Norwegian Bunads (1991) - 8270061778

Bent Vanberg and Karin Hybbestad Schwantes, Norwegian Bunads, Norwegian text by Kjersti skavhaug, pictures by Arne Svendsen a.o. © 1991 Hjemmenes Forlag, Oslo, Norge, Hardcover, 237 Pages, 82-7006-177-8.

This book is intended as a follow-up of the previous, now out-of-print edition of the publisher’s VARE VAKRE BUNADER (OUR BEAUTIFUL BUNADS). This time, too, we present only a selection of bunads from all provinces of the country. We have chosen festive bunads as they appear today.

The "Same" or Lapp costumes have not been included, because they belong to another geographic and cultural sphere than Norwegian bunads. Altogether there are probably a couple of hundred different bunads in this country, but hardly anyone has a complete listing of them all. As it would have been impractical to present all the bunads in this volume, bunads not pictured are dealt with in the provincial areas section.

Primarily, representative bunads from all the provinces are shown. Some regions have a rich folk costume tradition and numerous bunads. In the province of Finnmark, however, we know of no folk costume tradition among the non-samic population, and that province has only one single bunad.

Our intention has, above all, been to present bunads built on a folk costume tradition yet without this principle having determined the selection of bunads. When describing the individual bunads we have tried to point to the relationship between the bunad of today and the local folk costume tradition, and also to provide concrete information about those who took the initiative to the design of reconstructed bunads, when the bunads came into use, and the background material relied on, in short, to provide a glimpse of the bunad history itself.

The access to information about the folk costume traditions and the bunad works of recent dates vary from locale to locale, which will be in evidence as for some of the bunad descriptions. By and large, the information is provided by the literature registered by the Costume Bibliography of 1976, published by "the Landsnemnda for Bunadsporsmal", "THE NATIONAL BUNAD COMMITTEE".

What are Bunads?

The bunads as we now know them and use them belong to this century. The word bunad simply means clothes. But in everyday Norwegian language a bunad is a festive costume tied to a specific area and with ancient traditions behind it.

In Norway the woman’s bunad is used on festive occasions, in the family circle at christenings, confirmations and weddings, and at representations and public ceremonies. The interest in our bunads began with the folk dancing movement at the beginning of this century. In the circles around folk dancing and folk music the use of bunads is a matter of course for the women as well as the men. This is also the case in a number of other countries, but the general use of the woman’s bunad by all seems to be a uniquely Norwegian custom.

Some contemporary bunads cover a whole "fylke" (province), such as 0stfold, Rogaland and Finnmark, while in a single valley, such as Hallingdal, one may find several different bunads. Traditionally, there has never been a single costume covering such a large area as a «fylke», yet the area has normally been larger than a parish or township.

Contents:

1. Overview and history
2. Østfold Bunads
3. Akershus Bunads
4. Hedmark Bunads
5. Oppland Bunads
6. Buskerud  Bunads
7. Vesfold Bunads
8. Telemark Bunads
9. Aust- and Vest-Agder Bunads
10. Rogaland Bunads
11. Hordaland Bunads
12. Sogn and Fjordane Bunads
13. Møre og Romsdal Bunads
14. Trøndelag bunads
15. Nordland Bunads
16. Troms Bunads
17. Finnmark Bunads