Sheds light on shadowed century – Dagsavisen
By: Veronica Karlsen
And it is precisely this century of trials that the author Atle Næss has chosen to bring out from the shadows with the book “The Forgotten Century”. Stories from the 17th century».
– In a European context, it was a lot in the 17th century. It is, in a way, the basis for «the modern age» in the field of science, with names like Galileo and Newton, but also with the start of real world trade, says Næss. He adds that here at home we have tended to regard this time as fairly uneventful, a small “forgotten” period between the Reformation and the events leading up to 1814.
But when Næss discovered the Norwegian Frederik Bolling, who traveled to present-day Indonesia and China, he wanted to dig more. It was the start of the non-fiction book which is now published by Gyldendal. Here the author highlights real stories and individual destinies – so that we can almost smell and feel this foreign world.
If I were to choose one group of individual destinies, it would have to be the women who were burned as witches in Rygge in Østfold in the 1620s. Here, the court documents give a clear – and cruel! – picture of what happened.
— Author Atle Næss on what about the book has made the most impression
Among the things he conjures up for our inner eye is the story of a woman accused of being in league with the devil after killing her husband with an axe. A local priest suffered anguish when he had to bury many of the parish’s dead after the plague, and did not manage to enter them into the church register. And of course we get to learn more about said Bolling; a pengelen’s student who enlisted for service in the East. He came back broke – but with adventurous stories in the ship’s chest.
[ – Peer Gynt kunne like gjerne vært en kvinne i 2022, eller homofil, eller muslim for den saks skyld (+) ]
Very alive
Næss was embarking on his historic “walk” when the pandemic came and made the book process more difficult, among other things in the form of a travel ban.
– This resulted in a good deal of correspondence with museums and professionals instead. In addition, there have been many orders for foreign non-fiction. Fortunately, many important sources are now digitally available, and both my library in Ski and the library have helped, says the author – as a local, he has been greeted with great goodwill everywhere he has turned in a 17th-century essence.
And then what he hoped for most happened. Stories emerged from dusty documents and old records. With a background as a novelist, he has no problems seeing both people and events.
– If I were to choose one group of individual destinies, it would have to be the women who were burned as witches in Rygge in Østfold in the 1620s. Here, the court documents give a clear – and cruel! – image of what happened, he says to the question of what has made the most impression.
It is not by chance that he landed on the non-fiction genre, although it was probably stories here that could have become captivating novel material.
– These stories are so exciting in themselves that it is a known mistake to dictate the fate of people who have actually lived, he states.
[ Heidi Gjermundsen Broch: – Tenk så heldig jeg er; som faktisk får applaus når jeg har gjort mitt beste (+) ]
Created hope
The time Næss describes was a time with a very strong belief in God. One can easily wonder if the difficult religious conviction was just a nuisance.
– Good question! Religion was undoubtedly an important instrument for controlling individuals, and we probably perceive it as oppressive. But we must also remember that religious education led to quite widespread literacy – and not least that religion, after all, raises a heaven and a hope over an existence which for many was characterized by poverty and hardship, says the author.
He also sees that there was greater mobility among the population at this time than we might imagine.
– Naturally, most stayed in the area where they were born, but shipping was about to cease, so many Norwegians got out into the world. As the historian Sølvi Sogner has shown, it was also an astonishingly large number of young women who left, especially to the Netherlands. Men who wanted to study had to go to Copenhagen, but some also went on to other European universities.
If Næss had a time machine, it is precisely the 17th century he would visit, he says. But he is prepared that it would not just be joy and prosperity that met him.
– The biggest challenges of being human in the 17th century were, for most, the daily struggle to get by, get food, survive the disease and avoid accidents and war, he says. And tells that although the differences may seem great, there are also similarities with this era and our own time.
– One can think of the media development as the spread of the art of printing; perhaps as significant as our digital revolution when it came to spreading information – and lies! Or the tension between the center, which was then Copenhagen and the king, and the periphery, a political reality to this day, sees the author for NTB.
[ – Hvis man har store fordommer mot andre mennesker, betyr det gjerne at man kan veldig lite om dem (+) ]