Hulda Garborg was a Norwegian writer, novelist, playwright, poet, folk dancer, and theatre instructor.
Background
Karen Hulda Bergersen was born on the farm Såstad in Stange, Hedmark, to the lawyer Christian Frederik Bergersen (1829–1873) and his wife Marie Petrine Olsen (1835–1888). Her parents divorced when Hulda was two years old, and she moved to Hamar with her mother.
Career
The couple moved to Tynset in Østerdalen, where they lived for nine years in a small cabin at the small farm "Kolbotnen", near the lake Savalen. She gave birth to a child, Arne, also called Tuften, in 1888. During the period at Kolbotn, the family often visited Kristiania, they stayed longer periods in Dießen am Ammersee, Fürstenfeldbruck and Berlin in Germany, and also lived one winter in Paris.
In 1896 they left Tynset and moved to Stokke.
In 1897 they moved to Labraaten in Hvalstad, which became their home for the rest of their lives. Arne Garborg later built a summer residence, Knudaheio, in Time.
Arne and Hulda were both buried at Knudaheio. Garborg was a pioneer in areas as theatre and folk dance, cooking, bunad tradition and women"s rights.
She published articles about traditional cooking in the Nynorsk newspaper Den 17de Mai, and these articles were later published in the book Heimestell (1899).
She wrote the play Mødre (1895, performed at the Christiania Theatre), and the comedies Rationelt Fjøsstell (1896, performed both at the Christiania Theatre and in Bergen), Hos Lindelands (1899) and Noahs Ark (1899), and the dramas Sovande sorg (1900), Liti Kersti (1903), Edderkoppen (1904, anonymously. Played at Nationaltheatret), Sigmund Bresteson (1908), Under Bodhitræet (1911) and Den store Freden (1919. Issued in United States of America as Hiawatha"s Vision, 1927).
She edited the song book Norske folkevisor in 1903, and issued the book Song-Dansen i Nord-Landi, also in 1903, and Norske dansevisur (1913).
She wrote the book Norsk klædebunad (1903), on the bunad tradition. She participated in the contemporary debates both as a speaker and article writer
She wrote a series of articles in magazines and newspapers, such as Syn og Segn, Edda, Samtiden, Den 17de Mai, Dagbladet and Verdens Gang. The books Kvinden skabt af Manden (Woman created by Manitoba, 1904) and Fru Evas Dagbog (1905) were contribution to the debate on women"s rights.
Her first novel, Et frit forhold, was issued anonymously in 1892.
Her novel Eli (1912) was translated into Dutch in 1915, and into Swedish in 1916. Other novels were Mot Solen (1915), Gaaden. Efter Præstedatteren Else Marie Lindes Optegnelser (1916), Mens dansen gaar (1920), I huldreskog (1922), Naar heggen blomstrer (1923), Grågubben (1925), Trollheimen (1927), Helenes historie (1929) and Hildring (1931).
She issued the poetry collections Kornmoe (1930) and Symra (1934).
Selected parts from her own diaries were issued in 1962 as Dagbok 1903–1914. Hulda Garborg also participated in politics, and represented the Liberal Left Party in Asker municipal council.
Tor Obrestad, Hulda (1992).