The Helland fiddle maker family
Encyclopedia
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...
in 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:...
is a Norwegian
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...
dynasty of Hardanger fiddle makers who made the most significant and important contribution to the development of the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle tradition. The celebrated Norwegian fiddler Ole Bull
Ole 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...
played on Helland fiddles.
During nearly 200 years and 4 generations the family counted 14 fiddle makers. Many of them among the most important in the fiddle maker tradition in Norway. It may well be the largest fiddle maker family in history.
From Bø in Telemark to Notodden, Skien and Wisconsin
Olav Gunnarson Helland settled in NotoddenNotodden
is a town and 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 Notodden....
, Telemark, Norway in 1896 and established a Hardanger fiddle workshop. His fiddles are considered among the finest within the tradition.
Knut Gunnarsson Helland and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland emigrated to US in 1901 and settled in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
where they became well known ski jumpers
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
. The opened a fiddle workshop, “Helland Brothers
Helland Brothers
Helland Brothers was a fiddle makers' shop in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA, 1905 - 1927.The workshop was founded in 1905 by the brothers Knut Gunnarson Helland and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland from Bø in Telemark. They emigrated to America in 1901 and made both Hardanger fiddles and violins. Knut...
” together. Knut died in 1920 and his brother Gunnar continued the business until 1927.
John Gunnarson Helland settled in Skien, Telemark, Norway and ran a workshop and a music shop until his death in 1977.
The other fiddle makers continued their work in Bø until the last, Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen died in 1969.
The family 1790-1977
Note on Norwegian names: The second link reads Jons son (i.e. The son of Jon), or Eriks daughter. The third link is a family name, derived from the farm where they lived, or originated from.
- Jon Eriksson HellandJon Eriksson HellandJon Eriksson Helland , born Jon Eriksson Hellos, was a Norwegian Hardanger violin maker from Bø in Telemark.Jon Eriksson Helland was the first of the Helland family violin making tradition in Bø...
(1790 – 1862)- Erik Jonsson HellandErik Jonsson HellandErik Jonsson Helland was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark.He was the eldest son of the Hardangerfiddle maker Jon Eriksson Helland....
(1816 – 1868)- Jon Eriksson Helland IIJon Eriksson Helland IIJon Eriksson Helland was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark.The eldest son of Erik Jonsson Helland, Jon died only 20 years of age...
(1849 – 1869) - Knut Eriksson HellandKnut Eriksson HellandKnut Eriksson Helland, Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway.Knut Eriksson Helland was the youngest son of Erik Jonsson Helland. He began to work in his fathers workshop at an early age, and showed great skill, especially in making fiddle bridges and gripboard...
(1851 – 1880) - Gunnhild Eriksdatter Helland (1851 – 1907) married Gunnar Olavsson HellandGunnar Olavsson HellandGunnar Olavsson Helland, , was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark.Gunnar Olavsson Haugen came from a family of woodcarvers. He married the twin sister of Knut Eriksson Helland, Gunnhild, in 1871 and moved to Helland at that time...
(1852 –1938). Gunnar took family name from the farm he got by marriage- Olav Gunnarsson HellandOlav Gunnarsson HellandOlav Gunnarsson Helland , Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark.He was the eldest of Gunnar Olavsson Helland's five sons, four of whom became violin makers...
(1875 –1946) - Knut Gunnarsson HellandKnut Gunnarsson HellandKnut Gunnarsson Helland, Norwegian-American Hardanger fiddle maker.Knut Gunnarson Helland was from Bø in Telemark, Norway. He worked for a number of years with his brother, the hardanger fiddle maker Olav Gunnarsson Helland in Notodden in Telemark...
(1880 –1920) - Gunnar Gunnarsson HellandGunnar Gunnarsson HellandGunnar Gunnarsson Helland was a Norwegian-American Hardanger fiddle maker.-Background:Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland was a member of the Helland fiddle maker family of Telemark, Norway...
(1889 –1976) - John Gunnarsson HellandJohn Gunnarsson HellandJon Gunnarsson Helland was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark.John Gunnarson Helland, the fourth of the five Gunnarsson Helland brothers, began his work in his father, Gunnar Olavsson Helland's workshop and then went to Notodden, Telemark, where he made some of his best...
(1897 –1977)
- Olav Gunnarsson Helland
- Jon Eriksson Helland II
- Eilev Jonsson SteintjønndalenEilev Jonsson SteintjønndalenEilev Jonsson Steintjønndalen was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway.Eilev was the brother of Erik Jonsson Helland. He learned the art of fiddle making from his father and his elder brother. Around 1850, he married and moved to Steintjønndalen, a cotter’s sub-farm on...
(1821 – 1876) - took family name of the farm he got by marriage- Jon Eilevsson Steintjønndalen (1845 – 1902)
- Knut Eilevsson SteintjønndalenKnut Eilevsson SteintjønndalenKnut Eilevsson Steintjønndalen was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway.Knut Eilevsson Steintjønndalen continued the Steintjønndal tradition when his brother Jon Eilevsson Steintjønndalen left...
(1850 – 1902)- Knut Knutsson SteintjønndalenKnut Knutsson SteintjønndalenKnut Knutsson Steintjønndalen was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway.Before he died, Knut Eilevson told his 15 year old son Knut to keep the tradition alive. Knut made his first Hardanger fiddle at age 15 and was paid approximately $1.50. 61 years later, in 1963, he was...
(1887-1969)
- Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen
- Gunleik Jonsson HellandGunleik Jonsson HellandGunleik «Gullik» Jonsson Helland Gunleik «Gullik» Jonsson Helland Gunleik «Gullik» Jonsson Helland (1828 - 1863 was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark.Gunleik (the name was written both ways) Helland, son of the first fiddlemaker at Helland cotters farm, worked several years in...
(1828 – 1863)
- Erik Jonsson Helland
Jon Eilevsson Steintjønndalen
Jon Eilevsson learned his trade from his father, Eilev Jonsson SteintjønndalenEilev Jonsson Steintjønndalen
Eilev Jonsson Steintjønndalen was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from Bø in Telemark, Norway.Eilev was the brother of Erik Jonsson Helland. He learned the art of fiddle making from his father and his elder brother. Around 1850, he married and moved to Steintjønndalen, a cotter’s sub-farm on...
, and became a fine violin maker. But he gave it up at an early age when he left the area. There are still a number of good Hardanger fiddles left by him.
The great Hardanger fiddle player Halvor Jøren from Bø brought one, named "The Troll", with him to the US, where it disappeared.
Sources, all in Norwegian
- Bjørn Aksdal: Hardingfela, felemakerne og instrumentets utvikling. Tapir akademisk forlag Trondheim 2009. ISBN 978-82-519-2402-3 (p. 160)
- Bø-Soga, 1 Kultursoga vol. 1 (Bø Local history).
- Bø-Soga, 2 farm- and family history, vol.4» (Bø Local history, farm- and family history).
- Steinar Kyvik: Soga om fela Fonna 1946.
- John Gunnarson Helland: Felemakerslekten Helland (Helland, the fiddlemaker maker family). Private, type written paper.
- Olav Gunnarsson Helland, private letters.
- Åsmund Nyhammer: Hardingfele i fire slektledd. Newspaper article, interwiew in Bergens Arbeiderblad 5. oktober 1963.
- Asbjørn Storesund: Bøherad, hardingfelas Cremona in Leik og Dans (perodical) 1988 p. 57-71, Halvard Kaasa, editor.
- Morgenbladet, Christiania, Thursday July 15. 1852.