Olav Aukrust
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Olav Aukrust (21 January 1883 – 3 November 1929) was a Norwegian poet and teacher. He popularized the use of
Nynorsk Nynorsk () () is one of the two written standards of the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. From 12 May 1885, it became the state-sanctioned version of Ivar Aasen's standard Norwegian language ( no, Landsmål) parallel to the Dano-Nor ...
as a literary language and is most commonly associated with his poem ''Himmelvarden'' (1916).


Biography

Aukrust was born in the parish of Lom in
Oppland Oppland is a former county in Norway which existed from 1781 until its dissolution on 1 January 2020. The old Oppland county bordered the counties of Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The co ...
, Norway. He was raised in the traditional region of
Gudbrandsdal Gudbrandsdalen (; en, Gudbrand Valley) is a valley and Districts of Norway, traditional district in the Norway, Norwegian county of Innlandet (formerly Oppland). The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer (town), Lille ...
. His parents Olav Olavsson Aukrust (1851–1931) and Mari Pålsdatter Andvord (1864–1936) were farmers on the Nordgard Aukrust farm in the valley of Bøverdalen. His brother
Lars Olsen Aukrust Lars Olsen Aukrust (2 October 1886 – 10 January 1965) was a Norwegian farmer and politician for the Agrarian Party. He was born at Aukrust in Lom as a son of farmers Olav Olsen Aukrust (1851–1931) and Marit Paalsdatter Andvord (1864–1936 ...
(1886–1965) was a teacher and local official. His nephews
Odd Aukrust Odd Aukrust (15 December 1915 – 22 June 2008) was a Norwegian economist. He was born in Tynset as a son of Lars Olsen Aukrust (1886–1965) and Louise Walmsnæss (1887–1973). He was a nephew of Olav Aukrust, brother of Kjell Aukrust, and fir ...
(1915 –2008) was an economist and
Kjell Aukrust Kjell Aukrust (19 March 1920 – 24 December 2002) was a Norwegian author, poet, artist and humorist. Aukrust is principally known for his Flåklypa stories and Flåklypa drawings. Personal life Aukrust was born in Alvdal in Hedmark, Norway as ...
(1920–2002) was an author, poet and artist. Aukrust was a student of the folk college at Romundgard in
Sel 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 ...
operated by priest and educator
Christopher Bruun Christopher Arndt Bruun (23 September 1839 – 17 July 1920) was a Norwegian priest and educator. Biography He was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was a son of jurist Johan Peter Bruun (1810–1843) and Line Stenersen (1816–1901). Af ...
(1839–1920). From 1915 to 1917, he worked as a teacher at the folk high school at
Dovre Dovre is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dovre. Other villages in Dovre include Dombås and Hjerkinn. The ...
where future novelist
Ingeborg Møller Ingeborg Møller (29 December 1878 – 18 February 1964) was a Norwegian teacher, playwright, novelist and biographer. Biography Ingeborg Møller was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. Her parents were Thorvald Fredrik Møller (1821-18 ...
(1878–1964) was also a teacher. He later taught at
Gausdal Gausdal is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Segalstad bru. Other villages in Gausdal include Follebu, Forse ...
. In 1911, he married Gudrun Blekastad (1887–1984), daughter of
Haugean The Haugean movement or Haugeanism ( no, haugianere) was a Pietistic state church reform movement intended to bring new life and vitality into the Church of Norway which had been often characterized by formalism and lethargy. The movement empha ...
businessman Ivar Blekastad (1850–1936). She was the sister of artist Hallvard Blekastad (1883–1966) and sister-in-law of literary historian
Milada Blekastad Milada Blekastad (1 July 1917 – 25 October 2003) was a Norwegian literary historian. Personal life She was born in Prague. Her grandfather František Topič was one of the most prominent publishers in that town and often published Nordic lite ...
(1917–2003). He was strongly influenced by priest and author
Ivar Mortensson-Egnund Ivar Mortensson-Egnund (originally Ivar Julius Mortensen and also referred to as Ivar Matlaus) (24 July 1857 – 16 February 1934) was a Norwegian author, journalist, theologian, researcher, translator, writer, philosopher and advocate of nynorsk ...
(1857–1934) who advocate of the use of
Nynorsk Nynorsk () () is one of the two written standards of the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. From 12 May 1885, it became the state-sanctioned version of Ivar Aasen's standard Norwegian language ( no, Landsmål) parallel to the Dano-Nor ...
. Aukrust wrote poems with a renewed national romantic style and used a characteristically similar form. His use of rural
dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of Linguistics, linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety (linguisti ...
contributed to the growth of
Nynorsk Nynorsk () () is one of the two written standards of the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. From 12 May 1885, it became the state-sanctioned version of Ivar Aasen's standard Norwegian language ( no, Landsmål) parallel to the Dano-Nor ...
as a literary
language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
. Olav Aukrust joined the
Anthroposophical Society The General Anthroposophical Society is an "association of people whose will it is to nurture the life of the soul, both in the individual and in human society, on the basis of a true knowledge of the spiritual world." As an organization, it is d ...
in December 1921 after he and his wife, Gudrun Aukrust, traveled through
Goetheanum The Goetheanum, located in Dornach, in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland, is the world center for the anthroposophical movement. The building was designed by Rudolf Steiner and named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It includes two performa ...
on their way home from Italy. He suffered from
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
, which came to characterize his last year and led to an early death at age 46.


Legacy

Nordgard Aukrust is now open to the public. The farm has a large garden and offers the sales of agricultural products during the tourist season. Sculptor
Dyre Vaa Dyre Vaa (19 January 1903 – 11 May 1980) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter. Background He was born in Kviteseid, Telemark, and later lived and worked in Rauland. He was the son of Tor Aanundsson Vaa (1864–1928) and Anne Marie Roholt ...
designed the Olav Aukrust statue (bronze, 1952) which was installed at Lom in 1952.


References


Related reading

*Downs, Brian W. (1966) ''Modern Norwegian Literature 1860–1918'' (Cambridge University Press)


External links


Nordgard Aukrust website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aukrust, Olav 1883 births 1929 deaths People from Lom, Norway Nynorsk-language writers Norwegian male poets Norwegian educators Anthroposophists