Hulda Garborg facts for kids

Hulda Garborg

Hulda Garborg (born Bergersen) was a very important Norwegian writer, artist, and cultural leader. She was born on February 22, 1862, and passed away on November 5, 1934. Hulda was married to another famous writer, Arne Garborg. Today, many people remember her for helping to make the traditional Norwegian bunad popular again.

Hulda's Early Life

Karen Hulda Bergersen was born on a farm called Såstad in Stange, Hedmark. Her father was a lawyer named Christian Frederik Bergersen, and her mother was Marie Petrine Olsen. Hulda had two older sisters, Martha and Sophie.

When Hulda was two years old, her parents divorced. She then moved to Hamar with her mother. Later, when Hulda was twelve, her family moved to Kristiania (which is now Oslo). By the time she was seventeen, Hulda started working in a store. She helped her family by earning money. During these years, she was a key person among the young, progressive people in Kristiania.

In 1887, Hulda married the writer Arne Garborg.

Hulda and Arne Garborg in their cabin at Kolbotn. This painting is by Harriet Backer from 1896. The pictures on the wall were painted by Kitty Kielland.

The couple moved to Tynset in Østerdalen. They lived for nine years in a small cabin called "Kolbotnen." This cabin was near the lake Savalen. Their son, Arne (also called Tuften), was born in 1888.

While living at Kolbotn, the family often visited Kristiania. They also spent time in Germany and lived one winter in Paris, France. In 1896, they left Tynset and moved to Stokke. The next year, in 1897, they moved to Labraaten in Hvalstad. This became their home for the rest of their lives. Arne Garborg later built a summer home called Knudaheio in Time. Both Arne and Hulda were buried at Knudaheio.

Hulda's Cultural Work

Hulda Garborg was a pioneer in many areas of Norwegian culture. She helped develop theatre and folk dance. She also worked with cooking, the bunad tradition, and women's rights.

Cooking and Home Skills

Hulda wrote articles about traditional cooking. These articles appeared in the Nynorsk newspaper Den 17de Mai. Later, these articles were put together in a book called Heimestell (1899). This book shared tips for running a home.

Theatre and Dance

Hulda wrote many plays. Some of her plays include Mødre (1895), Rationelt Fjøsstell (1896), and Noahs Ark (1899). Her plays were performed at important theatres like the Christiania Theatre and Nationaltheatret.

She also helped start Det norske spellaget in 1899. This was a theatre group that performed in Norwegian. She was also a co-founder of Det Norske Teatret, another important Norwegian theatre.

Hulda was very interested in folk dance. She edited a song book called Norske folkevisor in 1903. She also published books about Norwegian dance songs, such as Song-Dansen i Nord-Landi (1903) and Norske dansevisur (1913).

Bunad Tradition

Hulda Garborg wrote an important book about the bunad tradition. The bunad is a traditional Norwegian costume. Her book, Norsk klædebunad (1903), helped people learn about and appreciate these special clothes. She played a big part in keeping this tradition alive.

Women's Rights and Writing

Hulda was also active in public discussions. She wrote many articles for magazines and newspapers. Some of these included Syn og Segn, Samtiden, and Dagbladet.

She wrote books that contributed to the debate about women's rights. These included Kvinden skabt af Manden (Woman created by Man, 1904) and Fru Evas Dagbog (1905). These books explored ideas about women's roles in society.

Hulda wrote many novels. Her first novel, Et frit forhold, was published without her name in 1892. Her novel Eli (1912) was translated into Dutch and Swedish. She also wrote poetry collections like Kornmoe (1930) and Symra (1934).

After her husband Arne Garborg passed away, Hulda edited his diaries. Parts of her own diaries were published in 1962 as Dagbok 1903–1914.

Politics and Recognition

Hulda Garborg was also involved in politics. She represented the Liberal Left Party in the Asker local council. This shows her dedication to public service.

In 1932, she was honored with a special award. She was made a Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. This is a very high honor in Norway.

Biography

• Tor Obrestad, Hulda (1992)

See also

In Spanish: Hulda Garborg para niños