Musevisa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Musevisa" |
|
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Released | 1946 |
| Composer(s) | Alf Prøysen |
| Lyricist(s) | Alf Prøysen |
Når nettene blir lange og kulda setter inn
da sier vesle musemor til ungeflokken sin:
«Hvis ingen går i fella, men passer seg for den
skal allesammen snart få feire jul igjen!»
"Musevisa" ("The Mouse Song") is a popular Norwegian Christmas song. It was written by the famous singer and songwriter Alf Prøysen in 1946. Prøysen wrote the words for the song, using a traditional tune that was already well-known.
Musevisa is a song about a family of mice getting ready for Christmas. The mice in the song act like humans, which is called anthropomorphic. The mouse-mother gives an important warning to her children: they must be careful to avoid the mousetrap. This song is a classic in Norway and is often played during the Christmas season.
Contents
How "Musevisa" Was Created
In late 1946, Alf Prøysen (1914–1970) had just stopped working as a farm hand. He received an important request from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). They asked him to write a new Christmas song especially for children.
Before showing the song to NRK, Prøysen met with his friend, Arnljot Høyland. They met near the Oslo railway station called Vestbanen. Prøysen wanted his friend's opinion on the song he had written. He was worried because the song was about mice, which many people saw as a pest. He thought the happy and friendly tone of the song might not fit the subject. Because of this, he had even written a different ending for the song.
Høyland told Prøysen not to worry. He correctly guessed that the happy tone would not be a problem. Prøysen then presented the song with its original ending, and it was accepted right away. It quickly became a beloved classic. Høyland never heard the alternative ending that Prøysen had considered.
The Mystery of the "Missing Verse"
In December 2008, a story about a "missing verse" from "Musevisa" caused a lot of excitement. A TV presenter named Vidar Lønn-Arnesen claimed he had found this lost verse.
In Lønn-Arnesen's story, a children's TV host named "Onkel" Lauritz Johnson had supposedly disliked the original verse. He thought it was too upsetting for children's radio because the mice were eaten by a cat. So, he asked Prøysen to write a new, less scary verse. Lønn-Arnesen said the original verse was thrown away. However, a cleaning maid supposedly saved the paper. Fifty years later, she sent it back to NRK from Thailand. In 2008, Lønn-Arnesen was working on a Christmas songbook. He decided to include this "original" verse and its interesting story.
This story got a lot of attention in Norwegian newspapers. But not everyone believed it. Ove Røsbak, who had written a book about Alf Prøysen, said the story was false. He had interviewed Høyland and others. Røsbak stated that the song we know today was the true original. If another version existed, it was just an early idea that Prøysen had decided not to use. Røsbak also pointed out that the "newly found" verse was not very good quality. He believed this was why Prøysen had "thrown it in the dustbin." He also disagreed with the idea that Lauritz Johnson would censor content. Lønn-Arnesen stuck to his story but said he never meant to disrespect Johnson.
The Hoax is Revealed
On December 23, 2008, the truth came out. A former NRK photographer named Ivar Kalleberg admitted that he had written the "missing verse." It was all a hoax, which means a clever trick or prank.
Kalleberg explained how he did it. He used an old, yellowed piece of paper. He then copied Prøysen's handwriting from an old letter he had received from him. He even asked his neighbor to write a letter pretending to be the retired cleaning lady. Kalleberg said he was inspired by the famous Hitler Diaries hoax. To prove his story, Kalleberg mentioned an autobiography he wrote in 2003. In that book, he had already written down the fake verse from memory, almost exactly as it appeared.
Ove Røsbak, the biographer, actually liked Kalleberg's prank. However, he noted that it showed some issues with how sources are checked in Norwegian publishing. Lønn-Arnesen admitted that if he had been tricked, it was a very good prank. Kalleberg believed that Alf Prøysen himself would have enjoyed the hoax. Prøysen once heard about someone pretending to be him in the 1950s. He simply shrugged and said, "Perhaps he sings better than I do."
Swedish Version of the Song
There is also a Swedish version of "Musevisa." It does not include the fake "missing verse." This version is called "Mössens julafton," which means "Christmas Eve for the Mice." It was written by Ulf Peder Olrog, a popular Swedish composer and songwriter. Olrog often worked with Alf Prøysen. In Sweden, Olrog is usually known as the person who wrote the melody for the song.
