Mikkjel Fønhus

Personal life

Mikkel Arnesen Fønhus was born on the family farm Nordre Fønhus in the valley of Valdres in Sør-Aurdal, Oppland, Norway to merchant Arne Mikkelsen Fønhus (1860–96) and Olava Olsdatter Storsveen (1867–1948). After six years of primary school he was sent to four years of middle school in Aurdalsbyen and to three years of secondary school in Oslo. He initially started studying law at the University of Oslo. He was married to teacher Helga Karlsgot from 1926, and to Margrethe Frøshaug from 1934.

Career

Fønhus made his literary debut with the novel Skoggangsmand in 1917, a story about an outlaw. His breakthrough came with the next book, Der Vildmarken suser (1919), inspired by Jack London's The Call of the Wild. His next books were Det skriker fra Kverrvilljuvet (1920) and Troll-Elgen (1921). These three books were all set in the wilderness, featuring animals and animal behavior. In 1922 he published a novel from Spitsbergen, Under polarlyset.

The stories of Fønhus also made frequent references to folk tales. Among his many qualities as a writer was his ability to develop the oral storytelling tradition. An example is the story "Ropet fra Helvetesjuvet" in the collection Raudalsdansen from 1924. In 1926 he wrote the novel Reinsbukken på Jotunfjell, in 1927 the collection Vandringen mot nord, and in 1929 Skogenes eventyrer, stories about a fox. He wrote stories about animals such as beaver, marten, wolves and lynx. He wrote about birds such as goose and eagle owl.

Fønhus concentrated in about writing about life in nature itself. His books sold well and with the growing ecology movement, Mikkjel Fønhus appeared as a pioneer in the fight for preserving nature. He published 43 books on these themes during his life. Another 34 were published after his death. He work has been translated into Swedish, Danish, Finnish, German, French, English, Dutch, Czech and Polish. There is an exhibit of his work at Bagn Bygdesamling, a small museum located in Sør-Aurdal, Norway.

Awards