De fire store

“The four big ones ”, based on an old Gyldendal publisher's advertisement, with the likenesses of the Norwegian writers Alexander Kielland , Jonas Lie , Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Henrik Ibsen .

The expression “ De fire store ” (Eng. “The four great ones”) describes four important Norwegian authors of the second half of the 19th century. They include:

• Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910)
• Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
• Alexander Lange Kielland (1849–1906)
• Jonas Lie (1833-1908)

These four writers dominated the literary scene in their country and made Norwegian literature world famous.

The term probably comes from the Danish publisher Gyldendal and was initially intended as an advertising slogan. However, the term quickly established itself in Norwegian literary historiography.

literature

• Hans Jokum Horn Haffner: De fire store: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Henrik Ibsen, Alexander L. Kielland, Jonas Lie. Bibliografisk fortegnelse over deres verker trykt i Norge og Danmark . Oslo 1929.