Flowers, Fiddles & Finery
The geography of Norway was not always conveniently traveled and created many different pockets of culture. Dialects, folklore, music, art, and traditions varied region by region. This can be illustrated decadently by comparing regional folk art styles.
Rosemaling, which means rose-painting or decorative painting, began in the early 1700s and was initially done by traveling guild artists influenced by rococo and baroque European art. They were paid to paint the interiors of Stave churches and houses of the wealthy with these colorful floral designs that resemble acanthus carvings. Over time, distinct styles emerged, amateur artists began to rosemal and day to day items like trunks and bowls began to be decorated. These pieces and the art style immigrated together starting in the 1850s, but by the early 1900s, its popularity declined.
Telemark’s rosemal is often considered the national rosemaling style and can be distinguished most readily by its asymmetrical design. From a root center, scrolls and whimsical flowers of blue, red, and cream fan out over a typically blue or red background. Accents of white or black are familiar. Painters often use multiple colors on the brush to create a unique color-blended brushstroke or create thin and translucent strokes. Telemark rosemal is described as graceful, flowing, exaggerated, ornate, fanciful, and easy to distinguish from other popular styles like Halingdal, Rogaland and Valdres.
In the mid-20th century, Norwegian rosemaling saw a resurgence in popularity in America, specifically in the Midwest. American artists developed their own styles and added flourishes, but today’s rosemaling remains true to its regional Norwegian roots.
Rosemaling
Norway's National Instrument
Although Hardanger fiddles originated in a neighboring fylke, the fiddle makers of Telemark go back to the early part of the 18th century and would eventually cross the Atlantic during immigration to the American Middle West. Beginning with Karl Mathaisen Rui, fiddle makers from Telemark would produce some of the most well-known hardingefele instruments. In Bø, the Helland family fiddle-making dynasty would span four generations and 200 years. Celebrated fiddler Ole Bull played Helland fiddles.
Like a violin in shape and size, the hardingfele similarly has four primary strings that the player bows. Four or five understrings respond with a resonance that results in a sound unique to Norwegian musical traditions. Its influence can be heard in the opening bars of “Morning” from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt. Grieg adapted several Hardanger tunes and composed for the instrument as well. The haunting drone has proven popular in modern movie soundtracks, including the opening scene of Fargo, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and Dunkirk. Many Japanese musicians have also been drawn to the instrument, and its music is featured in the Japanese anime film Tales from Earthsea.
The fiddle’s sound is not all that sets it apart. These instruments are intricately decorated with hand-inked rosing on the body, inlaid mother of pearl on the fingerboard, and carved figureheads, often a lion or dragon. Each instrument is a work of art.
Knut and Gunnar Helland emigrated to Chippewa Falls, WI, in 1901, where they opened a fiddle shop. Their brother John and cousin Knut continued to make fiddles in Telemark. After his brother died in 1920, Gunnar continued working in his music shop in Fargo, ND, until he was in his 80s. He made his last Helland fiddle in 1937, but thankfully, he passed on instrument-making knowledge. Bud Larsen, who we will forgive for not being a Teler, apprenticed under Gunnar at 14 and continues to make and play Hardanger fiddles in Brainerd, MN. He also works with apprentices in the Fargo-Moorhead area, many of whom are third-generation immigrant families who want to reconnect with their culture.
In Bø, the long tradition of Norwegian music continues. The small town hosts a well-attended international music festival every year and has produced many of Norway's most acclaimed fiddlers, past and present.
Bunad
At the height of the emigration period, there was a clear distinction between urban and rural dress in Norway, and national costume and bunad had yet to become popular. Although everyday rural dress was likely worn for the long journey from Norway, most immigrants adopted American clothing as soon as they arrived. In the years before Norwegian independence, the traditional folk dress of the Hardanger region emerged as a national costume, used for special occasions and by performing groups. By 1903, Hulda Garborg had published a book encouraging Norwegian Folk Dress that was region-based, and the bunad movement began in earnest.
At the same time that Norway was looking for a national identity, Norwegian American pioneers were searching for community and connection with far-flung friends and family. Soon, those old clothes were being pulled out of their trunks and given new life at Sons of Norway or bygdelag meetings. Photography and easier transcontinental travel helped bygdelags and individuals with a direct exchange of information about bunad and national dress. By the Centennial of 1925, bunad had become a staple of Norwegian American celebrations.
Although bunader are primarily used by Norwegian Americans for public display in association with a heritage organization, in Norway, they are worn for every important occasion. Weddings, graduations, and Syttende Mai all call for this traditional gala attire. Despite the cost of making or purchasing a bunad, which ranges from $3000 to $15000, about 70% of Norwegians own one. One tailored bunad is used for an entire lifetime and is often passed down. A government-appointed Bunad and Folk Costume Council exists to ensure cultural integrity and oversee the material and production quality of the bunader.
There are over 400 regional bunad in Norway, and costumes sometimes vary depending on the wearer’s marital status. Bunader are classified into five different categories ranging from unbroken historical tradition (category one) to new designs (category 5). Any folk costume that is a total departure is a drakt rather than a bunad. Telemark boasts at least nine bunader for women and three for men. Unlike most other regions, Telemark has no bunader that fall into category five. Multicolored rose stitch embroidery is a hallmark of Telemark bunader, and most of today’s costumes feature it.
