Background
He was born in Åseral as a son of farmers Olav Knutson Liestøl (1855–1944) and Sigrid Røynelid (1856–1950).
He was born in Åseral as a son of farmers Olav Knutson Liestøl (1855–1944) and Sigrid Røynelid (1856–1950).
He was a nephew of Lars Liestøl. Their son Olav became a noted glaciologist. A folklorist by profession, he took the dr.philos. degree in 1915 with the thesis Norske trollvisor og norrøne sogor.
He was appointed as a docent in Nynorsk at the Royal Frederick University in 1909 and promoted to professor of folkloristics in 1917.
He also served in Mowinckel"s Third Cabinet as Minister of Education and Church Affairs 1933 to 1935. He was also the chairman of Noregs Mållag from 1925 to 1926.
He resided at Ramstad. He died in June 1952 in Bærum.
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
