Myllarguten
Encyclopedia
Targjei Augundsson better known as Myllarguten (meaning the Millerboy), is arguably the most acknowledged Norwegian folk musician to this day, and by far the most legendary.
, Telemark
. The date of his birth is disputed (the years range from 1799 to 1801), and some say his father Augund was only registered as the father of the boy (in the local church documentation). He married Gunhild, the mother, in October 1801. Targjei was already born at the time. Usually, farmers of the Norwegian serfdom
stock is not very well documented, often moving from homestead to homestead.
Myllarguten's father was a country fiddler, one of many at the time, and Targjei was going for the fiddle from early age, but it is told he feared his father would beat him if he tried the instrument. So he sneaked himself to playing while his father was outside and at work at the local mill. His father's profession gave Targjei his name, the Millerboy. One day the father returned early from work and heard someone inside playing, and asked astonished who the player was. His wife, Gunhild, had to admit it was his son Targjei. From then on, Augund his father trained him, but the boy was so eager his father had to give him away to other fiddlers in the area.
, Jon Kjos from Åmotsdal, Mattis Flathus from Sauherad
and Øystein Langedrag from Bø
. The latter had been a soldier in the Napoleonic wars
and had some experience with military music, which influenced his style, and to a degree the style of Myllarguten. The fiddler he regarded the best of his teachers, was Knut Lurås, one of two colleague fiddlers he really appreciated. As his reputation grew, Targjei was known as a hard critic and a merciless competitor. He did not like to be bested at playing. The other he held in esteem, was Håvard Gibøen, regarded as his traditional counterpart in folk music from Telemark. Håvard was the only fiddler of whom Targjei would say: "He is the master of us all".
and Gudbrandsdalen. He eventually got married, with Ingebjørg Eddandshaugen from Vinje
, and had ten children by her, of whom at least four sons became fiddlers themselves, and through them, the music from Targjei has been passed on down to this day in Telemark.
Myllarguten was a difficult person, an imaginative musical artist, but painstakingly slow in all other tasks than playing. He could use a day on matters other more practical persons finished in a couple of hours. He was eager to learn dance-tunes, and turned them around in his own way, making them longer and richer than before. Thus, he laid the ground for a brand new way of playing the hardanger fiddle in Telemark.
in Bergen and became his friend for life. Bull was on a short visit between tours, and was at the time looking for a personal and national expression. He had not yet opened his mind for the rural music, but when hearing Myllarguten, he got exactly what he had looked for. Later, he said: "There has not been a one fiddler that has made me content in such a way". The two understood each other, and soon became friends. Bull wrote down some of the tunes he heard, and borrowed Myllarguten's fiddle, and in turn played classical music for the fiddler. They both came enriched from the meeting, and Bull always played some Norwegian folk music on his concerts after this. Thus, he made the rural tunes known to a larger public for the first time. The meeting had lasting impact in the evolving romantic nationalism
in Norway.
After this meeting, they did not meet again for 17 years, until Bull endeavored to make a concert with Myllarguten in Christiania February 1849, when romantic nationalism was at its very peak in Norway. The concert became a commercial success, and the hall was packed with 1500 excited listeners, among them some from Telemark, who had got free tickets. The known author Aasmund Olavsson Vinje
decided not to go, afraid that the concert might go awry for the sensible fiddler, and would not be held responsible as a man from the same district, which he was.
When going on stage, Myllarguten had to break his crate open with a knife, and was delayed several minutes. This made him nervous, and he started playing other tunes than the appointed. But he soon played himself into ecstasy as was his wont, and the audience cheered. Newspapers called him a "true child of nature", and praised him with eulogies and poems. On the other hand, the urban audience was more excited by the event than the music, as the traditional music was and is a music for trained ears. When the romantic wave died down, Myllarguten became a has-been, and was regarded as nothing more than a "drunken Telemark farmer".
The concerts gave him money to raise a farm in Rauland
, and the more experienced farmer Rikard Aslaksson Berge helped him in this. Myllarguten had played at his wedding, and was a regular guest at the farm. Thus, his music was passed on to Rikard's sons, and from them to his grandson Eivind Groven
.
Myllarguten died a pauper in 1872, and his funeral was timid, only one single boat and no flowers (it was custom to travel to the church by water, crossing the lake Totak
. That was easier than taking the road). He is buried at the cemetery at Rauland
in Telemark. It was reckoned a pity that this should befall the greatest fiddler in Norway. But he is well remembered, and through his descendants passed on a vivid musical tradition that lives on in Telemark to this very day. All the county honors his memory. A memorial stone was later set up at his grave.
. In 1853, Carl Schart, an organist in Bergen
, transcribed five of Myllarguten's tunes, and those came later into print http://129.240.79.146/4DACTION/visnote/0650. This example shows a vivid musical mind, and a great performer.
, himself from Telemark
, and grandson of Rikard Aslaksson as mentioned above. He had first-hand information, and collected material for twelve years, from 1896 to 1908, meeting many older people who remembered Myllarguten. Thus, he put together a thorough and useful biography and a valuable source.
Concerning the meeting of Ole Bull and Myllarguten: Told by the farmer Rikard Aslaksson Berge, as rendered by Myllarguten himself, Tor Vaa from Rauland
, and Gregar Torgeirsson, Myllarguten's son. The latter also told of the concert in Christiania
, which is also well documented from contemporary written material.
Concerning the fiddler's childhood: Told by Gunnhild Flatastøyl, daughter-in-law, Ingebjørg Pilodden from Sauherad
, and Gregar Torgeirsson.
Myllarguten's technical abilities and musical style: Øystein Hovdestad, Vinje
, among others.
His funeral: Signe Øydgarden, Rauland
. She was an eye-witness to the event.
All the material is edited and published in Rikard Berge
Myllarguten-Gibøen, Noregs Boklag 1972 (second edition). The original biography was published in 1911.
Childhood
Targjei was born in SauheradSauherad
Sauherad is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Akkerhaugen...
, Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
. The date of his birth is disputed (the years range from 1799 to 1801), and some say his father Augund was only registered as the father of the boy (in the local church documentation). He married Gunhild, the mother, in October 1801. Targjei was already born at the time. Usually, farmers of the Norwegian serfdom
Norwegian serfdom
Norwegian serfdom can be a way of defining the position of the Norwegian lower class farmers, though they were not actually in serfdom by European standards. The evolution of this social system began about 1750....
stock is not very well documented, often moving from homestead to homestead.
Myllarguten's father was a country fiddler, one of many at the time, and Targjei was going for the fiddle from early age, but it is told he feared his father would beat him if he tried the instrument. So he sneaked himself to playing while his father was outside and at work at the local mill. His father's profession gave Targjei his name, the Millerboy. One day the father returned early from work and heard someone inside playing, and asked astonished who the player was. His wife, Gunhild, had to admit it was his son Targjei. From then on, Augund his father trained him, but the boy was so eager his father had to give him away to other fiddlers in the area.
Education
Amongst his teachers were the fiddlers Knut Lurås from TinnTinn
Tinn is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Rjukan....
, Jon Kjos from Åmotsdal, Mattis Flathus from Sauherad
Sauherad
Sauherad is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Akkerhaugen...
and Øystein Langedrag from Bø
Bø
Bø may refer to the following locations in Norway:*Bø, Nordland, a municipality in Nordland*Bø, Telemark, a municipality in Telemark*Bø, Hordaland, a former municipality in Hordaland*Bø, Andøy in Andøy municipality, Nordland...
. The latter had been a soldier in the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and had some experience with military music, which influenced his style, and to a degree the style of Myllarguten. The fiddler he regarded the best of his teachers, was Knut Lurås, one of two colleague fiddlers he really appreciated. As his reputation grew, Targjei was known as a hard critic and a merciless competitor. He did not like to be bested at playing. The other he held in esteem, was Håvard Gibøen, regarded as his traditional counterpart in folk music from Telemark. Håvard was the only fiddler of whom Targjei would say: "He is the master of us all".
The Fiddler's Life
Life as a fiddler was a life on the road. He soon got reputation, and played from early on at weddings and county feasts all over Telemark. He soon made longer journeys, and spanned the country as far as BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
and Gudbrandsdalen. He eventually got married, with Ingebjørg Eddandshaugen from Vinje
Vinje
Vinje is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Åmot.-Name:...
, and had ten children by her, of whom at least four sons became fiddlers themselves, and through them, the music from Targjei has been passed on down to this day in Telemark.
Myllarguten was a difficult person, an imaginative musical artist, but painstakingly slow in all other tasks than playing. He could use a day on matters other more practical persons finished in a couple of hours. He was eager to learn dance-tunes, and turned them around in his own way, making them longer and richer than before. Thus, he laid the ground for a brand new way of playing the hardanger fiddle in Telemark.
Meeting Ole Bull
In 1831 he met Ole BullOle Bull
Ole Bornemann Bull was a Norwegian violinist and composer.-Background:Bull was born in Bergen. He was the eldest of ten children of Johan Storm Bull and Anna Dorothea Borse Geelmuyden . His brother, Georg Andreas Bull became a noted Norwegian architect...
in Bergen and became his friend for life. Bull was on a short visit between tours, and was at the time looking for a personal and national expression. He had not yet opened his mind for the rural music, but when hearing Myllarguten, he got exactly what he had looked for. Later, he said: "There has not been a one fiddler that has made me content in such a way". The two understood each other, and soon became friends. Bull wrote down some of the tunes he heard, and borrowed Myllarguten's fiddle, and in turn played classical music for the fiddler. They both came enriched from the meeting, and Bull always played some Norwegian folk music on his concerts after this. Thus, he made the rural tunes known to a larger public for the first time. The meeting had lasting impact in the evolving romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...
in Norway.
After this meeting, they did not meet again for 17 years, until Bull endeavored to make a concert with Myllarguten in Christiania February 1849, when romantic nationalism was at its very peak in Norway. The concert became a commercial success, and the hall was packed with 1500 excited listeners, among them some from Telemark, who had got free tickets. The known author Aasmund Olavsson Vinje
Aasmund Olavsson Vinje
Aasmund Olavsson Vinje was a famous Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for poetry, travel writing, and his pioneering use of Landsmål .-Background:...
decided not to go, afraid that the concert might go awry for the sensible fiddler, and would not be held responsible as a man from the same district, which he was.
When going on stage, Myllarguten had to break his crate open with a knife, and was delayed several minutes. This made him nervous, and he started playing other tunes than the appointed. But he soon played himself into ecstasy as was his wont, and the audience cheered. Newspapers called him a "true child of nature", and praised him with eulogies and poems. On the other hand, the urban audience was more excited by the event than the music, as the traditional music was and is a music for trained ears. When the romantic wave died down, Myllarguten became a has-been, and was regarded as nothing more than a "drunken Telemark farmer".
The concerts gave him money to raise a farm in Rauland
Rauland
This article is about the former municipality in Norway. For the American diplomat, see Scott Rauland.Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark....
, and the more experienced farmer Rikard Aslaksson Berge helped him in this. Myllarguten had played at his wedding, and was a regular guest at the farm. Thus, his music was passed on to Rikard's sons, and from them to his grandson Eivind Groven
Eivind Groven
Eivind Groven was a Norwegian microtonal composer and music-theorist. He was from Telemark and had his background in the folk music of the area.- Biography :...
.
Later years
In spite of his successes abroad, Targjei was not able to keep his money, and had to leave his farm in the end. The last years of his life, he was tired of playing, and became gradually harder to ask. Sometimes, he became depressed and cursed both his fiddle and Ole Bull and all the rest. He felt alone, frustrated and lost, but was still appreciated by his own community.Myllarguten died a pauper in 1872, and his funeral was timid, only one single boat and no flowers (it was custom to travel to the church by water, crossing the lake Totak
Totak
Totak is a lake in the municipality of Vinje in Telemark county, Norway. The lake is part of the Skein river watershed , discharging via the river Tokke to lake Bandak. At 306 m Totak is the 10th deepest lake in Norway; this tremendous overdeepening marks it as a glacially formed lake with...
. That was easier than taking the road). He is buried at the cemetery at Rauland
Rauland
This article is about the former municipality in Norway. For the American diplomat, see Scott Rauland.Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark....
in Telemark. It was reckoned a pity that this should befall the greatest fiddler in Norway. But he is well remembered, and through his descendants passed on a vivid musical tradition that lives on in Telemark to this very day. All the county honors his memory. A memorial stone was later set up at his grave.
Musical style
Myllarguten was from the beginning a traditional folk musician, schooled and educated in local tradition. The meeting with Ole Bull had a lasting impact on his style, and he began to explore the limits of his instrument in new and more advanced ways. He also turned his tonality more towards the classical ideals, rather than the more rural blue noteBlue note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres. Country blues, in particular, features wide variations from the...
. In 1853, Carl Schart, an organist in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, transcribed five of Myllarguten's tunes, and those came later into print http://129.240.79.146/4DACTION/visnote/0650. This example shows a vivid musical mind, and a great performer.
Sources
Most of the sources for Myllarguten's life were written down from living memory, accounted by people who had met the fiddler, and his close relatives. Other sources exist as articles by romantic nationalists in Norway, who met the fiddler and described him. All the material was collected and edited by the folklorist Rikard BergeRikard Berge
Rikard Berge was a Norwegian folklorist, museologist biographer and magazine editor. He was born in Rauland in Vinje, Telemark. Berge started writing down traditional folklore from the rural districts of Telemark from he was twelve years old...
, himself from Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
, and grandson of Rikard Aslaksson as mentioned above. He had first-hand information, and collected material for twelve years, from 1896 to 1908, meeting many older people who remembered Myllarguten. Thus, he put together a thorough and useful biography and a valuable source.
Concerning the meeting of Ole Bull and Myllarguten: Told by the farmer Rikard Aslaksson Berge, as rendered by Myllarguten himself, Tor Vaa from Rauland
Rauland
This article is about the former municipality in Norway. For the American diplomat, see Scott Rauland.Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark....
, and Gregar Torgeirsson, Myllarguten's son. The latter also told of the concert in Christiania
Oslo
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...
, which is also well documented from contemporary written material.
Concerning the fiddler's childhood: Told by Gunnhild Flatastøyl, daughter-in-law, Ingebjørg Pilodden from Sauherad
Sauherad
Sauherad is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Midt-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Akkerhaugen...
, and Gregar Torgeirsson.
Myllarguten's technical abilities and musical style: Øystein Hovdestad, Vinje
Vinje
Vinje is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Åmot.-Name:...
, among others.
His funeral: Signe Øydgarden, Rauland
Rauland
This article is about the former municipality in Norway. For the American diplomat, see Scott Rauland.Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark....
. She was an eye-witness to the event.
All the material is edited and published in Rikard Berge
Rikard Berge
Rikard Berge was a Norwegian folklorist, museologist biographer and magazine editor. He was born in Rauland in Vinje, Telemark. Berge started writing down traditional folklore from the rural districts of Telemark from he was twelve years old...
Myllarguten-Gibøen, Noregs Boklag 1972 (second edition). The original biography was published in 1911.