My great grandfather, Carl Andersen, started his career as a junior seaman just after his confirmation at age 15. Born in 1856, Carl needed a livelihood because he was the youngest son and would not inherit land. His first voyage out of his hometown of Grimstad was in 1871. In the past, some men in the Andersen family owned or sailed on ships. His father, Anders Kittelsen, had been a ship’s...
The Legend of The Knight’s Leap (Ridderspranget)
The love story of Erling fra Kvie and Ragnild Skarvangssola is the origin of the legend of The Knight’s Leap, called “Ridderspranget” in Norwegian. The “leap” was across a dramatic gorge in the Sjoa River. The site is now a famous visitors’ spot in Jotunheimen National Park in Norway. The knight (ridder) Erling (Viljalmsson) belonged to the noble family of Kviden in the Vang (Vaga) region of the...
Erik the Red’s Brattahild Kin VK184
It’s a thrill when a DNA discovery matches a family story. A few years ago, I was swapping memories with my cousin, Donna, when she mentioned that her dad told her that we were descended from Eric the Red. It was one of the stories his grandfather, Carl Andersen, told him when he was a boy. Several years ago I had my DNA analyzed by 23andMe. In 2024 they introduced “Historical Matches,” a premium...
Asa Haraldsdottir of Agder
Asa Haraldsdottir of Agder was a legendary Norwegian queen of the petty kingdom of Agder. Asa was the daughter of King Harald Granraude of Agder. She was born in the 8th century and died around 834 CE. She is reputed to be the woman buried in the famous Oseberg ship. The ship was discovered in a burial mound near Tonsberg, Norway, in August 1903. It was excavated in 1904-1905. According to the...
Lussi Long-Night (“Langnatt”)
The folklore surrounding December 13th has held a special place in Norway since the Viking Age. It was thought to be the longest night of the year and the beginning of the Yule season. It was a dangerous night, since it was ruled by a female spirit, a vette or vaettir, called Lussi (“Light”). She was the mother or leader of the vettir (spirits) and other Huldrefolk (supernatural beings), and kin...
Florence M. Anderson
Florence Marie Anderson was born on November 14, 1920 in Elizabeth, NJ. She was the second child and oldest daughter of Anna Louise Paloske and Clarence Anderson. Florence was very petite, 4’11”. She had a beautiful smile. Aunt Florence, “Flo” enjoyed hooking rugs and country dancing. She married Churchill “Buddy” Thompson who was also from Elizabeth. He was the son of Edith Leach...
Clarence Anderson (1894-1953)
The story of Clarence Anderson’s life is filled with holes, gaps, and questions. His parents were both dead before my mom and her brothers and sisters were old enough to ask or remember their stories. A vindictive in-law, Anne Finlan, disliked the Andersens intensely (why?) and destroyed boxes of papers and keepsakes when Karl Andersen died in 1930. Those papers–letters, documents, photos...
Carl Anderson (1856-1930)
Reading over documents and written family stories, I have seen an evolution in the spelling of Carl Anderson’s name: Karl Andersen (Norway), Carl Andersen (1901) and Carl Anderson (1930). I don’t know why he changed the spelling of his name. My Uncle, Ernest Andersen, thought it may have been to “Americanize” it. In its wake, some of Karl’s grandchildren go by “Anderson” and others “Andersen...
The Family Farm Hurv to the Andersen Family in Froland, Norway
The Hurv farm was in Froland, a municipality about 10 miles north of Grimstad. It borders Grimstad and Arendal in Aust Agder county. In 1968, family members still lived on the farm. It is spelled Fróðaland (“Froo’s (farm) land”) in Old Norse. Grimstad is a coastal town in southern Norway. According to Odd Ronning Andersen, a cousin I corresponded with in 1968/1969, Norwegians used their farm...
Mom and Dad’s Burial
Three years ago this week, on June 14, 2018, we buried Mom and Dad in Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey. Both my parents had originally been cremated, but my sister, Sharon, and I decided to bring them back home to New Jersey for burial. Mom and Dad both grew up, met, married, and started a family in Elizabeth, a town about five miles away. There is a special closure in coming...