Fra Prestens skrivebord - Dec 2001

My Norwegian Christmas Hymn.

Many of the Christmas Hymns we consider as Norwegian are originally Danish and German.
The so-called "Julens salmedikter" - Hans Adolf Brorson - was a Danish bishop. (1694-1764)
His many famous hymns for Christmas, Easter and Pentecost became more popular in Norway than in Denmark. His best known and most loved
Christmas Hymn I think is "Mitt hjerte vanker".
At least this is my favorite.
The first verse is:

"Mitt hjerte alltid vanker i Jesu føderom,
der samles mine tanker som i sin hovedsum.
Der er min lengsel hjemme,
Der har min tro sin skatt;
Jeg kan deg aldri glemme,
Velsignet julenatt."

The music is a beautiful Norwegian Folk Tune
Norsk Salmebok nr.45.
Landstad Reviderte Salmebok nr. 122

If you look for a genuine Norwegian Christmas Hymn you should pick "Fra fjord og fjære" written by Magnus Brostrup Landstad. He lived from 1802 to 1880 and was Pastor in Seljord, Telemark.

M.B. Landstad was authorized by the Norwegian
Government to make a new Hymn Book for the
Norwegian Church. (Landstads Salmebok, later Landstads Reviderte Salmebok)

His most popular Christmas Hymn already mentioned is a great poem used for many generations in Norway. This Hymn conveys a genuine Norwegian Christmas atmosphere and is at the same time universal. "Fra fjord og fjære" is a kind of incarnation of the Norwegian Christmas in combination of singing about the Biblical incarnation of Christ.

"Fra fjord og fjære, fra fjell og dype dal,
et "Ære være" i dag gjenlyde skal.
Fra kirketårne i fryds basuner støt,
For Guds enbårne som er i dag oss født!
Vi var forlorne,nå er vi frelst av nød."

Norsk Salmebok nr. 59
Landstad Reviderte Salmebok nr. 126
I guess many of you may remember these from your childhood Christmas and most of you can read these in Norwegian. These will be two of the Hymns at our
Christmas Services.

See you at Mindekirken.

Ole Amund Gillebo
Pastor