Ragnhild Jølsen
Encyclopedia
Ragnhild Theodora Jølsen (28 March 1875 28 January 1908) was a Norwegian
author. Norwegian oral traditions were a recurring theme in her works. Her writings often focused on the conflict between the old rural society and modern industrial society.
, Akershus
, Norway. This large farm had been in her family since 1634 and remained so until sold in 1903. Ragnhild Jølsen was youngest of nine children, four of whom died early. She moved to Kristiania in 1889 after the family had been hit hard financially. Her father, Holm Jølsen (1833-1906) was an early industrial pioneer and ran Norway's third largest match
factory in Ekebergdalen between 1866 and 1886. She completed grammar school in 1891. Ragnhild Jølsen moved back to Enebakk in 1896. She attended a local girl's school (Nissens pikeskole). She later worked as a governess with relatives in Enebakk (1897-1898).
Jølsen was seen as a controversial author in a period of great change, as society transformed itself from the old ways founded on small farming communities into the modern industrial society
. Short, chopped-up sentences were typical of her writing style
, almost maniacally sounding, as in Biblical form, and her depictions always moved in the intersection between dream and reality. Having received a grant she traveled to Rome
in November 1906 and returned to Enebakk in July 1907. There she began an affair with the married Norwegian painter Carl Dørnberger (1864-1940).
Jølsen died in January 1908, allegedly having taken an overdose
of sleeping powder
. She left for posterity some of Norwegian literature
's most forceful depictions of agony-manifesting women. Both in her private life and as a writer she was an outsider, and during most of her short life she lived the life of a bohemian
. Add to that her books which shocked her contemporaries with their open depictions of the sex lives and drives of women which caused some reviewers to assert that it had to be a man and not a woman who had written them.
For most of the period since her death she has wrongly been portrayed in Norway as a representative of a contemporary class of homestead
writers, when in fact only her short story collection Brukshistorier ("Factory Tales") belongs to this genre. The quite different style which characterizes the bulk of her novels is the meandering motifs of art noveau and a consistent fatalistic
decadence
which depicts itself in her intense and admirable authorship.
In 1938, a memorial stone was erected with a bronze relief of Ragnhild Jølsen in her home community of Enebakk
. In 2008, the municipality organized events to commemorate the centennial of her death. In 1964, Jens Bjørneboe
partially depicted her life in the biographical novel Drømmen og Hjulet ("The Dream and the Wheel"). In 1988, Aschehoug
published the works of Ragnhild Jølsen in a new edition with an additional release in 2008. In 2008, Håkon Tysdal
wrote Fra Ign til Fontana di Trevi - en reise gjennom Ragnhild Jølsens siste leveår ("From Ign to Fontana di Trevi - a Journey Through the Last Years of Ragnhild Jølsen's Life"). A new biography written by Arnhild Skre was also published in the autumn of 2008. Moys, a Norwegian rock band from Enebakk, has composed music to go along with Ragnhild Jølsen's texts in the album Måneskinn og tåke ("Moonlight and Mist") released in November 2009.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
author. Norwegian oral traditions were a recurring theme in her works. Her writings often focused on the conflict between the old rural society and modern industrial society.
Biography
Ragnhild Jølsen grew up on the historic Ekeberg farm (Ekeberg gård) in EnebakkEnebakk
Enebakk is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kirkebygda....
, Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
, Norway. This large farm had been in her family since 1634 and remained so until sold in 1903. Ragnhild Jølsen was youngest of nine children, four of whom died early. She moved to Kristiania in 1889 after the family had been hit hard financially. Her father, Holm Jølsen (1833-1906) was an early industrial pioneer and ran Norway's third largest match
Match
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
factory in Ekebergdalen between 1866 and 1886. She completed grammar school in 1891. Ragnhild Jølsen moved back to Enebakk in 1896. She attended a local girl's school (Nissens pikeskole). She later worked as a governess with relatives in Enebakk (1897-1898).
Jølsen was seen as a controversial author in a period of great change, as society transformed itself from the old ways founded on small farming communities into the modern industrial society
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. Short, chopped-up sentences were typical of her writing style
Writing style
Writing style is the manner in which an author chooses to write to his or her audience. A style reveals both the writer's personality and voice, but it also shows how she or he perceives the audience, and chooses conceptual writing style which reveal those choices by which the writer may change the...
, almost maniacally sounding, as in Biblical form, and her depictions always moved in the intersection between dream and reality. Having received a grant she traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in November 1906 and returned to Enebakk in July 1907. There she began an affair with the married Norwegian painter Carl Dørnberger (1864-1940).
Jølsen died in January 1908, allegedly having taken an overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
of sleeping powder
Sedative
A sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
. She left for posterity some of Norwegian literature
Norwegian literature
Norwegian literature is literature composed in Norway or by Norwegian people. The history of Norwegian literature starts with the pagan Eddaic poems and skaldic verse of the 9th and 10th centuries with poets such as Bragi Boddason and Eyvindr Skáldaspillir...
's most forceful depictions of agony-manifesting women. Both in her private life and as a writer she was an outsider, and during most of her short life she lived the life of a bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
. Add to that her books which shocked her contemporaries with their open depictions of the sex lives and drives of women which caused some reviewers to assert that it had to be a man and not a woman who had written them.
For most of the period since her death she has wrongly been portrayed in Norway as a representative of a contemporary class of homestead
Homesteading
Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency.-Current practice:The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading...
writers, when in fact only her short story collection Brukshistorier ("Factory Tales") belongs to this genre. The quite different style which characterizes the bulk of her novels is the meandering motifs of art noveau and a consistent fatalistic
Fatalism
Fatalism is a philosophical doctrine emphasizing the subjugation of all events or actions to fate.Fatalism generally refers to several of the following ideas:...
decadence
Decadence
Decadence can refer to a personal trait, or to the state of a society . Used to describe a person's lifestyle. Concise Oxford Dictionary: "a luxurious self-indulgence"...
which depicts itself in her intense and admirable authorship.
In 1938, a memorial stone was erected with a bronze relief of Ragnhild Jølsen in her home community of Enebakk
Enebakk
Enebakk is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kirkebygda....
. In 2008, the municipality organized events to commemorate the centennial of her death. In 1964, Jens Bjørneboe
Jens Bjørneboe
Jens Ingvald Bjørneboe was a Norwegian writer whose work spanned a number of literary formats. He was also a painter and a waldorf school teacher. Bjørneboe was a harsh and eloquent critic of Norwegian society and Western civilization on the whole...
partially depicted her life in the biographical novel Drømmen og Hjulet ("The Dream and the Wheel"). In 1988, Aschehoug
Aschehoug
H. Aschehoug & Co , commonly known as Aschehoug, is one of the largest independent publishing companies in Norway. -History:...
published the works of Ragnhild Jølsen in a new edition with an additional release in 2008. In 2008, Håkon Tysdal
Håkon Tysdal
Håkon Tysdal is a Norwegian writer , from Enebakk in Akershus. He now lives in Rælingen. He was editor of det lokalhistoriske tidsskriftet IGN and has written many local history articles and books.-Bibliography:...
wrote Fra Ign til Fontana di Trevi - en reise gjennom Ragnhild Jølsens siste leveår ("From Ign to Fontana di Trevi - a Journey Through the Last Years of Ragnhild Jølsen's Life"). A new biography written by Arnhild Skre was also published in the autumn of 2008. Moys, a Norwegian rock band from Enebakk, has composed music to go along with Ragnhild Jølsen's texts in the album Måneskinn og tåke ("Moonlight and Mist") released in November 2009.
Other sources
- Tiberg, Antonie Ragnhild Jølsen i liv og digtning (Aschehoug. 1909)
- Ribsskog, Øyvin Ragnhild Jølsens saga (Ski. 1976)
- Christensen, Kari Portrett på mørk treplate. Ragnhild Jølsens liv og forfatterskap (Aschehoug. 1989) ISBN-10: 8203159753
- Norddahl, Helge Tre kyss for den ensomme fugl. Syv essays om Ragnhild Jølsens diktning (Aschehoug. 1991)
- Skre, Arnhild La meg bli som leoparden: Ragnhild Jølsen - en biografi (2009) ISBN 978-82-03-29187-6