"Per Gynt", illustration by Peter Nicolai Arbo from Norske Huldre-Eventyr og Folkesagn (1845).

Per Gynt (pronounced [peːr ˈjʏnt], locally [pæːr ˈjʏnt]) is a Norwegian fairy-tale which originated in the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal.[1]

The story of Per Gynt is set in the historic district of Gudbrandsdal in Norway. Per Gynt's home in the folklore is traditionally claimed to have been Nordre Hågå farm in Sødorp parish at Nord-Fron in the county of Oppland.[2]

The tales encompass the themes of identity, relationships and personal stories from a lonely hunter. The folk tale tells of the eponymous Per Gynt and his various exploits. He rescues three dairy-maids from trolls and shoots the Bøyg, a troll which takes the form of a gigantic serpent and stands as a hindrance to travellers.[3][4][5][6]

The fairy-tale was recorded by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen in Norwegian Folktales (Norske Huldre-Eventyr og Folkesagn) which was first published in 1845. Asbjørnsen included the stories about Per Gynt into the section "Reindeer Hunting at Rondane" (Rensdyrjakt ved Rondane).[7][8][9]

The folktale served as inspiration for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt which was published in 1867. Ibsen added considerable material, such as Per Gynt travelling to Africa, crossing the Sahara and meeting with a Bedouin princess – 19th-century themes far beyond the scope of the original fairy-tale. The play appeared on stage in 1876, accompanied by incidental music by composer Edvard Grieg who composed the Peer Gynt Suite.[10][11][12][13]

References

  1. ↑ "Per Gynt". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. ↑ Boktrykkeri, Grøndahl; Boktrykkeri, Søns (1953). Den Norske turistforenings årbok (in Norwegian). p. 30.
  3. ↑ "Hage nordre, Nord-Fron herad, Oppland". Matrikkelutkastet av 1950. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Per Gynt-gården". pilegrimsleden. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Sødorp". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Rensdyrjakt ved Rondane". Norske Folke Eventyr. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  7. ↑ "bøyg". Bokmålsordboka. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Asbjørnsen's "Høifjeldsbilleder"". per2peer. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812–1885)". per2peer. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite". favorite-classical-composers. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  11. ↑ Erik Bjerck Hagen. "Peer Gynt". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Peer Gynt, A synopsis of the play by Henrik Ibsen". TheatreHistory.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Peer Gynt – history and synopsis". Det Norske Ibsen Kompaniet. Retrieved November 1, 2017.

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