The Role of Oral Narrative in Forming National Identity. A Norwegian Case Study

Abstract

This book explores the creation of a collection of Norwegian Folktales during the National-Romantic period in 19th century Norway through the framework of Gideon Toury's translation theories regarding 'norms'. Using a double-pronged analysis it looks at the political function of the tales as a strong motivator for an emergent independent (from Denmark and Sweden) cultural and national identity and a second path as an illustration of translational norms from a primarily oral dialect vernacular to published, written, canonized form of the new emerging form of the Norwegian language. It analyses the growing interest in folktales considered to be in language and content a mirror of an imagined 'Ur-Norwegian' literary and linguistic form deeply inspired by the European national-Romantic context, especially the Grimm brothers in Germany