Norwegian folklorist, poet and bishop (1813?1882)
Jørgen Engebretsen Moe
(22 April 1813–27 March 1882) was a
Norwegian
folklorist
,
bishop
, poet, and author. He is best known for the
Norske Folkeeventyr
, a collection of Norwegian
folk tales
which he edited in collaboration with
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
. He also served as the
Bishop
of the
Diocese of Kristianssand
from 1874 until his death in 1882.
[1]
Biography
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Jørgen Engebretsen Moe was born at the farm of Øvre Moe in the municipality of
Hole
in the traditional district of
Ringerike
. He was the son of local farmer and politician
Engebret Olsen Moe
. He first met Asbjørnsen while the two were preparing for exams at
Norderhov Rectory
and soon found they had a shared interest in
folklore
.
[2]
Starting in 1841, Moe traveled almost every summer through the southern parts of Norway, collecting traditions and stories from the people living in the mountainous areas. In 1845, he was appointed professor of theology in the
Norwegian Military Academy
. However, Moe had long intended to take holy orders, and in 1853 he did so. He became a resident chaplain in
Krødsherad
at
Olberg Church
and
Holmen Church
in
Sigdal
, positions that he held for 10 years.
[1]
At his first parish he found inspiration for many of his most famous poems, like
den gamle Mester
(The Old Master) and
Sæterjentens Søndag
(Sunday at the Mountain Pastures). In 1863, he moved to
Drammen
and became parish priest of
Bragernes Church
, then in 1870 he moved again to
Vestre Aker
, close to
Christiania
(now Oslo). In 1874, he became bishop in the
Diocese of Kristianssand
based at the
Kristiansand Cathedral
, a position he held from 1874until his death in 1882. He was a much beloved bishop, and his teaching had a great impact on his contemporaries.
[3]
[4]
Moe has a special claim on critical attention in regard to his
lyrical poems
, of which a small collection appeared in 1850. Moe felt strongly that writing should be "objective," in the sense that it removed the
ego
from the narrative. Still, he strove to build and maintain a literary aesthetic in his work. He wrote little original verse, but in his slender volume are to be found many pieces of exquisite delicacy and freshness. Moe also published a delightful collection of prose stories for children,
I Brønden og i Tjernet
(In the Well and in the Tarn), 1851; and
En liden Julegave
(A Little Christmas Present), 1860. Asbjørnsen and Moe had the advantage of an admirable style of narrative prose. It was usual that the vigor came from Asbjørnsen and the charm from Moe, but it seems that from the long habit of writing in unison they had come to adopt almost precisely identical modes of literary expression.
[5]
Moe was appointed Knight of the
Order of St. Olav
in 1873 and was made commander of the 1st cross class in 1881. During January 1882, he resigned his
diocese
due to failing health, and he died the following March. His son,
Moltke Moe
, continued his father's work in folklore and fairy tales and became the first professor of the subject at
Christiania University
.
[6]
[7]
Impact on Norwegian culture
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Together with Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, the impact of Jørgen Moe on
Norwegian culture
was enormous. To
Norwegians
, the names
Asbjørnsen and Moe
have become synonymous with traditional folk tales, the way the name
Brothers Grimm
is associated with
German tales
. Not only did they collect and secure parts of the wealth of Norwegian fairy tales and edit them for common readers, but in doing this, they also contributed to the development of the
Norwegian language
.
Even if other countries have a rich folk literature, Norwegians will normally claim that theirs, through the work of Asbjørnsen and Moe, is one of the most original and rich. Their work constitutes a very important part of Norwegian identity.
Askeladden
(Ash Boy), a character whose creativity and resourcefulness always wins him the Princess and half the Kingdom, is seen as something typically Norwegian. Some of his works of poetry are still cherished, not least because of the tunes set to them. His achievements in the Church are now mostly forgotten, except locally.
[8]
Ringerikes Museum
[
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]
Ringerikes Museum is the regional museum for the municipalities of
Hole
and
Ringerike
in
Buskerud
county. Ringerikes Museum is located in
Hønefoss
at the site of the former
Norderhov
rectory where Asbjørnsen and Moe first met. It is now the local museum for the Ringerike region and contains a collection of Asbjørnsen and Moe memorabilia. The museum is also noted for its collection of the private belongings of Jørgen Moe. In the 1930s, Marie Moe, Jørgen Moe's daughter, provided a gift consisting of several hundred objects from Jorgen Moe's private home.
[9]
Major works
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- Samling af Sange, Folkeviser og Stev i norske Allmuedialekter
, 1840; enlarged edition, 1869, with melodies by Lindeman
- Norske folkeeventyr
, 1841?1852 (with Asbjørnsen); expanded version 1882; English version by George Webbe Dasent, 1859
- Digte
, 1849 (poems)
- I Brønden og i Kjærnet
, 1851 (juvenile stories and sermons based on folk poems)
- At hænge pa juletreet
, 1855
- En liten julegave
, 1860
- Samlede skrifter
, 1877 (collected works, excepting the folk stories)
Media gallery
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References
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Sources
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External links
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Religious titles
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Bishop of
Christianssand
1874?1882
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