Regine Normann

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Regine Normann in the Sofienberg skole in Oslo (around 1933)

Serine Regine Normann , also Sina Normann (born July 29, 1867 in Mårsund , Bø , † August 14, 1939 in Steinsland , Skånland ) was a Norwegian writer . She was one of the first women to be noticed in the country's literary public. She succeeded in doing this with her debut novel Krabvaag , a love tragedy that also depicts the rough life on the Norwegian coast.

Youth and adult life

Regine Normann grew up under difficult conditions with four siblings in Vesterålen ( Nordland ). Her father died when she was four years old, and one year later she was sent to live with wealthy relatives in Breivika ( Tromsø ). She only came back to the farm in Bø at the age of 11. At 17 she married the teacher and sexton Peder Johnsen, who was 21 years her senior , whom she left after ten unhappy years of marriage.

Teacher existence and success as a writer

Until then, Normann worked successfully as a substitute teacher. At the same time she discovered writing for herself. In order to escape from her unhappy marriage and to be able to continue teaching, she went to Kristiania (today: Oslo ) to study teaching at the secondary school. After graduating in 1897, she worked at various Oslo schools. Despite her success, Normann remained true to her profession for over 30 years until she retired.

After the marriage was dissolved in 1905, she became a member of the Norwegian Writers' Union a year later. In the same year she married the writer Tryggve Andersen for the second time . The second marriage did not last either. Andersen left Normann for the 20 years younger German writer Grete Tichauer . The divorce was finalized in 1913.

During her life, Normann remained connected to Northern Norway, made numerous trips there and finally moved back there at the age of 72. Only a short time later she died on the family farm.

Creative periods

Lev Helene Willumsen divides Normann's work into three phases. In the first creative period from 1905 to 1908, realistic contemporary literature and collections of short stories (adventures) predominate . In the middle period from 1910 to 1921 her socially relevant works have strongly biographical features. Barnets tjenere and Faafængt are about teaching life and marital problems. Added to this are all the works published between 1912 and 1921 that are set exclusively in Northern Norway and are partly based on local legends . In the third period from 1921 Normann published only fairy tales .

Regine Normann mainly wrote books for children and young people , but also serious adult literature on social and political issues such as religion ( Riket som kommer ) and the role of women in Norway ( Berit ursin and Havørnens nabo ). She was also one of the first writers to cover the life of the sea ​​seeds in Vesterålen. Sami characters play an important role in almost all of her books.

Typical of Normann's style is the interweaving of her own biography with her works beyond explicit features. Her affinity for fairy tales is often interpreted as a personal and lasting longing for the mystical north of Norway. The same applies to the ambiguity of the text genre, which makes it possible to repeatedly attract the attention of the readership and interpreted as Norman's motivation to tell stories over and over again.

Between 1905 and 1934 Normann published a total of eighteen books exclusively in bokmål . Some stories have been translated into Russian, for example, the only work translated into German was their debut novel in 1925 under the title Die Krabbenbucht. Narrative in small print runs of only two thousand pieces in Leipzig (Verlag Hermann Haessel) published.

Aftermath

Norwegian Boeing with a portrait of Normann (2014)

Normann's adventure stories have been adapted several times for various art forms (theater, puppet theater) and are still known in Norway today. The University Library of Tromsö University manages Regine Normann's estate, which has been accessible to the public since 1991.

The airline Norwegian Air Shuttle has provided a Boeing 737 with the portrait of Regine Normann as part of its special livery with Scandinavian personalities . She is thus in a row with Fridtjof Nansen , Roald Amundsen , Thor Heyerdahl , Eduard Grieg , Henrik Ibsen and others.

A lecture hall is named after her on the main campus of North University in Bodø .

The Regine Normann Foundation endeavors to disseminate its writings, including A. by publishing new editions, although the Norwegian National Library is already making every publication available free of charge as part of its full digitization of all books ever published in Norway.

Works

New editions and compilations of her works were published several times posthumously . Jensen and Willumsen published a complete bibliography in 1995 (see below).

Literature about Regine Normann

Secondary literature on Regine Normann is only available in Norwegian. In addition to some literary-historical and biographical treatises, there is a narratological study in the form of a dissertation and a complete bibliography.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Regine Normann . In: Store norske leksikon . ( snl.no [accessed October 6, 2016]).
  2. ^ Av Per Bjørn Pedersen: Regine Normann. In: Fylkesleksikon. Retrieved October 6, 2016 .
  3. ↑ a b Stiftelsen Regine Normann (Ed.): Biografi . ( reginenormann.no [accessed October 6, 2016]).
  4. ^ John Weinstock "Postscript" In: Regine Normann At that time - and Eiler Hundevart Translated by John Weinstock with Arve Elvik. Dripping Springs, Texas, Agarita Press. ISBN 9781687050632 . Page 288
  5. ^ Regine 1867-1939 Normann, Olga 1939- Komarova, Kåre Espolin Johnson: Krutye roga i Syn morskogo carja . Gubernija Nurlann, Budë 1995, ISBN 82-91138-17-6 , urn : nbn: no-nb_digibok_2008021804082 .
  6. ↑ Regine Normann: The Crab Bay . Narrative (=  Nordic books . Volume 13 ). H.œ Haessel, Leipzig 1925, DNB  36196417X (1st-2nd thousand).
  7. ^ Regine Normann (1867-1939) . Munin: Privatarkiv nr 1. hdl: 10037/2841
personal data
SURNAME Normann, Regine
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Normann, Serine Regine (full name); Normann, Sina
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Norwegian writer
DATE OF BIRTH July 29, 1867
PLACE OF BIRTH Mårsund , Bø
DATE OF DEATH August 14, 1939
Place of death Steinsland, Skånland