Who is Nora – Huldra from the fjords?
If you have browsed Memories from Norway at all, or looked at our menu above, you will have noticed that we mention Nora – Huldra from the fjords as one of our own collections.
If you have come across the Nora collection on our Instagram account, or in other photos we have shared, you have probably made the assumption that this is a family and children's collection.
You would be right, but Nora is also so much more!
So, who is Nora? Let's dive in!
Nora – Huldra from the fjords
As you have understood, the Nora collection is one of our own collections here at Memories from Norway. The collection consists of books, clothes, toys and more – mainly for children and families.
The collection is inspired by Nora, who is a hulder living here in western Norway. But what does that mean?
Who are the hulder people?
The hulder people exist in Norwegian (and especially western Norwegian) folklore. Through the centuries, fairytales and stories about these mythological creatures have been passed down by generations.
Chances are you have heard of the trolls. In western Norway, the hulder people are just as prominent throughout our folklore!
These mythological people live underground or (usually) inside the mountains. They are very wealthy, and have a special way with animals.
It is believed that the only way to tell that a hulder isn't human, is from the fact that they have a cow's tail.
In the olden days, when using summer farms in the mountains was a common way of managing a farm by the fjords (many farmers still utilise their summer farms), people believed that the hulder people lived on the summer farms in the winter.
Therefore, they would sing loudly when arriving back to the summer farm with their animals, to give the hulder people plenty of warning and time to move out.
People believed the hulder people had the power to make their animals sick, or make them healthy.
So in short, the hulder people were an important part of Norwegian farming culture back in the day, and still exist in our folklore today.
Nora and her Friends
The story of Nora was written and designed in Flåm, western Norway – as a way to make these beautiful hulder stories available to people and children from all over the world.
In this fairytale, we are introduced to Nora – in her red dress and with her cow's tail. She is a playful, young hulder living in a landscape similar to that found around us in Flåm (where we are based).
Nora is kind, curious and loves nature and the scenery around her. She is caring and loyal, and in the book we learn the story of how she meets her best friends: Lyng, Tytte, Fjord, Fjell and Foss.
All of her friends are named after things found in Norwegian nature.
Lyng is a little bee, Tytte is a sweet lamb, Fjord is a curious goat kid, and Foss and Fjell are both older goats with lots to share.
Each of the five have their own unique personalities and qualities, and anyone reading the book will quickly find their favourite.
Of course, Nora also meets them all in a different way, and by the end of the book, you will see just how close these friends become.
Lessons from Nora
The values portrayed in the story of Nora are friendship, kindness and care for the environment and nature around us. Exploration, openmindedness and curiousity are also words that come to mind when reading.
These are often traits found in travelers, and since we know many of you discover the hulder people and Nora during your visit to Flåm and the fjords, we think it's a great fit.
These are all values we at Memories from Norway put highly – and we hope the story of Nora inspires children all over the world to channel our curious hulder.
Shop the Nora Collection:
