________________________________________________
_ Note 21.
KING FREDERIK THE SEVENTH. His death occurred November 15, 1863,
just before the crisis with Prussia and Austria. He was born
October 6, 1808, the son of Prince Christian Frederik, later King
Christian VIII of Denmark, and his first wife. The early divorce of
his parents resulted in his education being neglected; he was left
for several years in the hands of relatives and strangers; had
unsympathetic teachers and almost no trace of parental guidance.
All his life he had less than average attainments in knowledge,
except in a practical way in Scandinavian archaeology. He had
natural dignity, but a broad, undisciplined nature, and shunned
court etiquette and constraint. In 1834, he was in effect
banished to Jaegerspris, a royal estate near Frederikssund, and
later was sent on a cruise to Iceland. Afterwards he resided in
disfavor in Fredericia, where his tendencies to plain, direct
intercourse with people of all classes were further developed. When
Christian VIII ascended the throne, Frederik's position was somewhat
improved, and his free association with officials and commoners made
him very popular. It was found that he could show at times
surprisingly clear and sure insight into practical conditions. His
interest continued active in archaeological investigations, sea-
voyaging, and fishing. During the increasing national and political
difficulties Frederik, because of his pronounced Danish feeling and
sympathy with the common people, was disposed to take a stand more
national and constitutionally liberal than could please the
government circles. This became known among the people
and made him a still greater favorite. In 1847 he submitted a
proposal for the introduction of a joint Constitution for the entire
monarchy, but King Christian died before action could be taken.
Frederik VII ascended the throne January 20, 1848. The change of
ministry which he made in March as a result of the Schleswig revolt,
his opposition to the division of Schleswig, and his establishment
of really constitutional government made his popularity forever
secure, although he was not a sure and purposeful ruler. Frederik's
character played an important part in the relations of Denmark with
Sweden and Norway. The personal friendship between the two
Kings united the countries more closely and lifted political
"Scandinavism" to the height it reached shortly before the war of
1864 with Prussia and Austria over Schleswig-Holstein.
This "Scandinavism" is referred to in the poem by the words "to
the North," "his course," and similar expressions. It was the name
given to the sense of kinship of the three Northern peoples and the
desire of closer union, whether in spiritual or material or
political relations. It was evoked first by poets and scholars, and
gathered strength from 1843 on in meetings of university students.
In 1848 there was warm sympathy in both Sweden and Norway with the
cause of Denmark; the assistance of volunteers and even of Swedish-
Norwegian troops was given. Towards 1864 the three countries came
more closely together politically, promises of help to Denmark were
made by Sweden and Norway, and there was even talk of a treaty of
alliance. But the end of the war of 1864, and Germany's victory over
France in 1870-71, destroyed the hopes of political Scandinavism,
and thereafter it became rather cultural and practical, at least
until 1905, when Norway's full independence of Sweden led to
emphasis on individual nationality. The war of 1914-15 may bring
about a revival of political Scandinavism. (See also Note 38.)
Note 22.
TO SWEDEN. This poem and several following breathe the spirit of
Scandinavism described above.
Yellow-blue. The flag of Sweden shows a yellow cross on a blue
ground.
Christian Fourth, King of Denmark and Norway, 1588-1648.
Haakon Earl, see Note 14.
Palnatoki, the legendary leader of the Jomsborg vikings. Ancient
enemies are now allies, and so also Tordenskjold (see Note 5)
fights by the side of, not against, Charles XII.
Jenny=the famous singer, Jenny Lind, 1820-1887.
Lützen. Gustavus Adolphus prayed and his troops sang hymns before
the battle.
Narwa, where Charles XII, in November, 1700, was victorious over
the Russians under Peter the Great.
Note 23.
OUR FOREFATHERS. A festival, memorial poem, written just before the
outbreak of the Danish-German war. Danish troops were stationed
along the river Eider, which the Germans crossed on February 1,
1864. The last lines of the poem refer to what is told in the saga
of Magnus the Good about the battle of Lyrskog Heath (see Note 11):
"The night before the battle Magnus was wakeful and prayed to God
for victory. Towards morning he fell asleep and dreamed that his
father, King Olaf the Saint, came to him and said: 'You are now very
sick at heart and full of fear, because the Wends are coming against
you with a great army; but you must not be afraid of the heathen
host, though they be many together. I shall follow you into this
battle and join in the fight, when you hear my horn.' At dawn the
King wakened, and then all heard up in the air the ringing of
a bell, and those of the King's men who had been in Nidaros
[Trondhjem] recognized by its sound the bell which King Olaf had
given to the church of St. Clement. Then Magnus had the signal for
battle blown, and his men made such a furious onset on the Wends,
that fifteen thousand fell and the rest fled."
Note 24.
WHEN NORWAY WOULD NOT HELP. Written upon the adjournment of
the extraordinary meeting of the Norwegian Storting, called in
March, 1864. The action of the Storting providing for Norway's
participation with Denmark in the war coupled this with conditions
which made it equivalent to a refusal to help.
Wessel, see Note 5.
Dannebrog, see next note.
Note 25.
TO THE DANNEBROG. The original title was "The 19th of April, 1864."
Dybböl [Düppel]. This strongly fortified Danish place in
Schleswig was taken by the Germans on April 18, 1864.
Dannebrog, the traditional name of the Danish flag, consisting of
a red ground whereon is a broad white cross, extending to all four
margins. According to an old legend the original Dannebrog ("broge"
is an old Danish word, meaning a piece of colored cloth) soared down
from Heaven during the battle of Reval in 1219 and brought victory
to the Danes, while a voice was heard promising the Danes a complete
victory as often as they raised this banner against their enemies.
Note 26.
TOAST FOR THE MEN OF EIDSVOLD. First called "Toast for the 17th of
May;" written for the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the
Constitution (see Note 5).
Note 26.
THE NORRÖNA-RACE. Written for the fiftieth anniversary of the
adoption of the Act of Union with Sweden.
Norröna= Northern.
Surtr. According to Norse mythology there were in the beginning
two worlds, the first of which, called Muspell, was filled with
fire, light, and warmth; over this Surtr ruled, sitting with a sword
of flame at its border. The other world was Niflheim, cold and
dark.
Yggdrasil. The tree Yggdrasil is a symbol of the present world.
Dragons, warships with carved dragons as figure-heads.
Poland's night. For Gustavus Adolphus the Polish War, which he
waged before he took part actively in the Thirty Years' War in
Germany, was also undertaken for the defense of Protestantism.
Saga, here=History.
Note 27.
LECTOR THAASEN. Johan Edvard Thaasen (born in 1825; died February
17, 1865) was a classical philologist and a man of broad culture,
well versed in Old Norse and in modern French and German literature.
From 1852 he was teacher in the Cathedral School in Christiania, and
from 1860 lecturer in Greek at the University, where he treated
chiefly the Greek poets and archaeology. He came from a poor family
and passed his early life under hard conditions. During the last few
years he was sickly, and he died of consumption. In 1858 he was
president of the Students' Union, and spokesman for the Norwegians
at the Student Meeting in Copenhagen in 1862.
Note 28.
DURING A JOURNEY IN SWEDEN. Written in the summer of 1866,
Björnson's speeches then made a sensation by reason of the warmth
of his feeling for Sweden. Ellen Key has written with approval of
his characterization of the Swedes here, which agrees with that of
Schück in his History of Swedish Literature, i, 325, 326.
Note 29.
SONG FOR THE STUDENTS' GLEE CLUB. Written in 1863 for the journey
of the Club to Bergen (see Note 19).
Hald, Fredrikshald, see Note 5.
Arendal. This city is an important shipping center.
Sverre, see Note 5.
Note 30.
MRS. LOUISE BRUN. Louise Gulbrandsen was born in Bergen, December
16, 1831, and died in Christiania, January 21, 1866. In childhood
she knew the narrowness and darkness of poverty. Made her first
appearance as an actress at the opening performance of Ole Bull's
theater in Bergen, January 2, 1850, when she also recited the
Prologue. An attractive personality, a voice clear and flexible both
in speech and song, and unusual mentality made her the most talented
actress of her time in Norway. Her power was comprehensive; she
began with romantic parts and always liked these best, though later
she was distinguished in conversation-plays. In 1851 she married
Johannes Brun, Norway's most gifted comedian. They came to
Christiania in April, 1857. A picture drawn from life, etc., refers
to the romantic drama, The Sisters at Kinnekullen, of the Dane,
Carsten Hauch (1790-1872). It was his most frequently performed
play, dealing with the mysterious power of gold over the human mind,
as something demonic in the servitude it imposes. It had recently
been played with Mrs. Brun in the part of Ulrika.
He, who from fairy-tale, etc. Ole Bull, see Note 19. Thus is
introduced here a poetical history and eulogy of Ole Bull's
Norwegian Theater.
Note 31.
TO JOHAN DAHL, BOOKDEALER. Johan Fjeldsted Dahl was born in
Copenhagen, January 1, 1807, and died in Christiania, March 16,
1877. He came to Christiania in 1829, and established in 1832 a
business of his own, both publishing and selling. In the mercantile,
social, literary, and artistic life of the city he came to have an
important place and influence. Dahl had published Norway's Dawn, by
Welhaven, and in the time of the Wergeland-Welhaven conflict (see
Note 36, and as to Wergeland, Note 78) a violent personal quarrel
developed between Wergeland and Dahl about an entirely unimportant
matter. Dahl had provided his porter with a green livery having red
borders. Wergeland, who regarded Dahl as the leading representative
of the "Copenhagenism" (Danish, anti-Norwegian tendencies) he was
contending against, had an epigram printed, The Servant in Livery,
and insulted the porter on the street. This led to a slashing
newspaper feud between Wergeland and Dahl. After everybody's
feelings had grown calmer, Wergeland wrote about the burlesque
occurrence in a farce entitled The Parrot, and Dahl had humor
enough, himself to publish this satirical skit.
The light from his shop. Wergeland derisively styled Dahl's store
"the first slander-shop of the city;" it was, in face, the meeting-
place of the "party of intelligence," those interested in European
culture and esthetic criticism, i.e., it was the resort of those
opposed to Wergeland.
Note 32.
TO SCULPTOR BORCH. Christopher Borch (1817-1896) was a lifelong
friend, of whom in 1857 Björnson wrote in letter: "The most
childlike, natural man I know, with his even, light walk, and his
fine, small hands," and "there is poetry in that man. Oh, how you
have misunderstood him!" It was this friend who, about the same
time as these letters were written, helped Björnson open his spirit
to the influence of Grundtvig (see Note 57). Borch for many years
gave free instruction to convicts in the Akershus prison in drawing
and other subjects, and so helped them to a future when they came
out.
Note 33.
CHOICE. A Danish publisher issued a calendar with poems on the
months by different Scandinavian poets. When Björnson was invited to
contribute, all the other months were already written up or
assigned, and only April was left.
Note 34.
NORWEGIAN SEAMEN'S SONG.
Saint Olaf's Cross. Of the insignia of the Royal Norwegian Order of
St. Olaf, founded in 1847 by King Oskar I; the characteristic
feature is a white cross.
Hafursfjord's great day (see Note 5), near Stavanger.
Note 35.
HALFDAN KJERULF was born September 15, 1815, and died August 11,
1868. He early showed talent for music, and though he had to study
law from 1834 on, he yet studied and wrote music with a crushing
sense of lack of knowledge and opportunity. He was dangerously ill
in 1839, and always weak physically. His father died in 1840, and
Kjerulf then began to earn his living by music. A stipend received
in 1850 enabled him to go to Leipzig for a year. In 1851 he settled
in Christiania as a teacher of music, where for the rest of his life
his influence as a composer was most important. His compositions
are all of the lesser forms; his best work was done from 1860 to
1865. He was in general a pioneer of modern Norwegian music, and one
of the first to draw from the inexhaustible fountain of folk-music.
He wrote exquisite music for many songs of Welhaven, Wergeland, Moe,
Björnson, and others.
Note 36.
NORWEGIAN STUDENTS' GREETING TO PROFESSOR WELHAVEN. Johan Sebastian
Cammermeyer Welhaven was born December 22, 1807, lived from 1828 in
Christiania, was lector from 1840 to 1846, and from 1846 to 1868
professor of philosophy in the University; he died October 21, 1873.
His poetical works were: Norway's Dawn, 1834; Poems, 1839; New
Poems, 1845; Half a Hundred Poems, 1848; Pictures of Travel and
Poems, 1851; A Collection of Poems, 1860. A polemical writer, gifted
with wit and fine taste, and a social-political author, Welhaven
represented in his earlier period the "party of intelligence"" over
against the chauvinism of the radical Peasant party of Wergeland
(see Note 78). He was an adherent of Danish culture and of the
esthetic view of art and life, who hated all national exclusiveness
and showed a love of his country no less true and intense
than Wergeland's by chastising the Norwegians of his time for their
big, empty words and their crass materialism. For this he was
rewarded with abuse, and called "traitor to his country" and
"matricide." In reality Welhaven was a dreamer, a worshiper of
nature, a man of tender feeling. His subjective lyric poetry is not
surpassed in richness of content and beauty of form by that of any
other Norwegian. Outside of his ordinary University duties Welhaven
was also active; he was a favorite speaker at student festivities
and musical festivals, notably at the Student Meetings in Upsala,
1856, and in Copenhagen, 1862. But early in 1864 his health failed
and he was unable thereafter to lecture regularly. In August, 1868,
he requested to be retired; on September 24, the University
Authorities granted his request and a pension at the highest rate;
but the Storting, on November 12, reduced this to two-thirds of the
amount proposed. The same day the students brought to Professor
Welhaven their farewell greeting, marching with flags to his
residence, where this poem of homage was sung.
Note 37.
FORWARD. The composer Grieg and his wife spent Christmas Eve, 1868,
with Björnson's family in Christiania. Grieg, who then gave to
Björnson a copy of the first part of his Lyriske Smaastykker, has
written the following account of the origin of this poem: "Among
these was one with the title 'Fatherland's Song.' I played this for
Björnson, who liked it so well that he said he wanted to write words
for it. That made me glad, although afterwards I said to myself: It
probably will remain a want, he has other things to think of. But
the very next day I met him in full creative joy: 'It's going
excellently. It shall be a song for all the youth of Norway. But
there is something at the beginning that I haven't yet got hold of
-- a certain wording. I feel that the melody demands it, and I
shall not give it up. It must come.' Then we parted. The next
forenoon, as I was giving a piano lesson to a young lady, I heard a
ring at the entry-door, as if the whole bell apparatus would rattle
down; then a noise as of wild hordes breaking in and a roar;
'Forward! Forward! Now I have it! Forward!' My pupil trembled like
an aspen leaf. My wife in the next room was frightened out of her
wits. But when the door flew open and Björnson stood there,
glad and shining like a sun, there was a general jubilee, and we
were the first to hear the beautiful new poem."
Note 38.
THE MEETING. The Student Meetings, i.e., conventions of university
students in the three countries, were originally an important part
of "Scandinavism" (see Note 21). The first was held in 1843; that of
1862 was the last to have a distinctly political character.
After 1864 the chief aim of these gatherings was to improve the
position and strengthen the influence of the student in the
community. In 1869 Christiania invited the Danish students to meet
there with their Swedish and Norwegian comrades, in the interest of
culture, better acquaintance with one another, people, and land, and
cooperation in general for the future of the kingdoms.
Gjallar-horn, Heimdall's horn, to be blown especially at the
beginning of Ragnarok, symbolical here of the painful passing of the
old order, which ushers in a new world.
Note 39.
NORSE NATURE. See note to the preceding poem.
King Halfdan the Black (died 860) was the father of Harald
Fairhair. It was said of him that he once dreamed he had the most
beautiful hair one could see, luxuriant locks of various lengths and
colors, but one of them larger, brighter, and fairer than all the
others. This was interpreted to mean that King Halfdan would have
many descendants, and they would rule Norway with great honor; but
one of them would surpass the others, and later this was said to be
Olaf the Saint.
Nore, the largest mountain of Ringerike.
Note 40.
I PASSED BY THE HOUSE. Written in 1869. The translator has not been
able to verify the statement that the poem refers to a cousin, to
whom Björnson was devoted from his student days. _
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