Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology
by Snorre Sturluson and Jesse L Bycock is the definitive collection of
ancient Norse myths drawn from the Icelandic sagas first recorded by Sturluson.
Folk Tales
NowhereelseinEuropedoesatraditionoffolktalesandlegendssurvivetoquitetheextent
it does in Norway. Although many of these tales have been committed to paper, their es-
sence is that of an oral tradition that has passed down through the generations.
Norwegian folk tales, often drawing on the legends of medieval Norse literature, are
populated by an impossibly rich imaginary cast of mythical characters. The antics of these
fantasycharacters,aswellastheprincessesandfarmboysthatmanagedtooutwitthem,are
as essentially Norwegian as the fjords and Vikings. But it is only due to the work of Peter
Asbjörnsen and Jörgen Moe in the early 1800s that they were ever written down at all. In-
spiredbythepopularworkoftheGrimmbrothers,thetwomenbeganwithwhattheyknew
best: the folk tales told in the woods and valleys surrounding Oslo. Comic, cruel, moralist-
ic, ribald and popular from the moment they were published, these stories set the tone for
some of Norway's greatest authors, including Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.
The tales, most often illustrated with the distinct sketches of Erik Werenskiold and end-
ing with the words 'Snipp. Snapp. Snute. Så er eventyret ute' (a Norwegian rhyme signify-
ing 'The End'), remain popular and easy to find.
THE TRUTH ABOUT TROLLS
The most Norwegian of Norway's supernatural beings is the troll, which emerged in
Norway at the close of the last ice age. Trolls inhabit gloomy forests, moonlit lakes,
deep fjords, snowy peaks and roaring waterfalls. They're creatures of shadow and
darkness; any troll who is exposed to direct sunlight turns to stone.
Trolls, who can live for hundreds of years, come in all shapes and sizes, but nearly
all have four fingers and toes on each hand and foot, as well as long, crooked noses
and bushy tails. Some have multiple heads, with up to three eyes per head. They also
have a strange predilection for harassing billy goats and a violent aversion to church
bells. Des-pite having a short fuse and being decidedly cranky, they're generally kind
to humans.
Among the better-known trolls is the Nokken, a slimy creature who lives in moun-
tain ponds, and the Huldra, a stunning temptress who seduces young men before
