Folktales of NorwayReidar Thoralf Christiansen Often lacking the clear episodic structure of folktales about talking animals and magic objects, legends grow from retellings of personal experiences. Christiansen isolated some seventy-seven legend types, and many of these are represented here in absorbing stories of St. Olaf, hidden treasures, witches, and spirits of the air, water, and earth. The ugly, massively strong, but slow-witted trolls are familiar to English-speaking readers. Less well-known, but the subject of an enormous number of legends, are the more manlike yet sinister "huldre-folk" who live in houses and try to woo human girls. These tales reflect the wildness of Norway, its mountains, forests, lakes, and sea, and the stalwart character of its sparse population. "The translation is excellent, retaining the traditional Norwegian style . . . the tales themselves will also appeal to the interested layman."—Library Journal |
Contents
I HISTORICAL LEGENDS | 1 |
II LEGENDS ABOUT MAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT | 25 |
III LEGENDS ABOUT GHOSTS THE HUMAN SOUL AND SHAPESHIFTING | 43 |
IV LEGENDS ABOUT SPIRITS OF THE SEA LAKES AND RIVERS | 51 |
V LEGENDS ABOUT SPIRITS OF THE AIR | 73 |
VI LEGENDS ABOUT SPIRITS OF FOREST AND MOUNTAIN | 79 |
VII LEGENDS ABOUT HOUSEHOLD SPIRITS | 135 |
VIII FICTIONAL FOLKTALES | 145 |
Glossary | 259 |
| 263 | |
Index of Motifs | 266 |
| 269 | |
| 270 | |
| 272 | |
| 275 | |
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Common terms and phrases
All-Black Asbjörnsen asked Askelad boat castle caught sight Christiansen church collected dare Devil door draug drink eastern Norway fairy farm farmer Finn fish foals Folklore folktales girl Giske Haaken Grizzlebeard happened heard Hjelmeland horse huldre huldre-folk inside Isak Ivar Aasen Jacob Grimm jagt Jörgen Moe jotuns king king's daughter king's manor knew lived look maiden Mastermaid Migratory Legends minister Mop Head mother Motif mound mountain never night nisse Nordland Norse Norsk Folkeminnelag Norske Eventyr Norske Folkeeventyr Norwegian variants Olav old fellow once oskorei parish Petter Dass prince princess printed in Norsk Ringerike Sagn sea serpent seen Seljord seter seven foals shouted shrieked silver sitting standing started stood story Svein tale talking Telemark There's thing thought told took tradition troll hag tunkall Utröst Valdres wandered wanted wedding wife woman