Norsk folkeminnelag (NFL) [= Norwegian Folklore Society] founded in 1920, is a voluntary, non-profit cultural organization communicating and disseminating traditional folk poetry and customs. Society protects collected materials through book releases, guides collectors, and own research in the field of folklore. From 1922 to 2012, the company has published 166 book titles, as well as a reprint of Magnus Brostrup LandstadsNorske Folkeviser (= Norwegian Folk Songs) from 1852, besides cassettes and CDs with original recorded Folk Songs.
The main activities are the publication of the book series Norsk Folkeminnelags skrifter [= writings]. In addition, the Norwegian Folklore Society publishes a journal called FOLKEMINNER. NFL-Nytt [= News], with scientific papers and articles on various folkloric topics, as well as book reviews. The journal also contains communication from board meetings, seminars, etc.
The newspaper Tidens Tegn's presentation of the newly established Folk Society in, 1920, with a drawing of its founder, professor Knut Liestøl.
Decentralization of oral sources
From the beginning, the Folklore Society has committed itself to publishing to a wide audience. Since the 1830s oral stories have been collected among Norwegian peasants, sailors, and students. The most important of these sources (collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, Sophus Bugge, Moltke Moe, etc.), led to the creation of Norsk Folkeminnesamling (NFS). By 1914, these materials had become entered the public domain. Nevertheless, archives were essentially inaccessible to ordinary people. The same applied to other collections (i.e. Johan Theodor Storaker etc.), which were taken care of at the Manuscript Collection in the University Library of Oslo (now the National Library of Norway, Oslo).
NFL in particular emphasized folklore genres, beliefs, and customs that were linearly passed on from one generation to the next. While the early editions were systematically parent material collections the books in recent years have been more focused on historical context and commentary, with book decor, illustrations, hardback, and bindings. Earlier the Norwegian Folklore Society was most focused on making available the already collected material at NFS. This was done to refute allegations that the reconstruction of such a central archive would only cause the material exclusively reserved for a small circle of scholars. It was an explicit national program to make sure the oral sources in published form should be returned to the areas where they were originally collected. At the same time, the releases were meant to be a tribute to the collectors, and a way to encourage them to continue their efforts to save important oral culture that surrounded them in everyday life.
The purpose of the Folklore Society's business
However, the NFL highlights not only what stands in danger of being buried and forgotten but is also involved in the ongoing collection and mapping of contemporary folk culture. Through folkloristic releases from virtually every corner of Norway, the Folklore Society has succeeded in preserving and visualizing a great part of the country's intangible cultural heritage, which could otherwise be lost to time. Perspectives have also shifted towards identifying new cultural elements, cultural encounters (acculturation), and different forms of expression.
As the oral tales are being transferred to other media, some may argue that the material is not being done justice until the material once again comes to be used in its traditional environment. However, the releases are not primarily intended to revitalize, but rather to document different traditions. Furthermore, in some cases, tapes and CD releases are attached to books with musical content. Through releases, the Folklore Society conducts an active cultural policy by making the readers aware of aspects of the intangible material culture that most people might not otherwise have gained awareness of. There are also many examples of local communities, professional musicians, and storytellers that have been able to acquire and revitalize parts of their historical local culture after the documented sources from the Folklore Society.
The Folklore Society's current and future work
NFL volatile workspaces - the intangible immaterial culture - have put their main focus on book publications. This has been and is still the backbone of the activities, but the NFL also operates other types of cultural dissemination. The Society is actively participating in projects through the guidance of those who are willing to collect folk traditions, and also consultation authors with scripts. NFL has on several occasions been involved in exhibitions and cultural arrangements, and cooperates extensively with other cultural organizations, and does lectures, seminars on their own. NFL is also a member of the Norwegian Cultural Heritage Association.
Folklore studies is the branch of anthropology devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currency in the 1950s to distinguish the academic study of traditional culture from the folklore artifacts themselves. It became established as a field across both Europe and North America, coordinating with Volkskunde (German), folkeminner (Norwegian), and folkminnen (Swedish), among others.
Norwegian romantic nationalism was a movement in Norway between 1840 and 1867 in art, literature, and popular culture that emphasized the aesthetics of Norwegian nature and the uniqueness of the Norwegian national identity. A subject of much study and debate in Norway, it was characterized by nostalgia.
Theodor Severin Kittelsen was a Norwegian artist. He is one of the most popular artists in Norway. Kittelsen became famous for his nature paintings, as well as for his illustrations of fairy tales and legends, especially of trolls.
Jørgen Engebretsen Moe was a Norwegian folklorist, bishop, poet, and author. He is best known for the Norske Folkeeventyr, a collection of Norwegian folk tales which he edited in collaboration with Peter Christen Asbjørnsen. He also served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Kristianssand from 1874 until his death in 1882.
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore. They were so closely united in their lives' work that their folk tale collections are commonly mentioned only as "Asbjørnsen and Moe".
The culture of Norway is closely linked to the country's history and geography. The unique Norwegian farm culture, sustained to this day, has resulted not only from scarce resources and a harsh climate but also from ancient property laws. In the 19th century, it brought about a strong romantic nationalistic movement, which is still visible in the Norwegian language and media. In the 19th century, Norwegian culture blossomed as efforts continued to achieve an independent identity in the areas of literature, art and music. This continues today in the performing arts and as a result of government support for exhibitions, cultural projects and artwork.
Ashlad is a main character in a number of tales collected in Asbjørnsen and Moe's 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.
Olea Crøger was a Norwegian music teacher who was a pioneer in the collection of folk music and folklore. She is considered to have been one of the first to systematically collect folk songs and melodies in Telemark.
The Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage (CFCH) is one of three cultural centers within the Smithsonian Institution in the United States. Its motto is "culture of, by, and for the people", and it aims to encourage understanding and cultural sustainability through research, education, and community engagement. The CFCH contains (numerically) the largest collection in the Smithsonian, but is not fully open to the public. Its budget comes primarily from grants, trust monies, federal government appropriations, and gifts, with a small percentage coming from the main Smithsonian budget.
"The Old Dame and her Hen" is the English title given by Dasent to the Norwegian folk tale, Asbjørnsen and Moe’s number 35.
Alfred Hauge was a Norwegian educator, journalist, novelist, poet and historian. He wrote extensively about life on the Ryfylke islands and about Norwegian-American emigration.
Oral storytelling is an ancient and intimate tradition between the storyteller and their audience. The storyteller and the listeners are physically close, often seated together in a circular fashion. The intimacy and connection is deepened by the flexibility of oral storytelling which allows the tale to be molded according to the needs of the audience and the location or environment of the telling. Listeners also experience the urgency of a creative process taking place in their presence and they experience the empowerment of being a part of that creative process. Storytelling creates a personal bond with the teller and the audience.
Events in the year 1813 in Norway.
Gerhard August Schneider was a Norwegian artist and illustrator of folk tales.
Moltke Moe was a Norwegian folklorist.
Johannes Skar was a Norwegian educator and folklorist.
Roland og Magnus kongen literally "Roland and King Magnus," also known under the English title "Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux" is a Norwegian ballad about the legendary hero Roland of Charlemagne's court. The ballad is cataloged NMB 171, and categorized TSB type E 29. In the ballad, Roland's sword is compared to a sickle, its name corrupted to Dvælje=Dvolg, explained as meaning "dwarf-fiend" or "enemy of the dwarfs" Storm was of the opinion that the ballad could not be younger than the end of the 15th century, and Halvorsen also said it "must have been handed down orally since the late Middle Ages".
Reidar Thoralf Christiansen was a Norwegian folklorist, archivist of the Norwegian Folklore Collection (NFS) and professor of folkloristics at the University of Oslo.
Peder Carolus Jonsen Fylling, also known as Per Fylling, was a Norwegian folk material collector, book and antique collector, local historian, and author of cultural history books and articles.
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