Myths and legends form part of the culture of any nation. Norway only shook itself free of a union with Denmark and Sweden in 1814 and whilst much of its traditions are shared with those two Nordic nations, they have built on their own legends to foster and reinforce their identity. This process has not ended and the pride in their ‘Norwegianess’ has been emphasised by energising trolls and dragons.
A pretty harbour at 61° North Älesund has its own niche in history. The town was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1903. Constructed largely of timber, the town burned easily with the fires, driven on by strong winds, completely overwhelming the efforts of townsfolk to fight them. Strangely the working docks area houses the few remaining pre-fire timber buildings still in use, now housing the port authority. In the fire 10,000 people of the 12,000 population were rendered homeless, although only one died – a woman who went back into her burning house to fetch her handbag… As a result, the charm of this beautiful little town rests in the overwhelming proportion of the buildings built at the same time in the same style.
Now 425 buildings remain from the 460 or so built with the help of contributions from the German Kaiser in the Jugenstijl. As a result, the town has remarkable homogeneity of architecture, spoiled only by the brutality inflicted on it by contemporary architects whose insensitivity to the surrounding architecture is only too evident.
The Jugendstil museum in Älesund is housed in original interiors from the period, but now expanding on this stylistic intrusion by showcasing their Nordic interpretation of Art Nouveau by building the collection around a core its describes as ‘dragenstijl’. Whilst Bergen tends to think of itself as the cultural capital of Norway, Älesund is the Norwegian capital of Art Nouveau/Jugendstil and the Jugendstil Museum in the town is leading the charge to establish what it calls ‘dragenstijl ‘.
My first visit to Älesund was on a road trip exploiting the newly opened bridge between Denmark and Sweden to drive over, my drive ending in Älesund after ‘The Bridge’, also through the 24+kilometetre tunnel outside Bergen, the beautiful ferry trips across magnificent fjords, driving to islands off the coast, stopping at the foot of stunning waterfalls and glaciers.
The Norwegian landscape in summer is magnificent but not recommended for driving tours in winter, when snowbanks tower above roofs of coaches. To tour in winter is best done by the traffic Älesund was built to service – the coastal ship and cruise boats carrying everything from the post to machinery up and down the coast. So my last two trips have been in cruise ships, my ageing bones making driving the distances more problematic, and ships allowing me visit in the glories of a Norwegian winter, when the scenery is at its most icy snow covered spectacular
Stave Church
I researched the ‘dragonstijl’ before it was distilled when researching Viking patterns and Celtic colours for a new hotel. There I had two large Welsh dragons created (one with its foot on an English shield) and was introduced to dragon symbology. Here In Älesund the dragon myths share similar Viking roots, and much is drawn historically from the carved and painted stave churches with their dragon carvings on the rooftop timbers.
The Norwegian coast is buffered from the inland weather by the Gulf Stream warmth so it can feel quite odd to stand on an ice-free street listening to the rattle of studded winter tyres on cobblestones whilst looking past ab traffic light at the snowcapped landscape beyond.
The Jugendstil museum is in part a recreation of the home of an apothecary, frozen around 1914, dining table set for formal dinner (Christmas lunch on my last trip), bedrooms also caught in a moment. But is has changed since my first visit as curatorship develops, the focus on Norwegian art nouveau is reborn as Dragonstijl and the collections of beautiful artifacts grow.
I walked the town on my own recently and enjoyed the beauty of the exhibits in the museum, not leaving me time to visit the art gallery next door before returning to the ship before the gangplank raised.. The beauty of some of the glass and silver caught in my throat and lifted my soul as beauty does. The beauty of the objects matched the simple beauty of the town, complimenting the beauty of the surrounding landscape.
The ship imposes a timetable which driving doesn’t do, but the ship also helps moving around the weather and staying under the Northern lights in comfort. Norway in winter is special. The sense of national pride and unity is fostered through both religion and legend, unlike in England where our folk tales and religion are stolen by those with another agenda that despises our culture. In Älesund that pride and culture is gloried in and proudly displayed. It is not to be missed – but then neither are Narvik, Trondheim, Bergen all towns sustained a by a government system that builds community cohesion and pride first and panders to international greed second.
Norway Is beautiful and easy to love…and it can be forgiven for rejigging design history to reinforce its own pride in sense of self as they value their own culture and use that pride as glue for social cohesion.
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