Bjornstjerue Bjornson 1903 (15)

Bjornstjerue Bjornson 1903 (15)

Bjornstjerue Bjornson, the Norwegian novelist and dramatist was born on December 8, 1832 at Kviknc (Oesterdal). At the age of seventeen lie entered the University at Christiania where ho came in contact with Ibsen. After completing his course, he extensively travelled through Sweden, and Denmark. lie stayed at Copenhagen for about two years to study the works of Dauish writers. During this period he contributed numerous stories and articles to Folkebad, an illustrated journal of his country.

His exposure to different cultures and languages influenced his writing and worldview. Bjornson is best known as a prolific Norwegian writer, poet, and playwright. He played a significant role in the Norwegian literary revival of the 19th century. His works often explored themes of national identity, social justice, and individual freedom.

In 1857 he published his first peasant novel, Synnoce Solbakken and at once rose to fame. It was followed by Arne in 1858. His other two famous peasant novels, A Happy Boy and The Fisher Maiden appeared later and were well received in his own country as well as in Germany. 1805 he was appointed as the manager of the Oslo-Theatre, Christiania and brought out. The Newly Married, a comedy and Mary Stuart in Scotland, a romantic tragedy.

In 1880 he left Norway for America to study life and politics of that country. He returned to Norway in May, 1881 and was received with great enthusiasm by his countrymen. On the 17th of the same month, Norway’s natal day, he delivered the oration at the dedication of the Wergeland Monument to a gathering of more than ten thousand people. His addresses were chiefly constitutional struggle of Norway. Before delivering any lecture, Bjornson was wont to greet his hearers with one of his most popular songs entitled Olaf Trygvason. As soon as the dedication ceremony of the Wergeland Monument was over, Bjornson ‘raised what was known as the Flag Question— is, that Norway should have a clear flag, a flag without symbol of the union upon it.’ His idea was to get Norway separated from Sweden as a separate kingdom. Such attitude of his brought upon him a charge of high treason and he was forced to take refuge in Germany.

Bjornson was anxious “to create a new saga in the light of the peasant,” as he put it, and he thought this should be done, not merely in prose fiction, but in national dramas or folke stykker. The earliest of these was a one-act piece set in the 12th century, Mellem Slagene (Between the Battles), written in 1855 and produced in 1857. He was especially influenced at this time by the study of Jens Immanuel Baggesen and Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger, during a visit to Copenhagen. Mellem Slagene was followed by Halte-Hulda, (Lame Hulda) in 1858, and Kong Sverre (King Sverre) in 1861. His most important work to date was the poetic trilogy of Sigurd Slembe (Sigurd the Bad), which Bjornson published in 1862.

In 1882 ho returned to Norway and was again seen busy with his literary works. Rasmus B. Anderson, who was one of the trusted friends of Bjornson and translator of many of his books in English, states that Norway’s most eminent composers have written music for many of Bjornson’s poems and made them favourite songs, not only with the cultivated classes, but also with the common people.

Bjornson though wrote numerous Novels and dramas, his chief claim to fame is for the excellence of his poems. In 1862 when his Sigurd -the Bastard made its appearance, he was at once placed in the front rank of the younger poets of Europe.

It should be remembered that whatever he wrote, novels, plays or poems, he never failed to portray the life that he witnessed around him in his own country. Bjornson was one of the original members of the Nobel-Committee. In 1903 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature “ in recognition of a noble devotion to poetic creation over a long period of years, distinguished by a rare purity of spirit and originality of conception ”

At the close of 1857 Bjornson had been appointed director of the theatre at Bergen, a post which he held for two years, when he returned to Christiania. From 1860 to 1863 he travelled widely throughout Europe. Early in 1865 he undertook the management of the Christiania Theatre, and brought out his popular comedy of De Nygifte. (The Newly Married) and his romantic tragedy of Mary Stuart in Scotland. In 1870 he published Poems and Songs and the epic cycle Arnljot Gelline; the latter volume contains the ode Bergliot, one of Bjornson’s finest contributions to lyrical poetry.

From his youth and forwards, Bjornson admired Henrik Wergeland, and became a vivid spokesman for the Norwegian left-wing movement. In this respect, he supported Ivar Aasen, and joined forces in the political struggles in the 1860s and 1870s. When the great monument over Henrik Wergeland was to be erected in 1881, it came to political struggle between left and right, and the left wing got the upper hand. Bjornson presented the speech on behalf of Wergeland, and also honouring the constitution and the farmers.

Extremely anxious to obtain full success on the stage, Bjornson concentrated his powers on a drama of social life, Leonarda (1879), which raised a violent controversy. A satirical play, Det nye System (The New System), was produced a few weeks later. Although these plays of Bjornson’s second period were greatly discussed, few were financially successful. Bjornson produced a social drama, En Handske (A Gauntlet), in 1883, but was unable to persuade any manager to stage it except in a modified form. In the autumn of the same year, Bjornson published a mystical or symbolic drama, Over AEvne (Beyond Powers), dealing with the abnormal features of religious excitement with extraordinary force; this was not acted until 1899, when it achieved a great success.

In 1905 just live years before his death he was satisfied to see Norway separated from Sweden as a separate kingdom.

Bjornson died on April 20, 1910.