Estonia May 7, 2009 International Cultural Tourism Conference Åse

Estonia May 7, 2009
International Cultural Tourism Conference
Åse Klundelien
Chief county officer for culture
Buskerud county, Norway
“Trolls as culture ambassadors”
Romanticism – a period in art, music and literature (1780- 1850)
Jean Jacques Rousseau, Back to Nature
Man is small and unimportant, compared to Nature
Feelings, inspiration, freedom
Nationalism
Norwegian constitution 1814
Return to the medieval ages, heroes, noble knights, Vikings
Farmers, ordinary people are “genuine” and have ties back to Viking age
Folk music, folk costumes, folk tales, fairytales
The Grimm Brothers
P. Chr. Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, Norwegian Folk tales,
3 volumes, 1841- 1852
Johan Sebastian Welhaven, poet
Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, authors
Edvard Grieg, composer
Adolph Tidemand and Hans Gude, painters
Giants, Greek and Roman mythology – they fight against the gods
The thunder god Thor fights against jotner and trolls
St. Olav fights against trolls
Vetter, a joint name for trolls, elves, nisser, nøkken and other supernatural beings living in nature. Some are good ,
but mainly they are evil spirits. Also called the underground people, the small people, (Trolls are big), the goblins
Trolls – evil spirits who live inside the mountains. They are big, ugly, clumsy, may have several heads ( three, or
even nine), and animal tails. They have huge treasures of silver and gold, they love young women, especially
princesses, and kidnap them into the mountains. They are stupid, and can be fooled by a smart and good-hearted
young man of simple upbringing, Askeladden. They may turn into stone, if exposed to sunshine. Also called riser,
jotner, jetter.
Gygre – female troll, also called trollkjerring
Hulder – female supernatural being living in the woods. May be a troll’s daughter. Very pretty young woman out in
the daylight, but always has a cow’s tail . She is herding beautiful fat and shiny cows and other farm animals. Very
attractive, sexy, will lure young men to follow her into the mountain, and will then be revealed as ugly and
disgusting.
Nisse – tomte, tomtegubbe, gardvord, haugebonde etc. Maybe the founder of the farm, the man who cleared the farm
and was buried in a mound. A spirit living in the barn and the cowshed. Takes care of the farm horses in particular.
Can be a good helper to the farm people if treated with respect, but is also full of mischief . Must have porridge on
Christmas Eve. Have been mixed up with Santa Claus ( St. Nicolaus).
Nøkken – a water troll in lakes and rivers. Can teach people to play most beautifully the violin hadangerfiddle, if
given a bone of mutton –ham. Wants to lure people into the water to drown them. Used by parents to scare children
from going near the water.
Theodor Kittelsen, b. Kragerø 1857, d Jeløya Moss 1914
Poor family.
Watchmaker apprentice 1868
Helped by mesens to art education from 1874
Munchen1867
1881 engaged to illustrate Norwegian folk tales
1882- 83 Paris
1887 Lofoten, Northern coast of Norway
1889 Married Inga Dahl, the couple gets 9 children
1899 Their own house Lauvlia in Sigdal, Buskerud
Illustrate Selected folk tales 1905-06, edited 1907
1910 bankrupt, has to sell Lauvlia
1990’ s Sigdal municipality hires Lauvlia for 10 years, supported by Buskerud
county
develop to family culture center
Buskerud county and Sigdal municipality buy Lauvlia for 3,5 million NOK,
including National culture funding 0,5 million NOK.
Lauvlia is a branch of Sigdal museum, together with Villa Fridheim (fairytale
museum), Krøderbanen (railway museum), and Skresdvig Hagan museum
(contemporary artist with Kittelsen) . Profile: Family experiences, culture paths
in the woods, painting, music , outdoor theatre plays, traditional food, art
exhibitions of Kittelsen art, beach for swimming, quality souvenirs and books,
well-educated guides
Other places to meet trolls:
www.hunderfossen.no
www.pergynt.no Henrik Ibsen’s play
www.flamsbana.no (hulder performance – not any more)
Some useful advice about creating a national /regional folk tradition park:
Quality – tradition – new ideas- exciting experience
Do not copy - It must be something genuine coming out of your own tradition, your own nature, your
best national stories
National or regional folk tradition which people will feel is “their own”
Well educated and engaged guides
Genuine and original souvenirs
Good infra structure, clean toilettes, parking, good food
Something of interest for children and well as for grown-ups, activities
In harmony with nature, sustainability, a “green” profile
Support from municipality, county or private in the first period, do not expect a quick profit