Gunnar Olavsson Helland

Who was Gunnar Olavsson Helland?

Gunnar Olavsson Helland, was a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle maker from [Bø] in Telemark, Norway.

Gunnar Olavsson Haugen came from a family of woodcarvers. He married the twin sister of Knut Eriksson Helland, Gunnhild, in 1871 and moved to Helland at that time. Shortly after, he began learning the art of making violins from his brother-in-law.

When Knut died in 1880, Gunnar took over both the farm and the fiddle workshop and took the name Helland as his family name. He had the farm for 26 years and then bought the far bigger farm below the church in Bø and called it Helland, now "Hellandtunet", a trade and research center.

He became a great violin maker and won prizes and medals both in Norway and abroad.