The Norwegian Fjords

GER FJORD

of communication, it being so easy of access

e traveller may arrange his journey so as to include a variety of overland routes, posting by "

and to convey travellers at a reasonable and fixed rate of payment, and posting-stations in connection wi

en to Vossevangen, by which the Hardanger and

ce, especially after several days on the steamer, and this gives as good an ex

ik by

se deep shadow the sure-footed pony plunges, to emerge into the warm and dazzling sunshine. We drive by the craggy margin of a series of wild mountain tarns, whose surface is still as Dian's looking-glass, and in whose depths are reflected the craggs, the silver birches and pines, so perfectly that

Hardang

a crisp leaf as it falls from the graceful silver birch near by, which stands-singly of its kind-a striking contrast to its more

ly we are confronted by an awful abyss, enclosed by an amphitheatre of huge perpendicular mountain buttresses, while near at hand, and from j

uds of spray, over a bridge near the foot of the waterfall. Down the steep valley we pursue our way and

ntinue our journey uphill again for several miles, on the road to Ulvik. The steep m

ins. The road in descending approaches in several places the very brink of a deep and narrow gorge, from whose hid

ottages in their orchards. Across the winding fjord rise range after range of snow-topped mountains, forming a panorama as fair as one could wish to

ord, a few miles from Odde. This place has the reputation of being the fruit-garden

g line along the graceful mountain masses. Near at hand stands the medieval church on a green promontory,

, the picture is of exceptional beauty, the wealth of blossom contrasting ef

district by Lars Kinservik. Here he may yet be seen busy at work, assisted by a number of chosen carvers, and surrounded by cleverly designed and skilfully execute

of woo

this district it has spread to ?stens? and many other places in Hardanger, and from Vosse

the days of the Vikings, who carved in bold design the figure-heads which ornamented their warships. But the most inter

usually composed of ribbon festoon, with grotesque figures of animals and snakes. Th

ed with dragons and other winged monsters in bold spiral design up the massive door portals. Figure subjects inspired by the sagas appear to have been in great de

Hardang

s' houses were similarly ornamented, and this decorative art was followe

troduction from the North German States of the Frisian patterns. These are in low relie

ion of the peasantry they are treasured as heirlooms, along with ho

try-w

wood-carving, and this ancient art is still a favourite occupation of the

ointing to the fact that even in those very remote t

bjects and by the moisture from turfy soil. Woollen stuffs as well as linen were used, even in the Bronze Age, and the woven patterns were a

d. Coloured embroidery from medieval times is extremely effective, and displays skill and ability of a highly

and it is still to be found in the districts most noted for this

results. His designs are based on the old Norwegian fairy-tales and folk-lore. They are grotesquely fanciful and highly imaginative, bold and harmonious in

in the art of making the violin, and their skill in th

rdange

, the other parts being richly ornamented by carvings and inlaid with ivory and mother-o'-pearl. There are four strings ov

they improvise their musical impressions of Nature's sounds, such as "Twilight

ncholy, which may be attributed, no doubt, to the isolated and solitary lives o

Fj

almost inaccessible places, where the voices of Nature-the sighing of the wind among the

erf

and the murmur of them may be in your ears during many days of travelling.

warm and still air is palpitant with the music of countless waterfalls. Some, appearing to shoot from the sky over high perpendicular crag

some of the finest waterfalls in the country. One of them in particular-the Skj?ggedalsfos, or, m

nt fall about the end of

nd pine, and winding up the rough, craggy, and bosky valley of Skj?ggedal, it approaches in places quite abruptly the very brink of the deep dark gorge where thu

e driving a herd of goats before them. The man had several young kids in a covered baske

had for my companions de voyage the peasants and their goats, these of themselves being quite as much as the boat coul

s of a bear making her way with two cubs over the Hardanger-vidde in the direction of Ringdalsvand (lake), our destin

lue knee-breeches, with stockings of undyed wool, red shirt-sleeves, and wideawake hat of grey felt. A number of old silver coins, used as buttons in a double row, decorated his brown wa

a light breeze, which gave to the lake an intense blue colour reflected from, the sky. On every side were towering cliffs and snow-topped mountains, whose steep bases were clothed

sfos, Hard

mense volumes of spray to a considerable distance; while on the gauzy vapour, which rises up from huge cauldrons at its foot, the arc of a brilliant rainbow is formed in the sunshine of mid-day. The very earth around seems to vibrate thro

ed by the fine spray which filled the air, my guide jo

owing, until, passing along the base of a huge crag, a

into this Ringdalsvand. These beautiful falls are not so imposing as those we have just left, but they are very picturesque. They plunge down some

tefos, and Espelandsfos; each one of these has quite a distinct cha

nd granite, has been the means of forming the deep, narrow ca?ons and fjords, and, in conjunction with movin

ac

just as Greenland and Spitzbergen are at the present day. Remnants of these snow-fields and glaciers still r

0 feet to 5,000 feet above sea-level. It is from thirty-six to forty English miles in length, and from nine to sixteen miles in width. From this great snow-fie

m the high land which lies between Roldal and Seljestad on the east side, and fro

reat breadth between the rocky cliffs, that rise higher and higher the farther w

tom, that a cross-section is almost in form like a trough, with more or less sloping sides, whose height is small compared with the breadth of the trough; but, as the fj

form

those countries that have once been covered by inland ice, nor is there any othe

Norwegian fjord landscape might, therefore, quite easily be mistaken for a scene

from the upper valleys. These valleys, too, have everywhere acquired the same peculi

udinal section. Each glacier works according to its own power, without being associated very closely in

ape of the side valley opens out far up the slope of the side-wall of the main va

if they had excavated to exactly the same depth; there are, therefore, continual ledg

where the rivers have had to make their own regular lines

acier, Har

rs are therefore short, although in many places the volume of water is comparatively large, owing to the heavy rainfall and, in spring and early summer, to the quickly-melting snow. Thus the

s there exists in some places a corresponding series of lakes, or lak

ial

too, are rock basins of the typical fjord form filled with river-water, answerin

lacial period, when the extremities of the glaciers only extended to the above-mentioned series of lakes at the heads of the fjords, the higher mountain-tops-a

manner. Their surface is frequently broken up into loose fragments, and we find at their base lo

dges and peaks. These corries can only be developed above the snow limit, and outside the greater region of inland ice, or in among the rocky peaks a