Herman Wildenvey


Herman Wildenvey, born Herman Theodor Portaas, was one of the most prominent Norwegian poets of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he published 44 books of his own poetry, in addition to translations of William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, and Heinrich Heine. He was married to the novelist Gisken Wildenvey.

Biography

Wildenvey was born at Mjøndalen in Nedre Eiker, near the city of Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. He was the son of Lauritz Portaas and Hanna Kristine Grosvold. He was born outside of marriage. His mother remained unmarried while his father married her younger sister. His childhood home, from which he got his surname at birth, was called Portåsen.
He emigrated to the United States in 1904, but returned to Norway during the summer of 1906. On 28 June 1904 the Danish passenger liner, SS Norge ran aground on the skerry, Hasselwood Rock, close to Rockall, on Helen's Reef in the North Atlantic. According to Sebak's comprehensive account, the final death toll was 635, among them 225 Norwegian citizens. The 160 survivors spent up to eight days in open lifeboats before rescue. Several more people died in the days that followed rescue as a result of their exposure to the elements and drinking the salt water. Herman Wildenvey was among the survivors.
In 1912, he married the nineteen year old Jonette Kramer Andreassen. Their joint surname was changed to Wildenvey by declaration 1929. From 1913 to 1922 the couple had a residence in Copenhagen, although he spent much of his time in Kristiania.
After living some years in Oslo and Copenhagen, the couple settled in the small coastal town of Stavern in 1923, where they built their home Hergisheim in 1927. The couple lived there for the rest of their lives. In 1935, he was awarded the Gyldendal's Endowment. In 1955, four years before he died, Herman Wildenvey was honoured with title of Commander of the Royal Order of St. Olav on the merit of his writing. He died in his home town of Stavern and was buried in Vår Frelsers gravlund in Oslo.
Today his childhood home, Portåsen in Mjøndalen, is a museum honouring his life and writing. Portåsen, Wildenveys rike is a cultural centre, meeting place and venue for local, regional and national artists. The site includes a newly renovated farmhouse and farm buildings. Stiftelsen Portåsen is the organization which works on the development of Portåsen and which operates in affiliation with Buskerud Museum, a foundation for the preservation of cultural heritage within Buskerud.
The Wildenvey Society presents the Herman Wildenvey Poetry Award annually. The award is conferred every year on July 20, the anniversary of his birth date. The event is held at Hergisheim, his home in Stavern. The award includes a bronze slate plaque from a design made by sculptor Ørnulf Bast. The prize is given to a person or institution that has helped foster interest in Herman Wildenvey's poetry.

Partial bibliography

Original works

Direct translations of Norwegian titles shown in parentheses.
  • 1902 Campanula
  • 1907 Nyinger
  • 1908 Digte
  • 1910 Ringsgang
  • 1911 Prismer
  • 1913 Lys over land
  • 1913 Årets eventyr
  • 1915 Brendende Hjerter
  • 1916 Kjærtegn
  • 1917 Digte i utvalg
  • 1917 Flygtninger
  • 1919 Hemeligheter
  • 1919 Alle slags vers
  • 1920 Troll i ord
  • 1920 Den glemte have
  • 1921 Nedfallsfrugt
  • 1922 Nye digte i udvalg
  • 1923 Ildorkestret
  • 1924 Streiftog i hjembygden
  • 1925 Fiken av tistler
  • 1926 Der falder stjerner
  • 1926 Prosa i utvalg
  • 1927 Samlede digt
  • 1927 Et Herrens år
  • 1930 Dagenes sang, Ringen
  • 1931 Høstens lyre
  • 1931 Digte i utvalg
  • 1932 På ville veier
  • 1935 Stjernenes speil
  • 1936 Samlede digt
  • 1936 En ung manns flukt
  • 1937 Vingehesten og verden
  • 1938 Den nye rytmen
  • 1940 En lykkelig tid
  • 1941 Samlede dikt
  • 1946 Filomele
  • 1947 Ved sangens kilder
  • 1948 Ringsgang
  • 1950 Mine sangers bok
  • 1952 Polyhymnia
  • 1953 Ugler til Athen
  • 1956 Soluret
  • 1957 Samlede dikt
  • 1969 ''Efterklang''

Translations

Awards