Fairy Tales from Norway

by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Jørgen Engebretsen Moe, Ivo Caprino (Illustrator)

These ten tales by Asbjørnsen and Moe draw you into the rich fantasy world of Norwegian fairy tales, and Ivo Caprinos fairy tale figures bring the stories to life, making them as real and as captivating as they can otherwise only be experienced with a visit to the Fairy Tale Grotto in Hunderfossen Family Park near Lillehammer.

Genres: Mythology

71 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1992

About the author

Peter Christen Asbjørnsen was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore. They were so closely united in their lives' work that their folk tale collections are commonly mentioned only as "Asbjørnsen and Moe".

Reviews

[Anne Hamilton]

Incorrect information is given in the book description. Oris Forlag (not Orlis Forlag) is the publisher, not the author. The authors are: Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe. These ten folktales from Norway are illustrated with photos by Ivo Caprino, taken at Ivo Caprino's Fairy Tale Grotto in Hunderfossen Family Park.

These are classic folktales which include, of course, The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

I particularly liked White Bear King Valemon with its echoes of the English folktale The Black Bull of Norroway (even though it doesn't have that most wonderful of laments: Seven long years I served for thee, the hill of glass I crossed for thee, the shirt of blood I washed for thee; Oh, won't thou wake and look at me?).

The other satisfying story was Askeladden and the Good Helpers: in it, the old gods of the north seem to have each been reduced to odd fellows who still retain a single miraculous characteristic of their former status. And in this story they are assigned as helpers to an adventurous youngest son who, at home, doesn't do much other than play in the ashes.

[Jess]

I’m a fan of fairytales and folk tales from all over. This book was an interesting collection. It’s made extra fun and special because the book is a keepsake purchased from when we lived overseas, and we visited the Hunderfossen Park, which is where the pictures that illustrate some of the stories are from. 3/5 because the formatting is a bit different, but overall enjoyable. I appreciate the ‘cleverness’ of a young Askeladden (the little ash lad) to outwit trolls every time.