The Cat on the Dovrefell
Encyclopedia
The Cat on the Dovrefjell (also known as The Cat on the Dovre-Mountain and The Trolls and the Pussycat) is a Norwegian fairy tale
collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
and Jørgen Moe
in Norske Folkeeventyr
. It is Aarne-Thompson type 1161, The Bear Trainer and His Cat.
and asked a man called Halvor for shelter for the night. Halvor told him that troll
s came every Christmas Eve and made such havoc that the household had to flee them. The man said he would stay with his bear anyway.
The trolls came, eating the feast the people had left behind, and one began to bait the bear, calling it "Kitty". It rose up and drove them all out of the house.
The next year, a troll asked Halvor if he still had that cat. Halvor assured him that he did, and she had had seven kittens, bigger and fiercer than herself. The trolls never again came to his cottage for Christmas Eve.
retold this story as Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve, featuring a boy as the bear's owner and a girl as the one who welcomed him.
Kaja Foglio
retold the story in comic form, where the bear's owner was a girl and the house owner was the girl's uncle.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen was a Norwegian writer and scholar. He and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe were collectors of Norwegian folklore...
and Jørgen Moe
Jørgen Moe
right|thumb|Norske Folkeeventyr Asbjørnsen and Moe Jørgen Engebretsen Moe was a Norwegian bishop and author...
in Norske Folkeeventyr
Norske Folkeeventyr
Norwegian Folktales is a collection of Norwegian folktales and legends by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. It is also known as Asbjørnsen and Moe, after the collectors.-Asbjørnsen and Moe:...
. It is Aarne-Thompson type 1161, The Bear Trainer and His Cat.
Synopsis
A man was bringing a white bear to give to the king of Denmark, and he came to the mountain Dovre on Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
and asked a man called Halvor for shelter for the night. Halvor told him that troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s came every Christmas Eve and made such havoc that the household had to flee them. The man said he would stay with his bear anyway.
The trolls came, eating the feast the people had left behind, and one began to bait the bear, calling it "Kitty". It rose up and drove them all out of the house.
The next year, a troll asked Halvor if he still had that cat. Halvor assured him that he did, and she had had seven kittens, bigger and fiercer than herself. The trolls never again came to his cottage for Christmas Eve.
Retellings
Jan BrettJan Brett
Jan Brett is a best-selling American author/illustrator of childrens' books. Her books are known for colorful, detailed depictions of a wide variety of animals and human cultures ranging from Scandinavia to Africa...
retold this story as Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve, featuring a boy as the bear's owner and a girl as the one who welcomed him.
Kaja Foglio
Kaja Foglio
Kaja Foglio is a Seattle-based writer, artist, and publisher. Foglio co-won the first Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2009 for Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, and has continued to co-win two Hugo Awards the following years.-Early life and education:Born in...
retold the story in comic form, where the bear's owner was a girl and the house owner was the girl's uncle.