The Saga Column at Elveseter Culture & Art Hotel, Bøverdalen, 24 km south of Lom. The sculptor Willhelm Rasmussen (1879-1965) started the work on this sculpture in 1925, but for financial reasons it was interrupted shortly before World War II. It was then called 'the Eidsvoll Column' and was intended to be the National Monument to be raised in front of the Parliament Building. It depicts scenes from the Norwegian history from the Viking age till the Eidsvoll Constitution Assembly in 1814. On its top is the first King of Norway, Harald the Fairhead on horse. Unfortunately Willhelm Rasmussen joined the Nazi party before the war and supported the Nazis during the war. The style of the sculpture also coincided with Nazi preferences and propaganda during the war (he even created a similar, but much smaller, explicitly Nazi monument in Stiklestad, which was torn down and buried immediately after the war). Therefore the Parliament decided that it must never be raised. However, Aasmund Elveseter, an art lover (who actually fought the Nazis during the war) had the column completed. In 1992 it was erected 'in the middle of nowhere' – at his hotel – as the Saga Column. (Two other works by Willhelm Rasmussen are shown on this site: The statue of Olaf Tryggvason on the Trondheim town square and the fountain group in the Ila Park in the same town.)

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The column seen from the south

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The Saga Column seen from across the river. When Aasmund Elveseter took over, only the lower half had been chiselled in cyanite. But the gypsum models existed, and the upper part could be cast in concrete. That of course resulted in a somewhat different colour, as can be seen on this photograph. The total height of the column is 40 metres above the rock fundament and 34 metres above the ground.

(2008-09-13)

Details

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The column seen from the hotel

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The Elveseter Culture & Art Hotel, Bøverdalen, 24 km south of Lom. (Actually, the hotel is situated in Leirdalen. Two kilometres north of Elveseter the main road leaves Bøverdalen and continues southwards for about 12 kilometres through Leirdalen. But the postal address is 2687 Bøverdalen.) Inside the hotel you'll find a large and varied collection of art items.

(2008-09-13)