Norwegian Folk Tales

A new, definitive English translation of the celebrated story collection regarded as a landmark of Norwegian literature and culture The extraordinary folktales collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe began appearing in Norway in 1841. Over the next two decades the publication of subsequent editions under the title Norske folkeeventyr made the names Asbjørnsen and Moe synonymous with Norwegian storytelling traditions. Tiina Nunnally’s vivid translation of their monumental collection is the first new English translation in more than 150 years—and the first ever to include all sixty original tales. Magic and myth inhabit these pages in figures both familiar and strange. Giant trolls and talking animals are everywhere. The winds take human form. A one-eyed old woman might seem reminiscent of the Norse god Odin. We meet sly aunts, resourceful princesses, and devious robbers. The clever and fearless boy Ash Lad often takes center stage as he ingeniously breaks spells and defeats enemies to win half the kingdom. These stories, set in Norway’s majestic landscape of towering mountains and dense forests, are filled with humor, mischief, and sometimes surprisingly cruel twists of fate. All are rendered in the deceptively simple narrative style perfected by Asbjørnsen and Moe—now translated into an English that is as finely tuned to the modern ear as it is true to the original Norwegian. Included here—for the very first time in English—are Asbjørnsen and Moe’s Forewords and Introductions to the early Norwegian editions of the tales. Asbjørnsen gives us an intriguing glimpse into the actual collection process and describes how the stories were initially received, both in Norway and abroad. Equally fascinating are Moe’s views on how central characters might be interpreted and his notes on the regions where each story was originally collected. Nunnally’s informative Translator’s Note places the tales in a biographical, historical, and literary context for the twenty-first century. The Norwegian folktales of Asbjørnsen and Moe are timeless stories that will entertain, startle, and enthrall readers of all ages.

‘East of the Sun and West of the Moon’ is a collection of Nordic and Norwegian folklore, edited and collated by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe. The two men were so closely united in their lives’ work that their folk tale anthologies are commonly mentioned only as ‘Asbjørnsen and Moe.’ This volume contains the classic ‘East of the Sun and West of the Moon’ and ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’, alongside other lesser-known stories such as ‘The Three Princesses of Whiteland’, ‘The Widow’s Son’, and ‘The Cat on the Dovrefell’. The stories of ‘East of the Sun and West of the Moon’ are accompanied by the dazzling colour and black and white illustrations of Kay Nielsen (1886 – 1957). Nielsen was a Danish artist belonging to the golden age of illustration. He was influenced by Japanese art and the Swedish folklore – becoming a crucial participant in the Art Nouveaux movement. His art is characterised by long, swooping lines, open spaces and a certain macabre, yet ephemeral quality. Presented alongside the text, his illustrations further refine and elucidate the Asbjørnsen and Moe’s masterful storytelling. Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration. We publish rare and vintage Golden Age illustrated books, in high-quality colour editions, so that the masterful artwork and story-telling can continue to delight both young and old.

"These tales have been adapted from the Dasent translation of the collection of Asbjernsen and Moe"--Copyright page.

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

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "The Norwegian Fairy Book" by Klara Stroebe. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

These 35 folk tales have been gathered from Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe's landmark nineteenth-century collections, acclaimed by Jacob Grimm for their freshness and a fullness that "surpass nearly all others." In this sparkling translation by Pat Shaw and Carl Norman, accompanied by a selection of the magnificent original illustrations of Erik Werenskiold and Theodor Kittelsen, are captivating stories of witches, trolls, and ogres; sly foxes and mysterious bears; beautiful princesses and country lads-turned-heroes that brim with the matchless vitality and power of their original telling. Translated by Pat Shaw and Carl Norman With black-and-white illustrations throughout Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

NORWEGIAN FOLK TALES were collected and published in the mid 19th century by Peter Christian Asbjørnsen (1812-1885) and Jørgen Moe (1813-1882). The folk tales were early on illustrated by our leading artists, and contributed to the development of a national identity. The book contains 20 of the most wellknown folk tales, such as: White-Bear-King-Valemon, Little Freddie and his Fiddle, The Seventh Father of the House, The Princess who Always had to have the Last Word. NORWEGIAN HERITAGE is a series of books about our most important and best-known national icons. The respective titles introduce major personalities from the worlds of art and literature, science and sports, but also the many natural wonders of the country, as well as significant historical periods and cultural expressions. Each book offers an updated introduction to readers who wish to familiarize themselves with a given subject.

Once upon a time, in the nineteenth century, certain men began to travel the highways and byways of rural Norway, collecting the tales, legends, and fables that the local population had to tell them. Many of these tales were published almost at once, such as "The Three Billy-goats Gruff," and "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." Certain other tales, however, because of their plain treatment of the sexual side of human experience, were repressed. The manuscripts languished in the archives of the university for nearly a hundred years, before being brought into the light, and published in Norway. Now, for the first time, this whole collection has been translated into English. Here are tales of witches, trolls, giants, soothsayers, and princesses; as well as tales of sinners, sextons, parsons, beetles, fleas, and mice. Even Adam and Eve make an appearance. Some of them are hilarious, others astonishing, with the odd cringe-worthy tale thrown in for good measure. All of the tales reveal the society that brought them forth-from a certain perspective.