Eneret postcard, ca 1900
Norwegian Constitution Day is next week on the 17th of May. Recently I found some cards with reproductions of early 1900 Norwegian postcards at the Scandinavian Specialties shop in Ballard. Today I am sharing two of the cards. They show young women wearing the national folk costume, called a bunad, from their area of Norway. There were 8 cards in the packet. Unfortunately, none of the areas that the costumes represent were identified on the cards.
The card above has Eneret, J. F. written at the bottom
between the dog and the hem of the skirt.
Eneret joined with Mittet to become the Eneret & Mittet, Co., that published postcards from 1905 to 1925. Since this card is only identified as Eneret it most likely means it was printed before the merge with Mittet. The
card is titled: "Calling Them Home.” The
card below shows two girls and is titled “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not.” It is not identified as Eneret or Eneret & Mittet but is part of the set; therefore, I have estimated the date as about 1905.
Two Norwegian girls, ca 1905
Traditional rural folk clothing in Norway is mostly dated to the 18th and 19th centuries. The name bunad (singular) and bunader or bunadar (pural) appears in the early 20th century. These folk costumes are traditionally worn for special events, such as the 17th of May celebrations, graduations, confirmation, and weddings.
The earlier folk costumes have been replaced by a more
modern bunad that was redesigned for beauty and fashion. Hulda Garborg (1862-1934) was a Norwegian
writer, novelist, playwright, poet, folk dancer and theater instructor. She is best known today for kindling interest
in the bunad tradition. It is from her that we get the name bunad associated with these updated folk costumes. There are strict
standards for sewing and wearing a bunad.
It can take a year to complete one with the cost for having a bunad made today ranging from $2,000 to
$10,000. Traditionally, a bunad may be gifted to a young person when he or she is confirmed in the Lutheran Church.
Hip, Hip Hurra! Syttende mai
For additional information, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunad
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulda_Garborg
https://www.scanspecialties.com/
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