Anne Godlid

Who is Anne Godlid?

Anne Godlid, born ca. 1773 and died November 4, 1863, was a well known Norwegian storyteller from the county of Telemark. She was a valuable source for collectors like Jørgen Moe and Magnus Brostrup Landstad. The folklorist Rikard Berge wrote of her: "She carried with her one of the greatest treasures of old folklore found in one single person. Therefore, her name is worth remembering."

Anne came from a line of storytellers in Seljord. She grew up with at least three siblings, one of whom went to sea. This brother, Nerid, was believed to have drowned near the coast of China. From him, Anne inherited a binocular, and some stories. In her younger years, Anne served at several farms, and learned a lot of stories and songs wherever she went. The story goes that she was hard to scare, and at some point she was nearly killed by an angry she-bear. She had also a great constitution, and was hardly sick during her long life.

Anne was not pretty, and on her older days, she was "one of the ugliest creatures one could see". She was small, but coarse with a big nose. Her hair was cut short like a mohawk. But she got married eventually, to Jørn Øvsttveiten.