Norske Folkeeventyr
Inspired by the example of the Grimm brothers,
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe
collected Norwegian fairy and folk tales. They
published the collection as Norske
Folkeeventyr (Norwegian Folk Tales 1845-52).
In a joint letter from 1844, they describe how
“an early acquaintance with your honorable
Kinder- und Hausmärchen, and an intimate
knowledge of the lore and life of the people in
our homeland, gave us the idea … of preparing
a collection of Norwegian folk tales.”
Norske Folkeeventyr
Women apparently tended to narrate deep,
mystical, and eerie themes, while men related
humorous, sometimes bawdy stories.
The best known characters are trolls and
Askeladden, the Ash-lad.
The collection was part of the project of
European Romanticism to investigate and
document the unique cultural heritage of
nations.
It was (and remains) extremely popular in
Norway.
Trolls, and the Norwegian movie, Troll
Hunter (2011)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
“East of the Sun and
West of the Moon”
(Aarne-Thompson type
425A, the search for the
lost husband).
Many elements of the tale
are very similar to the
Hellenistic romance of Eros
and Psyche
East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old
Tales from the North. Kay Nielsen, illustrator.
New York: George H. Doran, 1914.
East of the Sun
and West of the Moon
Illustration by P.J. Lynch
“Snow Queen & Polar Bear,” cover
illustration of " East of the Sun and West of
the Moon" by Peter Asbjorsen and illustrated
by Kay Nielsen.
The Lass and the Ice Bear
Illustration by Amanda Clark
East of the Sun
and West of the Moon
Illustration by Rosie Lauren Smith
Kay Nielsen, illustrator.
From The
Fairy Tale
Cookbook,
Illustrated
by Debby L.
Carter
Illustration by P. J. Lynch
East of the Sun
and
West of the Moon
Images by Kay Nielsen, illustrator.
And the next
morning, the castle
was gone and the lass
was left alone in the
forest wearing the
rags she had arrived
with.
Kay Nielsen, illustrator.
East of the Sun
and West of the Moon
Edna Cooke, Illustrator.
Kay Nielsen, illustrator.
The North
Wind blows
her to the
Castle of the
Troll Queen
Illustrated by P. J. Lynch
East of the Sun
and West of the Moon
Kay Nielsen, illustrator.
Illustration by Meghan Boody
At the Castle of
the Troll Queen
Illustrations by Mercer Mayer
East of the Sun
and West of the Moon
Kay Nielsen, illustrator.
Recent novels based on “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”
More recent novels based on a girl and
her polar bear.
Film The Golden Compass,
From Phillip Pullman’s trilogy, His
Dark Materials (1995-2000)
Trailer for The Subtle Knife: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iTryZRjiXE