The traditional national dress of the Norwegians is called "bunad". There are several forms of its cut and countless colors. The latter is typical mainly for women's costume. For many centuries, the Norwegian costume has been influenced by the pan-European urban costume, therefore, in our time, Norwegians put on a bunad only on big holidays, weddings, and festivities.

Descriptions of the national costume are preserved in the Scandinavian sagas and in ancient images of the inhabitants of Northern Europe. It follows from them that narrow long trousers, short jackets, and cloaks with a hood are characteristic of the Old Norse costume. At present, two forms of cut are noticeable in the men's bunad. The men's national costume of the western regions of Norway consists of narrow long trousers, which at the top reach almost to the chest and are held by shoulders. Clothing is complemented by a vest, stitched with ornaments and trimmed with buttons on the chest. For the eastern regions of the country, a jacket or vest, short pants, usually just below the knees, are more typical. Jackets and pants are decorated with buttons arranged in rows. The costume is complemented by traditional golfs, which have a geometric pattern and are knitted from thick wool. In both districts, a white shirt with wide sleeves and narrow cuffs, black trousers, black raincoats, leather shoes with buckles and, of course, a hat or top hat are put on for the costume.

The folk costume is complemented by decorative details: magnificent embroideries on vests, aprons, jackets, bright belts and multi-colored trims along the edge of the hem of the skirt. This led to the fact that almost every region of the country was characterized by a variety of women's costumes.

Women's Norwegian national costume is also represented by two forms of cut (Fig. 7). In most of the country, it consists of a blouse and a skirt, only in the western regions are blouses worn with sundresses. This is the basis of the women's costume. In some areas, an apron, vest or jacket is added to it. Traditionally, costumes are made of woolen fabric. On cold days, scarves, capes, raincoats, multi-layered skirts are used. Men's suits also have bright colors, but they are not embroidered to the same extent as women's ones. In Norway, each specific area (fulke) presents its own distinctive national costume.

Although at the household level in our time a modern pan-European version of the urban costume is used, there is one folk tradition that the Norwegians have remained true to this day. The famous warm Norwegian sweaters knitted from thick yarn and decorated with national ornaments are especially popular here. They are very beautiful, reliable (warm in the coldest weather), take up little space. Products made of 100% wool are covered with special Nordic patterns: you can see deer and elk, snowflakes and frost, geometric patterns on them, which makes them recognizable all over the world.

All nationalities of the world have their own characteristics, traditions, as well as national costumes. Large countries have several varieties of these outfits, but Norway went even further: here each region has its own costume.

Norwegian Bunad

The national costume of the Norwegians, which is called the bunad in the country, continues to be very popular in Norway today. This costume impresses with its magnificence, variety, richness and beauty. It is customary to wear bunads on holidays for both members of the royal family and ordinary citizens of the country.

To date, there are more than two hundred types of national costumes in the country, not counting the huge variety of their variations. Often in one village there are several varieties of them, and a costume from one locality can be made in different colors. Most of the national clothes of the Norwegians have survived to this day in their original form. National costumes in Norway are traditionally passed down from generation to generation, and their cost in a complete set can often be equal to the cost of a new car.

Traditional male national costume

The men's clothing set consists of a linen shirt, knee-length pantaloons, a thick vest with several rows of buttons, an outer jacket or jacket, a wide-brimmed hat or bowler hat, stockings, special shoes, silver cufflinks, buckles and buttons. Men's suits are not as heavily embroidered as women's, but benefit from materials in very bright colors.

Traditional women's national costume

A complete set of women's clothing includes: a blouse decorated with hand embroidery, a jacket, a thick woolen skirt, a vest, special stockings and shoes, a shawl or scarf, mittens, a belt made of silver plaques, a handbag with a silver clasp and handmade jewelry made of precious metals. The skirt is often doubled, silver cufflinks are used instead of buttons on the blouse, and the vest is fastened with a silver chain. All silver is decorated with pendants and richly inlaid.

Women's suits have a much wider application, unlike men's. Usually, an expensive handmade national costume is sewn for girls for confirmation. The national women's costume is often worn at weddings and other solemn events.

Bride's wedding suit

The wedding dresses of Norwegian brides are no less beautiful and expensive, they amaze with their originality and originality. A distinctive feature of the wedding dress of the bride at all times was a magnificent headdress, reminiscent of the tiara of a fairy-tale princess.

The crowns on the heads of Norwegian beauties, which are a mixture of a kokoshnik and a hat, decorated with silver or gold pendants tinkling when walking, are called upon to drive away evil spirits with their chime. The bride at the wedding, according to tradition, was obliged to dance until the crown fell from her head.

In the old days, the beauty of the bride's dress directly depended on the financial situation of the family, and the headdress was made from various materials - from straw to silver and gold.

Norway... An amazing northern country with beautiful nature, clean environment, the highest standard of living, with carefully preserved traditions. The Norwegians also consider their folk costume BUNAD to be a national treasure. It is worn on the National Day of Norway - May 17, for weddings, confirmations, christenings, folklore holidays, i.e. it has become almost universal.

True, the Norwegians themselves are still debating what is bunad and how does it differ from national costume.

Some claim that bunad is the common name for many national costumes that are worn in different regions of Norway, and, in addition, it is also the name of festive clothes reconstructed in the 20th century in the national style.

Other researchers believe that Bunad is a festive dress in the national style., which existed from time immemorial, which is worn on exceptionally solemn occasions. Binard, they argue, is different from "fake" folk costumes for ceremonial occasions, which were "designed" to imitate real folk costumes. Such "reconstructions" are often referred to as "Festive attire" - festdrakt / festdrakt / In bunad stores, they are sold exactly as festdrakt, and not as bunad.

And, finally, some folklorists believe that the bunad differs from the national costume, since under national costume should be understood everyday clothes, a bunad - festive clothing.

One can argue with each point of view, especially since the very word " bunad» came from the ancient northern búnaðr - "clothing for the home"- and gives each side the opportunity to argue that she is right. Everyone is right, however, that BUNAD and FESTDRAK T are stunningly beautiful and uniquely original, and Norwegians wear them with dignity!

WOMEN'S CLOTHING are:

Embroidered blouse, vest, jacket, skirt, petticoats.

Stockings (special, also sometimes embroidered!!!),

Purse with a silver lock

Shawl, mittens for winter.

Handmade jewelry made of silver or less often gold: special fasteners, buttons, brooches, which are called sølje, earrings, cufflinks (for women), earrings, rings, belts.

Special shoes.

The "find" of the last couple of years - special umbrellas for bunad made of wool, decorated with hand embroidery and a special silver nameplate on the handle!

MEN'S SUIT consists of trousers below the knee, a linen shirt, a thick vest with several rows of buttons and an outer jacket. Knee-length wool socks are also required. The men's suit is not as heavily embroidered as the women's, but often comes in very bright colors, red and yellow or black and red. Many wear a wide-brimmed hat or a bowler hat. Men's suits in modern Norway are now more and more in demand.

Almost every village and city has its own type of bunad. Everyone has their own “past” and their own “traditions”. Very often, a bunad from the same area can be made in different colors. Sometimes in one village there are several types of national costume.

Historical and cultural note about the Swedish national costume.

Swedish folk costume as a symbol of national identity

Suit and politics
In the studies of modern scientists, there is a tendency to consider the folk costume as an instrument for the formation of national identity. Politics adapts popular culture to the requirements of the time, creates new traditions. So artificially created in the 18th century, the kilt and checkered fabric - "plaid" became integral attributes of Scotland.
The situation is similar with "national costumes" in European countries. Sweden is no exception in this respect. Interest in the folk costume in this country is associated, on the one hand, with an interest in the past, and on the other hand, it has completely different functions, embodies “Swedishness”. This is especially true for the Swedish national costume, although the main principle in its creation was a return to the past.

About the concept of "folk costume" in Sweden
At first glance, the definition of "folk costume" seems simple and clear. Looking more closely at the problem, things become more complicated. When studying the Swedish folk costume, one should distinguish between the concepts of "folk costume", "costume of the common people".
A folk costume (folkdräkt), in the strict sense, can only be called a documented (all parts of the costume are preserved) peasant costume of a certain area, with a certain set of characteristic features. Such costumes are created in areas with clear natural boundaries (forests, mountains, reservoirs). Clothes and shoes were made according to certain rules, which tailors and shoemakers were obliged to comply with under the threat of a fine or church punishment - hence the characteristic features, differences in the costume of one village from another. This does not mean, however, that the Swedish peasants wore uniforms - there were still some individual differences.
A parish costume (sockendräkt) and a county costume (häradsdräkt) can be considered folk costume if the borders of the parish or county are clearly delineated.
In addition to "folkdräkt", there is also the concept of "bygdedräkt" and "hembygdedräkt" - this is a costume of the region, a reconstruction, or a costume recreated on the basis of a folk one.
The name "Landskapsdräkt" - linen suit, is more an invention of the era of national romanticism than a full-fledged term. Not a single county or parish had such a costume - it is a symbol, a costume made up of different parts in order to serve as a symbol of one of the 25 historical provinces of Sweden. However, despite the inadequacy of this definition, popular literature constantly talks about the fact that each flax has its own suit. This can also be spoken of as an example of an “invented tradition” that is not connected with the historical past, but is popular.
A distinction should be made between "folk costume" (folkdräkt) and "common people's costume" (folklig dräkt). Undoubtedly, a folk costume is the clothing of ordinary people, but not all clothing of the people is a folk costume. For example, we cannot call a city costume a folk costume.
The term "national costume" is very vague. The "national" costumes are those modeled at the turn of the XIX-XX in the image of peasant costumes, used by the urban population or representatives of high society for special occasions. For example, the costumes that represented the community at the costume evenings of university students in Uppsala, or the "Dalikarli" costumes of the courtiers of King Oscar II during theatrical performances. "National" can also be considered created in 1902-03. the common Swedish national costume (almänna svenska nationaldräkten), also called "sverigedräkt".

National romanticism and the revival of traditional costume
In Sweden, the traditional peasant costume goes out of everyday use by 1850. Due to the development of communications, the growth of cities and industry throughout the country, the people are gradually abandoning the traditional costume, which was considered a symbol of the backward peasant world.
However, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, neo-romanticism swept Western Europe, and secular society in Sweden turned its gaze to peasant culture and folk costume. In 1891 Artur Hazelius founded Skansen, an open-air ethnographic museum, in Stockholm. In addition to peasant life in general, Hatzelius was also interested in folk costume. Trousers sewn in the folk style were worn by August Strindberg, such clothes are becoming fashionable even among members of the government.
National Romanticism encourages people to explore the peasant costume. The fading folk culture inspires not only the artists Anders Zorn and Karl Larsson, famous singers from the province of Dalarna, but also many others. Folk movements are being created that are reviving old traditions: folk dance, music (spelman associations) and traditional clothing. Folk costumes are searched, studied (most of all in the same province of Dalarna). They are trying to reconstruct, on the basis of them the costumes of the regions are created. In 1912, a local association created a costume for the province of Norrbotten.
In 1902-03. the so-called common Swedish national costume is being created.

Sverigedrakt
The turn of the century for Sweden is not an easy time. National romanticism is the main trend in art, one of the main issues of which is the question of identity - “who are we?”. The breaking of the union with Norway in 1905 was perceived as a heavy blow, the question of national self-consciousness was again on the agenda.
Sverigedräkt was created as a common costume for the women of Sweden and Norway, which were part of the union at that time. The creator of this costume is Merta Jorgensen.
Märtha Jørgensen (Palme) (1874-1967) was the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur from Norrköping. In 1900, she becomes a gardener's apprentice and ends up in the royal residence of Tulgarn, in the province of Södermanland. In this castle, she saw Princess Victoria of Baden-Baden. The future queen tried to demonstrate belonging to the new national culture and wore folk-style costumes - variations of the costumes of the parishes of Wingoker and Esteroker, as well as variations of the traditional costume of the inhabitants of the island of Öland. The ladies of the court wore the same dresses. This was the inspiration for Merta Palme, the impetus for the creation of a women's national costume.
After her marriage, Merta Jorgensen moved to Falun, Dalarna Province, where she taught at the Seminary for Crafts (Seminariet för de husliga konsterna Falu). Already in 1901, she was looking for like-minded people in order to realize the main idea - to create a national costume and distribute it in wide circles. In 1902, Merta Jorgensen created the Swedish Women's National Costume Association (SVENSKA KVINNLIGA NATIONALDRÄKTSFÖRENINGEN). The first two statutes of the society come out in 1904. The task of the society was to reform clothing. In contrast to the French fashion, it was necessary to create a new dress, designed in accordance with the principles of practicality, hygiene, and, most importantly, the original “Swedishness”. The national costume, according to the founder of the society, was to replace the French dress. Members of the society had to instill the idea of ​​wearing a national costume in life by their own example. It was preferable to dress in the folk costume of the region. "Why shouldn't we be wearing our fine peasant costumes?" writes Martha Jorgensen.
The national costume was "designed" by Martha Jorgensen. Her idea was supported by the artists Carl Larsson and Gustav Ankakrona. His description is in her own article in the Idun newspaper. The skirt and bodice (lifstycke) had to be sewn from woolen fabric and be of blue "Swedish" color, a variant with a bright red bodice is also possible. The apron is yellow, together with the blue skirt it symbolizes the flag. The bodice is embroidered, which is a floral motif-stylization (probably motifs of folk costumes). The skirt could be of two types. Either a regular skirt at the waist, midjekjol, or livkjol (skirt and bodice are sewn, more like a sundress), characteristic of the costume of the Wingoker parish in Södermanland. However, according to the creator, "sverigedräkt is not a ruined copy of Wingoker's costume", but a completely new phenomenon. For the second option, you need a homespun belt with a silver clasp. Along the edge of the skirt there should be a piping of the same color with the bodice, 6 cm wide. The headdress should be white, the white shirt should be with a wide collar. Stockings - only black, shoes too.
It is known that the creator herself always wore only her own costume, and did this until her death in 1967. Members of the association wore costumes only on holidays. When the First World War began, interest in the project subsided. Martha Jorgensen continued to teach at the Crafts Seminary. Pupils sewed national costumes in the classroom. She even forced her daughters to go to school in national costumes, for which they were oppressed. After the death of their mother in 1967, the daughters stopped this practice, and the phenomenon of the “national costume” was forgotten.
It is interesting to note that in parallel with the Swedish national costume, the Norwegian national costume, bunad, was also created. Its creator is the Norwegian writer Hulda Garborg. The suit was designed in 1903 - even before the collapse of the Swedish-Norwegian union. It also symbolizes identity as well as anti-Swedish sentiment. Bunad is still popular today, and like the Swedish costume is a favorite holiday wear, especially on May 17 - Norway's Independence Day. According to sociologists, the national costume in Norway is even more popular than in Sweden. According to statistics, one third of Norwegians own a national costume, among the Swedes there are only six percent of them.

Revival sverigedräkt
In the mid-70s, a copy of the sverigedräkt was found in the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, donated by an unknown woman from Leksand. The Land newspaper announced a search for similar costumes, after which several more copies of 1903-05 were found. The organizer of this search was Bo Malmgren (Bo Skräddare). He also designed a version of this costume for men (until then, sverigedräkt was exclusively for women).
In connection with the change in attitude to national symbols in the 80-90s. In the twentieth century, interest in national and folk costumes is being revived. There are new models: children's, men's, women's. New accessories, such as raincoats, are added to the traditional national costume. Only the colors remain unchanged - yellow and blue.
The national costume is considered festive. It can be seen on Swedish princesses and beauty pageant winners. The costume is treated with pride. But the problem of using national symbols and identity does not go away. What is considered truly popular? Isn't propaganda of folk costume and flag Nazism? Is this correct for immigrants?
Last year, June 6 was declared a public holiday for the first time in Sweden, which was far from unambiguous. In Sweden, the midsummer holiday (Midsommaren) was perceived as a national holiday, but today the state can be said to “impose” a new date with such attributes as an anthem, a flag and a national costume. Thus, we can again argue that national symbols are an important tool in the construction of traditions associated with identity.

Until the late Middle Ages, an amazing variety of forms and colors of folk clothing was preserved in Norway. Almost every mountainous province, separated from others by ridges, had its own folk costume, different from others. In the late Middle Ages, a pan-European type of costume penetrated Norway, first to suburban and coastal areas, and then to mountain valleys.

As a whole complex, folk costume almost fell into disuse a century ago. But by the end of the last century, when a movement for the revival of Norwegian antiquities arose in the country, in particular, old local types of rural clothing appeared again - the so-called bunad (Bunad). These clothes, for women richly colored with embroideries, reflecting, however, the styles and tastes of the new time, have become modern festive rural clothing. Several types of men's folk clothing and up to 150 variants of women's clothing are common, and the distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bthese species covers the south and south-west of Norway and they are almost never found in areas north of Trondheim.

In southern Norway and the valley regions of Gydbrandsdal, short (knee-length) trousers, red sweaters, woolen stockings and thick leather shoes with buckles are worn as festive men's clothing in the summer.

In the mountainous regions of southwestern Norway, on holidays, men wear a suit that resembles a jumpsuit in appearance. These are long cloth trousers, reaching at the top to the chest and held on top by the shoulders. Underwear is worn under the overalls, over it is a shirt, most often white, with wide sleeves and narrow cuffs. A colored vest is worn over the shirt and overalls, usually red with black edging along the edges, with a turn-down collar, and a light, most often white, cloth jacket with a standing collar embroidered with red and green floral ornaments is put on it. The shoulder is also embroidered along the armhole. The entire jacket is hemmed with a red cloth strip along the edges. Probably, by virtue of tradition, in the cities, preschool children are dressed in colored overalls, and among teenagers, overalls are common as everyday attire.

Among the numerous forms of women's festive clothing now existing, two main types can be distinguished: a suit with a sundress and a suit with a skirt. However, the abundance of regional decorative features in each of these types diversifies the options for women's costumes so much that it can be considered that every county, sometimes even every valley in southern Norway has its own completely unique women's festive clothes.

The modern everyday clothes of the Norwegians differ little from the costumes of the townspeople of other countries of Western Europe. Norwegians, like all Scandinavians, much more than in other European countries, woolen products are common: knitted sweaters, jumpers, sweaters, socks, stockings, hats.

Workers, peasants and fishermen wear boots sewn with daggers made of cowhide or pigskin, which are usually not smeared with shoe polish, but soaked in fat. The same shoes are worn for skiing and hiking.

The fishing costume of fishermen and whalers is peculiar - a jacket and trousers made of goat or ram skin. Often, a linen impregnated with drying oil is used as a material for a fishing suit, and a tarpaulin is used for a hat. High boots are pulled on their feet, a round leather hat with wide brim is put on the head - the southwest. Under outerwear - woolen underwear and a sweater. In summer, women employed on the shore for cutting fish are widely used in fairly light clothing: shorts, an apron made of waterproof material, shoes or boots on their feet, often only a bra and a scarf on their heads on their upper body. In cool weather, the suit is complemented by trousers, a long-sleeved blouse and a waterproof jacket.

When working in the fields, the peasants cover their heads with a hat and do not wear a jacket or blouse, but put on a shirt tucked into trousers with suspenders over it. Women usually work in the field with uncovered heads, the dress is covered with aprons. On weekdays, outside working hours, the clothes of peasants differ little from the clothes of townspeople, especially workers, but more than in the city, they are complemented by knitted woolen products: vests, scarves, knitted or woven belts; women often wear bonnets, smart aprons with embroidery, ribbons or colored beads.

Food

On weekdays, Norwegians usually eat hot food twice a day: before and after work. Therefore, lunch is far from everywhere and is not always the main meal time. Peasants leaving for field work have their main meal in the morning. For fishermen who go to sea for the night and day, the main meal is before sailing.

In cities and fishing villages, lunch usually begins with meat broth, and in rural areas - with cereal, flour, potato, vegetable or fish soup.

Sweet fruit soups - plums, apples and pears - are often the third course of dinner. Milky rice soup is eaten as a celebratory dish.

One of the main places in the Norwegian menu is occupied by fish. Fish such as cod and herring are cheap and widely available. The most common fish dishes are boiled cod or salted herring with potato garnish, fried cod, flounder or halibut, boiled shrimp. Favorite national dish - clip-fix. This is cod, dried on the rocks, flattened and decapitated. It is taken on the road by fishermen, shepherds and peasants. They also eat smoked and dried fish. Expensive varieties of fish, in particular salmon, sturgeon, etc., are very rare on the table of the average Norwegian.

As a second course, in addition to fish, they eat meat dishes (roast, schnitzels) or cereals - barley, semolina, oatmeal. These are old traditional dishes. Wheat porridge with cream, the so-called fletegröt (fL0 tegr& t), known as one of the oldest Norwegian national dishes. It is common even today. Fletegret is a mandatory treat for peasants at a wedding, a ceremonial gift to a woman in labor, the main dish when treating neighbors for helping with the household.

Potato dishes are widely represented in food. It is eaten boiled and fried, as an independent dish or as a side dish. The most common Norwegian potato dish is mashed potatoes with milk. They also eat vegetables and beans.

Of the fats, creamy margarine is the most widely used. Butter workers and fishermen consume less. Pork fat is eaten salted with bread, potatoes and onions are fried on it, and soup is boiled.

Dairy products are widely represented in the diet. For a long time, the Norwegian table has been distinguished by a variety of hard boiled cheeses, cottage cheese, and feta cheese. Especially popular is the dark cream-colored sweet goat cheese. Most often, cheese is eaten with bread or a bun prepared in the form of a sandwich. The table of Norwegians, like other Scandinavians, is famous for the abundance of various sandwiches: with cheeses, boiled and smoked hams, butter, stewed or boiled meat, fish caviar, honey, molasses, jam, etc.

Favorite drink is coffee. It is drunk at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tea is less common. Of the intoxicating drinks, beer is common, which is brewed at home in rural areas. In the Middle Ages, an intoxicating drink made from honey, meth, was popular. Now it is sometimes drunk at weddings in rural areas.

Bread in urban areas and for fishing villages is baked in bakeries. This is sour rye or wheat-rye black bread, as well as white wheat bread. The peasants bake their own bread. Even at the end of the last century, they baked exclusively unleavened flat bread in the form of flat cakes, often with a hole in the middle - flatbred (flat bed). Flatbread dough was kneaded from rye or mixed rye-barley flour, sometimes with the addition of oatmeal or pea flour. Flatbred was baked for several months. They kept cakes in pantries strung on a pole or on a rope. Shepherds took such bread with them for seters, and peasants for field work. Nowadays, peasants, along with flatbread, bake both sour black and white hearth bread for several days. It is typical for both types of Norwegian bread - flatbread and hearth bread - to mix anise or cumin into the dough. Among Norwegians and even Norwegians, especially in cities, tobacco smoking is very common. Cigarettes are smoked, but pipes are popular among fishermen and peasants.