The Helland family from Bø in Telemark is a Norwegian dynasty of Hardanger fiddle makers who made the most significant and important contribution to the development of the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle tradition. The celebrated Norwegian fiddler

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull was ...

played on Helland fiddles. During nearly 200 years and four generations the family counted 14 fiddle makers, many of them among the most important in the fiddle-maker tradition in Norway. It may well be the largest fiddle maker family in history.

From Bø in Telemark to Notodden, Skien and Wisconsin

Olav Gunnarson Helland settled in Notodden, Telemark, Norway in 1896 and established a Hardanger fiddle workshop. His fiddles are considered among the finest within the tradition. Knut Gunnarsson Helland and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland emigrated to US in 1901 and settled in

Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River (Wisconsin), Chippewa River in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, Chippewa County in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 14,778 in the 2021 census. Incorporated as ...

, Wisconsin where they became well known ski jumpers. They opened a fiddle workshop, " Helland Brothers" together. Knut died in 1920 and his brother Gunnar continued the business until 1927. John Gunnarson Helland settled in Skien, Telemark, Norway and ran a workshop and a music shop until his death in 1977. The other fiddle makers continued their work in Bø until the last, Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen died in 1969.

The family 1790–1977

''Note on older Norwegian names: The second name is a patronymic (meaning literally e.g. "Jon's son" or "Erik's daughter"). The third name is a family name, derived from the farm where they lived, or originated from.'' *

Jon Eriksson Helland Jon Eriksson Helland (1790–1862), born Jon Eriksson Hellos, was a Norwegian Hardanger violin maker from Bø in Telemark. Jon Eriksson Helland was the first of the Helland family violin making tradition in Bø. His name was originally Jon Erik ...

(1790–1862) **

Erik Jonsson Helland Erik Jonsson Helland (1816–1868) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker. Erik Jonsson Helland was the eldest son of the Hardanger fiddle maker Jon Eriksson Helland from Bø in Telemark, Norway. Around 1830, he began to specialize in making ...

(1816–1868) ***

Jon Eriksson Helland II Jon Eriksson Helland II (1849–1869) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark. The eldest son of Erik Jonsson Helland, Jon died at 20 years of age. He was considered very gifted, and his father had great expectations for h ...

(1849–1869) ***

Knut Eriksson Helland Knut Eriksson Helland (1851–1880) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway. Knut Eriksson Helland was the youngest son of Erik Jonsson Helland. He began to work in his father's workshop at an early age, and showed ...

(1851–1880) *** Gunnhild Eriksdatter Helland (1851–1907) married

Gunnar Olavsson Helland Gunnar Olavsson Helland (July 15, 1852 – 1938) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle (''hardingfele'') maker from Bø, Telemark, Bø in Telemark, Norway. Biography Gunnar Olavsson Haugen was a brother-in-law of Knut Eriksson Helland who was mar ...

(1852–1938). Gunnar took family name from the farm he got by marriage ****

Olav Gunnarsson Helland Olav Gunnarsson Helland (25 August 1875 – 30 April 1946), was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway. He was the eldest of Gunnar Olavsson Helland's five sons, four of whom became violin makers. He showed great talent ...

(1875–1946) ****

Knut Gunnarsson Helland Knut Gunnarsson Helland (November 6, 1880–June 27, 1919) was a Norwegian American Hardanger fiddle maker. Biography Knut Gunnarson Helland was from Bø, Norway. Helland worked in the traditional region of Telemark in the workshop of his father ...

(1880–1920) **** Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland (1889–1976) ****

John Gunnarsson Helland Jon Gunnarsson Helland (1897–1977) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway. John Gunnarson Helland, was the fourth of the five Gunnar Olavsson Helland Gunnar Olavsson Helland (July 15, 1852 – 1938) was a ...

(1897–1977) **

Eilev Jonsson Steintjønndalen Eilev Jonsson Steintjønndalen (c. 1821–1876) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged wi ...

(1821–1876). Took family name of the farm he got by marriage *** Jon Eilevsson Steintjønndalen (1845–1902) ***

Knut Eilevsson Steintjønndalen Knut Eilevsson Steintjønndalen (c. 1850 – December 2, 1902) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway. Knut Eilevsson Steintjønndalen continued the Steintjønndal tradition when his brother Jon Eilevsson Steintjøn ...

(1850–1902) **** Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen (1887–1969) **

Gunleik Jonsson Helland Gunleik "Gullik" Jonsson Helland (1828–1863) was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway. Gunleik (the name was written both ways) Helland, son of the first fiddle maker at Helland cotters farm, worked several years i ...

(1828–1863)

Jon Eilevsson Steintjønndalen

Jon Eilevsson learned his trade from his father,

, and became a fine violin maker. But he gave it up at an early age when he left the area. There are still a number of good Hardanger fiddles left by him. The great Hardanger fiddle player Halvor Jøren from Bø brought one, named "The Troll", with him to the US, where it disappeared.

Sources, all in Norwegian

*Bjørn Aksdal: ''Hardingfela, felemakerne og instrumentets utvikling.'' Tapir akademisk forlag Trondheim 2009. (p. 160) *''Bø-Soga, 1 Kultursoga'' vol. 1 (Bø Local history). *''Bø-Soga'', 2 farm- and family history, vol.4» (Bø Local history, farm- and family history). *Steinar Kyvik: ''Soga om fela'' Fonna 1946. *John Gunnarson Helland: ''Felemakerslekten Helland'' (Helland, the fiddlemaker maker family). Private, type written paper. *Olav Gunnarsson Helland, private letters. *Åsmund Nyhammer: ''Hardingfele i fire slektledd''. Newspaper article, interview in Bergens Arbeiderblad 5. oktober 1963. *Asbjørn Storesund: ''Bøherad, hardingfelas Cremona'' in ''Leik og Dans'' (periodical) 1988 p. 57-71, Halvard Kaasa, editor. *''Morgenbladet'', Christiania, Thursday July 15. 1852.

External links

How Norwegian is the hardanger fiddle?
Norwegian musical instrument makers Fiddle makers Norwegian families American people of Norwegian descent

References

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