Description: Trish Baer based this needle felting on an unpublished illustration
(NG.KH.B7100) by Gerhard
Munthes for an illustrated title header
depicting King
Óláfr Haraldsson confronting the pagan idols in
their temple. See Munthe's illustration that was published as the title header for Olaforv den heillges Saga, the eighth
saga in Kongesagaer, in Gustav
Storm's Norwegian translation of Snorri
Sturluson's Heimskringla in the 1899 edition. See Research Notes below
for information relevant to the needle felting.
Source: Trish Baer's needle felted rendering of an unpublished Illustrated Title Header for Saint Ólafr´s Saga (NG.KH.B7100)
Folio or Page: Inspired by Gerhard
Munthe's unpublished illustration NG.KH.B7100 in
the National Gallery in Oslo Norway.
Medium: Needle felted with wool and silk on a piece of material from a
woolen blanket.
Date: 2017-05-07
Dimensions (mm): 349 x 241
Provenance:
This needle felting piece is from
from the Collection of P. A. Baer.
Rights:
All Rights Reserved
Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
I based this needle felting on an unpublished sketch in the National Gallery
in Oslo, Norway - NG.KH.B7100.
Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Sturluson,
Snorri.
Kongesagaer.
Translated by
Gustav
Storm,
Kristiania: J. M.
Stenersen, 1899.
Baer,
Trish (en.)
b. 25th January 1952
Occupation: Adjunct Professor in Medieval Studies; Digital Scholarship
Fellow in the Electronic Texts and Culture Lab; editor and MyNDIR-IDG
(Insight Development Grant) Team Leader
Creatures: animals, birds, monsters etc.
Jörmungandr (non.)
Jormungand (en.)
A monstrous serpent who is the progeny of Loki and the giantess
Angrboða. This serpent is also known as Miðgarðsormr and, in English,
the Midgard Serpent.
Miðgarðsormr (non.)
Midgard
Serpent (en.)
A monstrous serpent who is the progeny of Loki and the giantess
Angrboða. This serpent is also known as Jörmungandr and in English as
the Midgard Serpent.
Gods and Goddesses
Þórr (non.)
Thor (en.)
In the Prose Edda, Þórr is the son of Óðinn
and the giantess Jörð. However, in Heimskringla, he is a mortal.
Historical Persons, i.e. from Heimskringla, Saxo, sagas etc.
Óláfr
Haraldsson (non.)
Olaf
Haraldsson (en.)
The Norwegian king whose saga makes up one third of Heimskringla. He became a saint one
year after he died in 1030. According to Heimskringla, he died at the Battle of Stiklestad.
Nouns
needle felted (en.)
A 2D or 3D felted item produced with a barbed needle and unspun
fibre.
Heimskringla (is.)
History of the Kings of Norway (en.)
This account of the history of the kings of Norway and is generally
believed to have been written by Snorri Sturluson in Iceland in 1230. It
begins with the legendary Swedish dynasty of the Ynglings, who were the
subject matter of the skaldic poem Ynglingtal, and ends with the reign
of the Norwegian king, Magnus Erlingson (died 1184).
Kongesagaer (1899 ed.) (no.)
The first edition of Gustaf Storm's Norwegian translation of Heimskringla. Of the two hundred and
twenty illustrations for the 1899 edition Werenskiold drew fifty-seven,
Krohg forty- seven, Wetlesen forty-three, Egedius thirty-seven, Munthe
twenty-seven, and Peterssen eight.
Óláfs saga helga (is.)
Olav den heillges Saga (no.)
Saint Óláfs Saga (en.)
This is the eighth saga in Heimskringla.
Source Persons
Munthe,
Gerhard (no.)
b. 1849
d. 1929
Nationality: Norwegian
Occupation: illustrator
Residence: Oslo
Munthe was one of the main illustrator's for Gustav Storm's editions
of Kongesagaer in 1899 and 1900.
Snorri
Sturluson (is.)
b. 1179
d. 1241
Nationality: Icelandic
Snorri was an Icelandic statesman, scholar, and author who is credited
with writing Heimskringla, The
Prose Edda, and possibly Egil's
Saga.