | AT 1651 | 62 | "The Honest Penny" | "The Honest Four-Skilling Coin" ; "The Four-Shilling Piece" |
60 | Han far sjøl i stua | AT 168A | 66 | "Father Bruin in the Corner" | "The Old Man of the House" |
Norske Folkeeventyr Ny Samling
New Collection. The NF# will be given contiguous from the original collection.NF# | Modern Norwegian Title | AT index | Da# | English translated title | Alternate translations |
61 | Væren og grisen som skulle til skogs og bo for seg selv | AT 130 | 101 | "The Sheep and the Pig Who Set up House" | "The Ram and the Pig who went into the Woods to live by Themselves" |
62 | Venner i liv og død | AT 470 | 86 | "Friends in Life and Death" | |
63 | Gutten som skulle tjene tre år uten lønn | AT 560 | 88 | "Three Years without Wages" | "The Youth Who Was to Serve Three Years Without Pay" |
64 | Kjerringa mot strømmen | AT 1365AB | 94 | "Goody Gainst-the-stream" | "The Old Woman against the Stream" |
65 | Den syvende far i huset | AT 726 | 87 | "The Father of the Family" | "The Seventh Father of the House" ; "The Seven Fathers in the House" |
66 | Tre sitroner | AT 408 | 84 | "The Three Lemons" | ibid. |
67 | Kjæresten i skogen | AT 955 | 97 | "The Sweetheart in the Wood" | |
68 | Ikke kjørende og ikke ridende | AT 875 | 95 | "How to Win a Prince" | "Not Driving and not Riding" |
69 | Skipperen og Gamle-Erik | AT 1179 | 93 | "The Skipper and Old Nick" | "The Skipper and Sir Urian" |
70 | Gutten som gjorde seg til løve, falk og maur | AT 302 | 96 | "Boots and the Beasts" | "The Boy Who Became a Lion, a Falcon, and an Ant" |
71 | Tobakksgutten | AT 611 | 81 | "Master Tobacco" | |
72 | Gullslottet som hang i luften | AT 531 | 102 | "The Golden Palace That Hung in the Air" | "The Golden Castle that Hung in the Air" |
73 | Haren som hadde vært gift | AT 96 | 76 | "The Hare and the Heiress" | "The Hare who had been Married" |
74 | Bjørnen og reven: | N/A | The Bear and the Fox | ||
74.1 | Slipp granrot og ta i revefot | AT 5 | 77 | "Slip Root, Catch Reynard's Foot" | |
74.2 | De vedder om flesk og humlebol | AT 7 | 75 | "Pork and Honey" | "The Bear and the Fox Who Made a Bet" |
74.3 | De skulle ha åker i sameie | AT 1030 | 79 | "Bruin and Reynard Partners" | |
74.4 | Mikkel vil smake hestekjøtt | AT 47A | 80 | "Reynard Wants to Taste Horse-Flesh" | |
75 | Bamse Brakar | AT 116 | 78 | "Bruin Goodfellow" | "Brave Old Bruin" |
76 | Rødrev og Askeladden | AT 300 | 99 | "Osborn Boots and Mr. Glibtongue" | |
77 | Gutten som ville fri til datter til mor i kroken | AT 402 | 104 | "Mother Roundabout's Daughter" | "The Youth Who Wanted to Win the Daughter of the Mother in the Corner" |
78 | Dumme menn og troll til kjerringer | AT 1406 | 90 | "Silly Men and Cunning Wives" | "Foolish Men and Scolding Wives" |
79 | Askeladden og de gode hjelperne | AT 513 | 106 | "Boots and his Crew" | "The Ash Lad and the Good Helpers" |
80 | Gutten som ville bli handelskar | AT 1538 | 100 | "This is the Lad who Sold the Pig" | |
81 | Hårslå, som aldri ville hjem gå | AT 2015 | 98 | "How they Got Hairlock Home" | |
82 | Kullbrenneren | AT 1641 | 82 | "The Charcoal Burner" | ibid. |
83 | Gullfuglen | AT 550 | 110 | "The Golden Bird " | ibid. |
84 | Den grønne ridder | AT 432 | 105 | "The Green Knight" | |
85 | Tyrihans som fikk kongsdatteren til å le | AT 571 | 91 | "Taper Tom" | "Taper Tom - Who Made the Princess Laugh" ; "Hans who made the Princess Laugh" |
86 | Presten og klokkeren | AT 922 | 85 | "The Priest and the Clerk" | "The Parson and the Sexton" ; "The Parson and the Clerk" |
87 | Gale-Mattis | AT 1696 | 108 | "Silly Matt" | |
88 | Klokkeren i bygda vår | AT 1537 | 89 | "Our Parish Clerk" | |
89 | Småguttene som traff trollene på Hedalsskogen | AT 303 | 92 | "The Trolls in Hedale Wood" | "The Boys Who Met the Trolls in the Hedal Woods" ; "The Lads who Met the Trolls in the Hedale Wood" |
90 | Kvitebjørn kong Valemon | AT 425 | 109 | "King Valemon, the White Bear" | "Valemon - The White Bear King" |
91 | Skrinet med det rare i | AT 2250 | 83 | "The Box with Something Pretty in It" | "The Box with the Funny Thing in it" |
92 | Hjemmusa og fjellmusa | AT 112 | 107 | "The Town-mouse and the Fell-mouse" | "The House Mouse and the Country Mouse" |
93 | God dag, mann! -- Økseskaft | AT 1968J | 68 | "Goodman Axehaft" | "'Good Day, Fellow!' 'Axe Handle!'" |
94 | Hanen og reven | AT 61 | 67 | "Reynard and Chanticleer " | |
95 | Verden lønner ikke annerledes | AT 155 | 73 | "The Way of the World" | |
96 | Mumle Gåsegg | AT 650A | 65 | "Grumblegizzard" | "The Greedy Youngster" ; "Murmur Goose-egg" |
97 | Veslefrikk med fela | AT 592 | 103 | "Little Freddy With his Fiddle" | "Little Freddie and his Fiddle" |
98 | Gjete kongens harer | AT 570 | 60 | "Osborn's Pipe" | "Ashiepattle and the King's Hares" : "The King's Hares" |
99 | Krambugutten med gammelostlasten | AT 506 | 70 | "The Shopboy and His Cheese" | |
100 | Følgesvennen | AT 507A | 69 | "The Companion" | "The Companion" ; "The Comrade" |
101 | Peik | AT 1542 | 71 | "Peik" | ibid. |
102 | Kjetta som var så fæl til å ete | AT 2027 | 64 | "The Greedy Cat" | The Cat Who Could Eat So Much |
103 | Hanen som falt i bryggekaret | AT 2022 | 63 | "The Death of Chanticleer" | |
104 | Pannekaken | AT 2025 | 74 | "The Pancake" | ibid. ; "The Chronicle of the Pancake" |
105 | Gutten med øldunken | AT 332 | 72 | "Death and the Doctor" | |
106 | Fanden og futen | AT 1186 | N/A | N/A | "The Devil and the Baliff" |
107 | Stabbursnøkkelen i rokkehodet | AT 1453 | N/A | N/A | "The Key in the Distaff" |
108 | Tsju pus, vil du ned av bordet! | AT 1456 | N/A | N/A | |
109 | Sju år gammal graut | AT 1462 | N/A | N/A | |
110 | Herremannsbruden | AT 1440 | N/A | N/A | "The Squire's Bride" |
Norske Huldre-Eventyr
Legend:- "Hu#" - Tale number in Norske Huldre-Eventyr, with continuous numbering for the "second collection"
- "Modern Norwegian Title" - Modernized spelling.
- "Year" - Year of collection. Enumerated in the index and under the title in the 3rd edition.
- "Br#" - Tale number as appears in Braekstad's Round the Yule Log.
- "Str.&Martens" - Stroebe&Martens translation.
- "Chr.&Iversen" - Christiansen ed., translated by Pat Shaw Iversen.
Hu# | Modern Norwegian Title | Year | Br# | English translated title | Alternate translations |
Hu1 | Kvernsagn | 1843 | 17 | "Legends of the Mill" | "The Haunted Mill" ; "Self Did It" |
Hu2 | Ekebergkongen | 1838 | |||
Hu3 | Matthias skytters historier | 1838 | 3 | "Matthias the Hunter's Stories" | |
Hu4 | Berthe Tuppenhaugs fortellinger | 1843 | 13 | "Mother Bertha's Stories" | "The Troll Wedding" |
Hu5 | En aftenstund i et proprietærkjøkken | 1845 | 29 | "An Evening in the Squire's Kitchen" | "The Troll-Wife" |
Hu6 | Huldreætt | 1843 | |||
Hu7 | En halling med kvannerot | 1845 | |||
Hu8 | Lundeætten | 1845 | |||
Hu9 | En gammeldags juleaften | 1843 | 1 | "An Old-Fashioned Christmas Eve" | |
Hu10 | En natt i Nordmarken | 1845 | "The Neighbor Underground" | ||
Hu11 | En aften ved Andelven | 1845 | "The Hat of the Huldres" | ||
Hu12 | Graverens fortellinger | 1845 | "Following the Witch" and "The Witches's Sabbath" | ||
Hu13 | Jutulen og Johannes Blessom | 1844 | 24 | "The Giant and Johannes Blessom" | "The Lord of the Hill and John Blessom" ; "The Jutul and Johannes Blessom" |
Hu14 | Fra fjellet og seteren | 1845 |
Hu# | Modern Norwegian Title | Year | Br# | English translated title | Alternate translations |
Hu15 | Høyfjellsbilleder: | 1848 | |||
Hu15.1 | 1: En søndagskveld til seters | "Ola Storbaekkjen" | |||
Hu15.2 | 2: Rensdyrjakt ved Rondane | 16 | "Peter Gynt" | ||
Hu16 | Plankekjørerne | 1848 | "Making the Devil Carry the Cat" and "The Cardplayers and the Devil" | ||
Hu17 | En tiurleik i Holleia | 1848 | 9 | "A Day with the Capercailzies" | |
Hu18 | En signekjerring | 1848 | 32 | "The Witch" | |
Hu19 | En sommernatt på Krokskogen | 1848 | 31 | A Summer Night in a Norwegian Forest | |
Hu20 | Tatere | 1848 | |||
Hu21 | En aften i nabogården | 1853 | |||
Hu22 | Fra Sognefjorden | 1855 | |||
Hu23 | Til Haus | ||||
Hu23.1 | Skarvene fra Utrøst | 1849 | 6 | "The Cormorants of Udröst" | "The Isle of Udrost" ; "The Cormorants from Utröst" |
Hu23.2 | Tuftefolket på Sandflesa | 1851 | "Lucky Andrew" ; "The Tufte-Folk on Sandflesa" | ||
Hu23.3 | Makrelldorg | 1851 | 20 | "Mackerel Trolling" | "Storm Magic" |
Hu23.4 | På høyden av Aleksandria | 1852 | "Hexe Pfarrerin" |
Other pieces
Tales not from any of the proceeding series that are usually included alongside them in later collections:# | Modern Norwegian Title | Year | AT Motif | English translated title | Alternate translations |
* | De tre kongsdøtre i berget det blå | "The Three Princesses in the Mountain in the Blue" | |||
* | En prestehistorie | ||||
* | Prinsessen som ingen kunne målbinde | AT 853 | "The Princess who always had to have the Last Word " | ||
* | En vestlandsk Skovdal | ||||
* | Fiskersønnene | AT 303 | |||
* | Grisen og levemåten hans | AT 211 | "The Pig and his Way of Life" | ||
* | Gullfebla | ||||
* | Jomfru Maria og svalen | ||||
* | Julebesøket i prestegården | ||||
* | Prestens mor | ||||
* | Reve-enka | ||||
* | Vårherre og St. Peder på vandring |