Agnar Mykle
Encyclopedia
Agnar Mykle was a Norwegian
author. He became one of the most controversial figures in Norwegian literature
in the 20th century.
, Mykle was often sick as a child. His sickness forced him to stay indoors for most of his childhood. Mykle got a business education from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in Bergen
where he excelled in his studies. He had attended mercantile high school in Trondheim (Handelsgymnasiet) from which he graduated in 1935. Soon after this he was offered a job as an assistant at his old school. After working diligently, he was offered a job as a principal at a similar school in Kirkenes
.
. He wrote scripts for their election campaign films and plays for amateur theatre groups associated with the labour movement. Mykle debuted as an author in 1948 with Taustigen, a collection of short stories. Other short story collections included Jeg er like glad, sa gutten (1952), Kors på halsen (1958) and Largo (1967). His novel Tyven, tyven skal du hete (published in English as The Hotel Room) was written in (1951). His two subsequent novels, Lasso rundt fru Luna (published in English as Lasso Around The Moon) (1954) and Sangen om den røde rubin (The Song of the Red Ruby) (1956) have strong autobiographical tendencies and are regarded as cornerstones in Norwegian literature. His last published novel was Rubicon (1965), originally thought of as a sequel to the previous two, finishing to the tale about Ask Burlefot.
Three collections of his non-fiction writing were published post-humously in 1997 and 1998, Mannen fra Atlantis, En flodhest på parnasset and Alter og disk.
were accused of writing and publishing immoral and obscene material. Mykle's defense attorney was Johan Bernhard Hjort. Mykle and Grieg were both acquitted, but the remaining copies of the book were ordered withdrawn from the market. The Norwegian Supreme Court overturned the ruling on the confiscation in 1958. The court case and the pressure caused by the media attention changed Mykle for the rest of his life, and he became a recluse. No photographs were published of him after 1957 and he chose to associate almost exclusively with friends and family. In the autumn of 1993, however, Mykle had a series of conversations with Nils Kåre Jacobsen, an employee at Mykle's publishing house, Gyldendal
. These talks were later turned into the book Mine bøker er musikk: møter med Agnar Mykle ( - My books are music: meetings with Agnar Mykle)
, and they were as eloquently written as most of his literature output.
, and with his wife Jane he published a book about puppet theatre, Dukketeater, considered the most important book written about the subject in Norway.
in Trondheim, and Mykle was particularly taken with marches and other band music. His favourite composer of marches was Kenneth Alford
.
In 1994 the pop band Tre Små Kinesere
from Trondheim released what became an instant hit single, a tribute to Agnar Mykle titled "Agnar Mykle".
Almost ten books have been published in Norway about Mykle and his authorship.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
author. He became one of the most controversial figures in Norwegian literature
Norwegian literature
Norwegian literature is literature composed in Norway or by Norwegian people. The history of Norwegian literature starts with the pagan Eddaic poems and skaldic verse of the 9th and 10th centuries with poets such as Bragi Boddason and Eyvindr Skáldaspillir...
in the 20th century.
Early life
Born in Norway's third largest city TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Mykle was often sick as a child. His sickness forced him to stay indoors for most of his childhood. Mykle got a business education from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
where he excelled in his studies. He had attended mercantile high school in Trondheim (Handelsgymnasiet) from which he graduated in 1935. Soon after this he was offered a job as an assistant at his old school. After working diligently, he was offered a job as a principal at a similar school in Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
.
Literary career
In the 1940s Mykle was active as journalist and writer in the Norwegian labour movementLabour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
. He wrote scripts for their election campaign films and plays for amateur theatre groups associated with the labour movement. Mykle debuted as an author in 1948 with Taustigen, a collection of short stories. Other short story collections included Jeg er like glad, sa gutten (1952), Kors på halsen (1958) and Largo (1967). His novel Tyven, tyven skal du hete (published in English as The Hotel Room) was written in (1951). His two subsequent novels, Lasso rundt fru Luna (published in English as Lasso Around The Moon) (1954) and Sangen om den røde rubin (The Song of the Red Ruby) (1956) have strong autobiographical tendencies and are regarded as cornerstones in Norwegian literature. His last published novel was Rubicon (1965), originally thought of as a sequel to the previous two, finishing to the tale about Ask Burlefot.
Three collections of his non-fiction writing were published post-humously in 1997 and 1998, Mannen fra Atlantis, En flodhest på parnasset and Alter og disk.
Red Ruby controversy
The publication of The Song of the Red Ruby in 1957 ignited what became one of the most famous court cases in Norwegian history. Mykle and his publisher Harald GriegHarald Grieg
Harald Grieg was a Norwegian publisher.He was a relative of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Harald's brother Nordahl Grieg was a writer and an active member of the Free Norwegian Forces during the German occupation of Norway...
were accused of writing and publishing immoral and obscene material. Mykle's defense attorney was Johan Bernhard Hjort. Mykle and Grieg were both acquitted, but the remaining copies of the book were ordered withdrawn from the market. The Norwegian Supreme Court overturned the ruling on the confiscation in 1958. The court case and the pressure caused by the media attention changed Mykle for the rest of his life, and he became a recluse. No photographs were published of him after 1957 and he chose to associate almost exclusively with friends and family. In the autumn of 1993, however, Mykle had a series of conversations with Nils Kåre Jacobsen, an employee at Mykle's publishing house, Gyldendal
Gyldendal
Gyldendal may refer to:*Gyldendal, a Danish publishing house*Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, a Norwegian publishing house founded as a demerger from the Danish one*Søren Gyldendal, the founder of the Danish publishing house...
. These talks were later turned into the book Mine bøker er musikk: møter med Agnar Mykle ( - My books are music: meetings with Agnar Mykle)
Financial difficulties
The translations of The Song of the Red Ruby gathered tremendous attention outside of Norway, especially in the USA. Huge sales followed, but Mykle nevertheless had financial difficulties for the rest of his life. His letter exchanges with the Norwegian inland revenue were published in the Norwegian newspaper DagbladetDagbladet
Dagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
, and they were as eloquently written as most of his literature output.
Puppet theatre activity
His passions included the puppet theatre, both as a director and puppeteerPuppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
, and with his wife Jane he published a book about puppet theatre, Dukketeater, considered the most important book written about the subject in Norway.
Musical interests
Mykle also had an avid interest in music all his life. His father played in a marching bandMarching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
in Trondheim, and Mykle was particularly taken with marches and other band music. His favourite composer of marches was Kenneth Alford
Kenneth Alford
Frederick Joseph Ricketts was a British composer of marches for band. Using the pen name Kenneth J. Alford, his marches are considered to be great examples of the art...
.
Derived works
In 1970, Annelise Meineche directed a film entitled Sangen om den Røde Rubin, but the plot greatly compresses (with significant alterations) both Lasso rundt Fru Luna and Sangen om den Røde Rubin. The film did not meet with Mykle's approval.Impact of his work on Norwegian society
As an author, Mykle brought passion, love of beauty and the longing for closeness to Norwegian literature. His books appealed to men and women alike, but men particularly found in his writing the verbalization of their own longings and urges. It is safe to say the Mykle's books influenced the change in sexual attitudes in Scandinavia throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He hated publishers, puritanism and pompousness.In 1994 the pop band Tre Små Kinesere
Tre Små Kinesere
Tre Små Kinesere are a pop group based in Trondheim, Norway which, since their beginning in the 1990s, defined their own acoustic style. They recorded nine albums between then and 2004 Comeback in 2010...
from Trondheim released what became an instant hit single, a tribute to Agnar Mykle titled "Agnar Mykle".
Almost ten books have been published in Norway about Mykle and his authorship.
Sources
- Eystein EggenEystein EggenEystein Eggen was a Norwegian writer.As a novelist Eggen made his debut with a story built on the life and death of general Carl Gustav Fleischer, the Norwegian commander in chief at Narvik 1940. Besides a portrait of the writer Agnar Mykle, his late father-in-law, Eggen has written novels with...
: Agnar Mykle – en dikterskjebne (1994) - Anders HegerAnders HegerAnders Heger is a Norwegian publisher and writer, and is one of the six children of Wanda Hjort Heger and Bjørn Heger.In 1982, Heger started Radio Nova, the first student radio in Norway...
: Mykle, et diktet liv (1999)