Musevisa
Encyclopedia
Musevisa is a Norwegian Christmas song
by singer-songwriter Alf Prøysen
in 1946. Prøysen wrote the lyrics for the song in 1946, to a traditional tune. Musevisa is a secular song, where a family of anthropomorphic
mice
are preparing for Christmas. The mouse-mother specifically warns her children against the dangers of the mousetrap
. In December 2008 the alleged rediscovery of a missing verse from the song attracted the attention of the Norwegian media. Though an alternative ending was originally written for the song, the discovery in question was eventually revealed to be a hoax.
railway station Vestbanen
, to get his opinion on the song he had written. Prøysen said he was worried about the happy and sympathetic tone
of the song, since the subject was mice, considered a pest. For this reason he had written an alternative ending to the lyrics. Høyland told him not to worry, correctly predicting that this would not be an issue. Prøysen presented the song in its original form, it was accepted and became an instant classic. Høyland never heard the alternative ending.
she sent it back to NRK. Then, in 2008, Lønn-Arnesen was editing a Christmas songbook, and decided to include the original verse and the story behind it.
The story attracted widespread attention in Norwegian newspapers, but not everybody was ready to accept it. Ove Røsbak
, who had written a biography on Prøysen, had interviewed Høyland and others, and debunked Lønn-Arnesen's story as false. The song in its present version was in fact the original, according to Røsbak, and if another version existed this had to be a discarded early draft. Pointing out the poor literary quality as the reason why the extra verse had been abandoned, he still conceded that the verse was written by Prøysen: "There is no doubt about that, but there's a reason why it ended up in the dustbin." Røsbak also took issue with the late Johnson being presented as a prude who censored controversial content. Lønn-Arnesen stuck to his version of the events, but insisted that he had never intended any disrespect to Johnson, who had been his colleague.
as an inspiration for the hoax. To back up his claim, Kalleberg referred to an autobiography he had written in 2003, where he had reproduced the verse from memory, almost verbatim.
Røsbak appreciated Kalleberg's hoax, though he commented that the episode did raise some issues about source criticism in the Norwegian publishing business. Lønn-Arnesen admitted that, although he didn't believe Kalleberg's story, if he had indeed been the victim of a practical joke, it was a good one. Kalleberg, meanwhile, was convinced that Prøysen would have appreciated the hoax had he been alive. The poet was once, in the 1950s, informed about an impostor who performed under his name. He reacted with a shrug and replied "Perhaps he sings better than I do."
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
by singer-songwriter Alf Prøysen
Alf Prøysen
Alf Prøysen , was a writer and musician from Norway. He was born at Rudshøgda in Ringsaker. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the twentieth century, and he made significant contributions to literature, music, TV and radio.His childhood was...
in 1946. Prøysen wrote the lyrics for the song in 1946, to a traditional tune. Musevisa is a secular song, where a family of anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
mice
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
are preparing for Christmas. The mouse-mother specifically warns her children against the dangers of the mousetrap
Mousetrap
A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch mice; however, it may also trap other small animals. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. There are various types of mousetrap, each with its own advantages...
. In December 2008 the alleged rediscovery of a missing verse from the song attracted the attention of the Norwegian media. Though an alternative ending was originally written for the song, the discovery in question was eventually revealed to be a hoax.
Creation
In the late autumn of 1946, Prøysen (1914–1970), who had just left his job as a farm hand, received a commission from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) to write a Christmas song for children. Before presenting the song to the network, he met with his friend Arnljot Høyland near the OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
railway station Vestbanen
Oslo Vestbanestasjon
Oslo West Station or Oslo V, is a former railway station located in Vika in Oslo, Norway. It was the terminus of the Drammen Line between 1872 and 1980, until the Oslo Tunnel opened. The station remained in use until 1989, when all traffic was moved to the new Oslo Central Station...
, to get his opinion on the song he had written. Prøysen said he was worried about the happy and sympathetic tone
Tone (literature)
Tone is a literary technique that is a part of composition, which encompasses the attitudes toward the subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work. Tone may be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, somber, playful, serious, ironic, guilty, condescending, or many other possible attitudes...
of the song, since the subject was mice, considered a pest. For this reason he had written an alternative ending to the lyrics. Høyland told him not to worry, correctly predicting that this would not be an issue. Prøysen presented the song in its original form, it was accepted and became an instant classic. Høyland never heard the alternative ending.
Rediscovery of missing verse
In December 2008, NRK-presenter Vidar Lønn-Arnesen claimed to have found the missing verse. In Lønn-Arnesen's version, it was children's program host "Onkel" Lauritz Johnson who had objected to the original verse, and asked Prøysen to write a new one. In the original version the mice were eaten by a cat, which Johnson found too disturbing for children's radio. The original verse had been thrown away, but a cleaning maid had picked it up. The woman had kept the piece of paper, but fifty years later now living in ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
she sent it back to NRK. Then, in 2008, Lønn-Arnesen was editing a Christmas songbook, and decided to include the original verse and the story behind it.
The story attracted widespread attention in Norwegian newspapers, but not everybody was ready to accept it. Ove Røsbak
Ove Røsbak
Ove Røsbak is a Norwegian poet, novelist, children's writer and biographer.He made his literary debut in 1977 with the poetry collection Lævandes dikt. He has written biographies on Alf Prøysen and Rolf Jacobsen.-References:...
, who had written a biography on Prøysen, had interviewed Høyland and others, and debunked Lønn-Arnesen's story as false. The song in its present version was in fact the original, according to Røsbak, and if another version existed this had to be a discarded early draft. Pointing out the poor literary quality as the reason why the extra verse had been abandoned, he still conceded that the verse was written by Prøysen: "There is no doubt about that, but there's a reason why it ended up in the dustbin." Røsbak also took issue with the late Johnson being presented as a prude who censored controversial content. Lønn-Arnesen stuck to his version of the events, but insisted that he had never intended any disrespect to Johnson, who had been his colleague.
Hoax revealed
On 23 December, former NRK-photographer Ivar Kalleberg revealed that it was in fact he who had written the missing verse, as a hoax. Kalleberg had used an old yellowed piece of paper, and copied Prøysen's handwriting from a letter he had once received from him. He then asked his neighbor if she would compose a letter, posing as the fictional retired cleaning lady. Kalleberg claimed to have used the Hitler DiariesHitler Diaries
In April 1983, the West German news magazine Stern published excerpts from what purported to be the diaries of Adolf Hitler, known as the Hitler Diaries , which were subsequently revealed to be forgeries...
as an inspiration for the hoax. To back up his claim, Kalleberg referred to an autobiography he had written in 2003, where he had reproduced the verse from memory, almost verbatim.
Røsbak appreciated Kalleberg's hoax, though he commented that the episode did raise some issues about source criticism in the Norwegian publishing business. Lønn-Arnesen admitted that, although he didn't believe Kalleberg's story, if he had indeed been the victim of a practical joke, it was a good one. Kalleberg, meanwhile, was convinced that Prøysen would have appreciated the hoax had he been alive. The poet was once, in the 1950s, informed about an impostor who performed under his name. He reacted with a shrug and replied "Perhaps he sings better than I do."
Swedish version
There is a Swedish version of the song - without the false verse - called "Mössens julafton" ("Christmas Eve for the Mice") written by Prøysen's long time co-operative partner, the popular Swedish composer and songwriter Ulf Peder Olrog. In Sweden, Olrog usually is known as the composer of the song's melody.External links
- Musevisa lyrics in Norwegian
- English translation of Musevisa by Parijaat Sharma