Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (15 January 18125 January 1885) was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and
Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of
Norwegian folklore
Nordic folklore is the folklore of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It has common roots with, and has been mutually influenced by, folklore in English folklore, England, German folklore, Germany, the Folklore of the Low Co ...
. They were so closely united in their lives' work that their folk tale collections are commonly mentioned only as "
Asbjørnsen and Moe
''Norwegian Folktales'' ( no, Norske folkeeventyr) 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.
Asbjørnsen and Moe
Asbjà ...
".
Background
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen was born in
Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was descended from a family originating at
Otta in the traditional district of
Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdalen (; en, Gudbrand Valley) is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Innlandet (formerly Oppland). The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer and the lake of Mjøsa, extending toward ...
, which is believed to have come to an end with his death. He became a student at the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
in 1833, but as early as 1832, in his twentieth year, he had begun to collect and write down fairy tales and
legend
A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...
s. He later walked on foot the length and breadth of Norway, adding to his stories.
Jørgen Moe, who was born in
Ringerike, met Asbjørnsen first when he was fourteen years old, while they were both attending high school at
Norderhov Rectory. The building is today the site of Ringerikes Museum, the local museum for the Ringerike region, and contains memorabilia from both Asbjørnsen and Moe. They developed a lifelong friendship. In 1834 Asbjørnsen discovered that Moe had started independently on a search for the relics of national folklore; the friends eagerly compared their results, and determined for the future to work in concert.
Career
Asbjørnsen became by profession a
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...
, and with the aid of the
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...
made a series of investigative voyages along the coasts of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, particularly in the
Hardangerfjord
The Hardangerfjord ( en, Hardanger Fjord) is the fifth longest fjord in the world, and the second longest fjord in Norway. It is located in Vestland county in the Hardanger region. The fjord stretches from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountain ...
. He worked with two of the most famous marine biologists of their time:
Michael Sars
Michael Sars (30 August 1805 – 22 October 1869) was a Norwegian theologian and biologist.
Biography
Sars was born in Bergen, Norway. He studied natural history and theology at Royal Frederick University from 1823 and completed a cand.theol. ...
and his son
Georg Ossian Sars
Prof Georg Ossian Sars HFRSE (20 April 1837 – 9 April 1927) was a Norwegian marine and freshwater biologist.
Life
Georg Ossian Sars was born on 20 April 1837 in Kinn, Norway (now part of Flora), the son of Pastor Michael Sars and Maren Sa ...
. Moe, meanwhile, having left the University of Oslo in 1839, had devoted himself to the study of theology, and was making a living as a tutor in Christiania. In his holidays he wandered through the mountains, in the most remote districts, collecting stories. In these years he laid the foundation for the great literary its output.
In 1842–1843 the first installment of their work appeared, under the title of ' (''Norwegian Folk Tales''), which was received at once all over Europe as a most valuable contribution to comparative
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
as well as literature. A second volume was published in 1844 and a new collection in 1871. Many of the ' were translated into English by
George Dasent in 1859.
In 1845 Asbjørnsen also published, without help from Moe, a collection of Norwegian
fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
s ('). In 1856 Asbjørnsen called attention to the
deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...
of Norway, and he induced the government to act on this issue. He was appointed forest-master, and was sent through Norway to examine in various countries of the north of Europe the methods observed for the preservation of timber. In 1876, he retired from these duties with a pension. In 1879 he sold his large collection of zoological specimens to the
Natural History Museum (Ireland) Natural History Museum primarily refers to:
* Natural history museum (in title case), a scientific institution with natural history collections
Natural History Museum may also refer to:
* Natural History Museum, Abu Dhabi
* Natural History Museum ...
for £300. This collection includes specimens of ''
Brisinga endecacnemos
''Brisinga endecacnemos'' is a species of starfish found in deep waters off Norway, Rockall Trough off Ireland, Cape Verde, to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The species is described as being a "brilliant red", with a body measuring between 2.8 cm ...
'', possibly collected during his biological survey of the Hardangerfjord in the 1850s. He was made a member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences in
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
. He died in Christiania in 1885.
Writing style
It was usually said of their work that the vigour came from Asbjørnsen and the charm from Moe, but the fact seems to be that from the long habit of writing in unison they had come to adopt almost precisely identical modes of literary expression.
Legacy
In the 20th century, Norwegian filmmaker
Ivo Caprino
Ivo Caprino (17 February 1920 – 8 February 2001) was a Norwegian film director and writer, best known for his puppet films. His most noted film, '' Flåklypa Grand Prix'' ("Pinchcliffe Grand Prix"), was made in 1975.
Early life
Caprino ...
made a series of puppet films based on the fairy tales of Asbjørnsen and Moe. Asbjørnsen is featured in the introduction to each film. Caprino also built a theme park in ' near
Lillehammer
Lillehammer () 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 Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the municip ...
where these fairy tales play a central role.
Since 2008 Asbjørnsen has appeared on the reverse of the
Norwegian 50 krone banknote.
Gallery
File:Peter Christen Asbjørnsen monument in Oslo.jpg
File:Bergslien Asbjornsen 1885.jpg
See also
*
Storytelling
Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural pre ...
References
Attribution
*
Other sources
*Gjefsen, Truls ''Peter Christen Asbjørnsen – diger og folkesæl'' (Andresen & Butenschøn. Oslo: 2001)
*Liestøl, Knut ''P. Chr. Asbjørnsen. Mannen og livsverket''. (Johan Grundt Tanum. Oslo: 1947)
External links
Digitized books by Asbjørnsenin the
National Library of Norway
The National Library of Norway ( no, Nasjonalbiblioteket) was established in 1989. Its principal task is "to preserve the past for the future". The library is located both in Oslo and in Mo i Rana. The building in Oslo was restored and reopened i ...
*
*
*
English translation of ''Norske Folkeeventyr'': "Popular Tales From the Norse" translated by George Webbe Dasent, Third Edition, 1888
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asbjornsen, Peter Christian
Collectors of fairy tales
Norwegian folklorists
1812 births
1885 deaths
Scandinavian folklore
University of Oslo alumni
19th-century Norwegian writers
Norwegian marine biologists
19th-century Norwegian male writers
Burials at the Cemetery of Our Saviour