Anderson, E.L. Six Weeks in Norway. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke and Co., 1877. 80 pages.

Six Weeks in Norway is written by Edward Lowell Anderson, an upper class 33 year old American, whose intellectual writings span from Northern Europe to his expert advice on horses. Other books by Anderson also include Northern Ballads, Riding, and Modern Horsemanship: Three Schools of Riding.

It could be suggested that Anderson’s purpose for the trip could have been the purchase of Norwegian horses due to several descriptive comments made throughout the book Ex. “Seldom rises fourteen hands in height; must be of some shade of dun, with a black stripe leading from his forehead down his back to the end of his tail. The legs are either black or barred with black. This animal has great endurance, a perfect temper, and will fatten on food that would scarcely nourish a rabbit.” (Pg.25)

The fairly young and successful Anderson and his wife travel the Norwegian landscape during the summer of 1875. Traveling mostly by carriage along rivers, and a short ship ride to Bergen. The couple spent six weeks traveling, leaving from the southern trading town of Christiania in a west-bound, counter-clockwise loop that eventually lead them to the “old fashioned look”(Pg.58) of Bergen.       

His accounts include: phenomenal mountain landscapes, with short references to historic tales of Kings and Popes, the tasting of native foods, such as beer, the “finest quality” (Pg.23) of fish, cheese and prepared meats and descriptions of garments, traditions and “fat, cheery, blue-eyed cherubs. They grow up into handsome men and sturdy women.” (Pg.37)

The reading is easy and descriptions of “a country that is little better than a range of rocky mountains.” (Pg.74) can be well visualized. The book mainly covers observation of landscape, places and the people of Norway. It does not address other parts of Scandinavia or the Baltic region.

(AYB 2006)