Frithjofssage

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Colossal statue of Fritjof by Max Unger

The Frithjofs saga (is. Friðþjófs saga hins frœkna , sv. Frithiofs saga , no. Fridthiofs saga , also Fridtjovsoga ) is a Norse hero saga of the Fornaldar saga type . The centerpiece and eponymous is the title character Frithjof , son of the large farmer Torstein Vikingson, and his romantic love for Ingibjorg, the beautiful daughter of Beles, the king of Sogn on the Sognefjord in Norway.

The text corpus has survived in two versions, the older one probably originated at the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century. The more recent and longer version is probably based on a verse adaptation of the material, the so-called "Fridtjofs rimur", from the time around 1400, so the 15th century is assumed for this version of the mythical material. The age of the action is believed to be in the 3rd or 7th to 8th centuries.

In Central Europe, the Frithjofssage was best known in the version of the Swede Esaias Tegnér (1782–1845).

Musical interpretations of the legend

The Frithjofssage inspired several composers in the course of history. B. Max Bruch , who wrote the cantata Frithjof, Op.23 in 1864 . Heinrich Hofmann published his Frithjof Symphony op. 22 for orchestra in 1874 , which for a time was counted among the most performed pieces in Germany. An opera by the composer Elfrida Andrée entitled Fritiofs saga was written in 1899 based on a libretto by Selma Lagerlöf . A newer musical interpretation of the Frithjofssage is the musical play Fridtjovspelet , which premiered in 2008 in Vangsnes, Norway. The music was composed by Magne Rutle and includes pieces for orchestra, choir and vocal soloists. The music was also recorded on CD.

Cover of the Frithiofs saga
by Esaias Tegnér (1876)

Others

In 1913, Kaiser Wilhelm II had a colossal statue of Fritjof erected in Vangsnes on the Sognefjord , which he gave to the Norwegians. Together with the base, it is 22.5 m high and was created by the German sculptor Max Unger . The statue is in a small park with a view of the fjord . When the statue was unveiled on July 31, 1913, Kaiser Wilhelm II and King Haakon VII of Norway were present. A folk festival was held, probably attended by over 5,000 people. In the same year a song by Vilhelm Dybwad was performed in the revue theater Chat Noir in Oslo , which commented critically on the dimensions of the statue.

At the Bale farm in Balestrand on the north side of the Sognefjord - according to legend, the royal court - there is a more modest statue of King Bele, also erected by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1913.

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. https://www.allkunne.no/framside/fylkesleksikon-sogn-og-fjordane/historie-i-sogn-og-fjordane/historie/kong-bele-og-balahaugen/1901/77718/