Poems and Songs

Name: Poems and Songs
Author: Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne

Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne

Poetry

Note 25.
TO THE DANNEBROG. The original title was "The 19th of April, 1864."
  Dybböl [Düppel].  This strongly fortified Danish place in
Schleswig was taken by the Germans on April 18, 1864.
  Dannebrog, the traditional name of the Danish flag, consisting of
a red ground whereon is a broad white cross, extending to all four
margins.  According to an old legend the original Dannebrog ("broge"
is an old Danish word, meaning a piece of colored cloth) soared down
from Heaven during the battle of Reval in 1219 and brought victory
to the Danes, while a voice was heard promising the Danes a complete
victory as often as they raised this banner against their enemies.

Note 26.
TOAST FOR THE MEN OF EIDSVOLD.  First called "Toast for the 17th of
May;" written for the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the
Constitution (see Note 5).

Note 26.
THE NORRÖNA-RACE. Written for the fiftieth anniversary of the
adoption of the Act of Union with Sweden.
  Norröna= Northern.
  Surtr. According to Norse mythology there were in the beginning
two worlds, the first of which, called Muspell, was filled with
fire, light, and warmth; over this Surtr ruled, sitting with a sword
of flame at its border.  The other world was Niflheim, cold and
dark.
  Yggdrasil. The tree Yggdrasil is a symbol of the present world.
  Dragons, warships with carved dragons as figure-heads.
  Poland's night. For Gustavus Adolphus the Polish War, which he
waged before he took part actively in the Thirty Years' War in
Germany, was also undertaken for the defense of Protestantism.
  Saga, here=History.

Note 27.
LECTOR THAASEN. Johan Edvard Thaasen (born in 1825; died February
17, 1865) was a classical philologist and a man of broad culture,
well versed in Old Norse and in modern French and German literature.
From 1852 he was teacher in the Cathedral School in Christiania, and
from 1860 lecturer in Greek at the University, where he treated
chiefly the Greek poets and archaeology. He came from a poor family
and passed his early life under hard conditions. During the last few
years he was sickly, and he died of consumption. In 1858 he was
president of the Students' Union, and spokesman for the Norwegians
at the Student Meeting in Copenhagen in 1862.

Note 28.
DURING A JOURNEY IN SWEDEN. Written in the summer of 1866,
Björnson's speeches then made a sensation by reason of the warmth
of his feeling for Sweden. Ellen Key has written with approval of
his characterization of the Swedes here, which agrees with that of
Schück in his History of Swedish Literature, i, 325, 326.

Note 29.
SONG FOR THE STUDENTS' GLEE CLUB. Written in 1863 for the journey
of the Club to Bergen (see Note 19).
  Hald, Fredrikshald, see Note 5.
  Arendal. This city is an important shipping center.
  Sverre, see Note 5.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Poems and SongsBjørnson, Bjørnstjerne

General

Poems and Songs

Bjørnson, Bjørnstjerne

Poetry

Note 25.
TO THE DANNEBROG. The original title was "The 19th of April, 1864."
  Dybböl [Düppel].  This strongly fortified Danish place in
Schleswig was taken by the Germans on April 18, 1864.
  Dannebrog, the traditional name of the Danish flag, consisting of
a red ground whereon is a broad white cross, extending to all four
margins.  According to an old legend the original Dannebrog ("broge"
is an old Danish word, meaning a piece of colored cloth) soared down
from Heaven during the battle of Reval in 1219 and brought victory
to the Danes, while a voice was heard promising the Danes a complete
victory as often as they raised this banner against their enemies.

Note 26.
TOAST FOR THE MEN OF EIDSVOLD.  First called "Toast for the 17th of
May;" written for the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the
Constitution (see Note 5).

Note 26.
THE NORRÖNA-RACE. Written for the fiftieth anniversary of the
adoption of the Act of Union with Sweden.
  Norröna= Northern.
  Surtr. According to Norse mythology there were in the beginning
two worlds, the first of which, called Muspell, was filled with
fire, light, and warmth; over this Surtr ruled, sitting with a sword
of flame at its border.  The other world was Niflheim, cold and
dark.
  Yggdrasil. The tree Yggdrasil is a symbol of the present world.
  Dragons, warships with carved dragons as figure-heads.
  Poland's night. For Gustavus Adolphus the Polish War, which he
waged before he took part actively in the Thirty Years' War in
Germany, was also undertaken for the defense of Protestantism.
  Saga, here=History.

Note 27.
LECTOR THAASEN. Johan Edvard Thaasen (born in 1825; died February
17, 1865) was a classical philologist and a man of broad culture,
well versed in Old Norse and in modern French and German literature.
From 1852 he was teacher in the Cathedral School in Christiania, and
from 1860 lecturer in Greek at the University, where he treated
chiefly the Greek poets and archaeology. He came from a poor family
and passed his early life under hard conditions. During the last few
years he was sickly, and he died of consumption. In 1858 he was
president of the Students' Union, and spokesman for the Norwegians
at the Student Meeting in Copenhagen in 1862.

Note 28.
DURING A JOURNEY IN SWEDEN. Written in the summer of 1866,
Björnson's speeches then made a sensation by reason of the warmth
of his feeling for Sweden. Ellen Key has written with approval of
his characterization of the Swedes here, which agrees with that of
Schück in his History of Swedish Literature, i, 325, 326.

Note 29.
SONG FOR THE STUDENTS' GLEE CLUB. Written in 1863 for the journey
of the Club to Bergen (see Note 19).
  Hald, Fredrikshald, see Note 5.
  Arendal. This city is an important shipping center.
  Sverre, see Note 5.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Poems and Songs

Poems and Songs

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