Nattefrieri 01


Who's heard of that? The Night Proposal, a Norwegian courting custom that, according to an article by Mona Beate Vattekar published by the Telemark Museum, stretched from recent antiquity back to the Middle Ages or even beyond. 

In "The Olden Times" contact between the genders was highly restricted. At social gatherings the males, of all ages, stayed on one side of the room and the females stayed on the other. About the only way for boys and girls to get to know one another was the Nattefreieri, which only occurred on Saturday evening. 

The boy would ask permission to visit the girl. This visit would occur with the two in bed fully clothed. Often the girl's sisters or friends would be present, depending on the stage of the relationship, which apparently ran through "feste" (party), "kjæreste" (girlfriend or suitor), and "frieri" (engagement)" accompanied by appropriate gifts prominent among which are spoons.

To prevent this from getting much too long (too late, I know), I'll continue this in another post.

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