Prillar-Guri or Prillarguri is a legendary figure who according to oral tradition was a woman from Sel, Norway who played a key role in the Battle of Kringen (Slaget ved Kringen) in August 1612. [1] [2]
Prillar-Guri or Prillarguri is a legendary figure who according to oral tradition was a woman from Sel, Norway who played a key role in the Battle of Kringen (Slaget ved Kringen) in August 1612. [1] [2]
Sweden and Denmark-Norway were actively engaged in the Kalmar War. Nearly three hundred conscripts from the Gudbrand Valley had been massacred at Nya Lödöse by the Swedes. In July the Mönnichhoven's march (Mönnichhoven-marsjen) across Norway through Stjørdalen had ravaged the area. Hence a peasant militia force of around 500 decided to ambush the Scottish force (Skottetoget) at Kringen (the narrowest part of the valley). The terrain chosen by the Norwegians made ambush very effective. [3]
The Scottish force were soundly beaten in a manner that took the character of a massacre. The fact that about half the Scots were executed by the Norwegian peasants the day after the battle took place can be a reason why the tradition tries to "smooth over" the grim events. A reason for this reaction may have been rumours of the looting and harrowing done by the Scottish mercenaries during their trip from Romsdalen. Another reason is that the municipalities in the area did not have any capacity to harbour prisoners of war, and the fear of more looting from escaped mercenaries can have given the farmers just reason to kill the soldiers on the spot. Eighteen Scotsmen were sent to trial in Denmark, among them Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Ramsay. Some of those were eventually sent home to Scotland. The Norwegian victory over the Scots is celebrated in Otta and Dovre to this day. [4]
The story of Pillarguri has been popularized in poems and songs, including a traditional song from the area. Pillarguri first appears in written form in Sagn, samlede i Gudbrandsdalen om Slaget ved Kringen, 26de August 1612 written during 1838 by Hans Peter Schnitler Krag, the minister in Vågå. Prillarguri became more commonly known in the 1880s from a novel by the popular Norwegian author Rudolf Muus. Pillarguri appeared as well in poetry by Edvard Storm, Henrik Wergeland, and Gerhard Schöning.
Her name was also remembered in a number of Hardanger fiddle dance tunes, mostly in old tunings. The fact that the fiddle tunes in question seem to be fairly old, most of them not younger than 1750, should strengthen the theory of existence prior to the romantic nationalist era in Norway.
A statue depicting Pillarguri is located in the community of Otta, Norway. The Pillarguri prize (Pillarguriprisen) is awarded in conjunction with the annual Pillarguri Festival at Otta. She was also reproduced on a memorial erected in 1912 in connection with the 300-year anniversary of the battle. Pillar-guri is also depicted on the municipal coat of arms of Sel in Oppland county, Norway. [9]
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Sel is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Otta. The municipality also includes several notable villages including Bjølstad, Dale, Høvringen, Nord-Sel, Sandbumoen, Sjoa, and Skogbygda.
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is a town in Sel Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The town is also the administrative centre of the municipality. The town is located at the confluence of the Gudbrandsdalslågen and Otta rivers. The European route E6 highway runs through the town. The Dovrebanen railway line also passes through the town, stopping at the Otta Station. The 2.13-square-kilometre (530-acre) town has a population (2021) of 2,283 and a population density of 1,073 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,780/sq mi).
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Battle of Kringen involved an ambush by Norwegian peasant militia of Scottish mercenary soldiers who were on their way to enlist in the Swedish army for the Kalmar War. The battle has since become a part of folklore in Norway, giving names to local places in the Ottadalen valley.
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Events in the year 1880 in Norway.
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Events in the year 1612 in Norway.
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