Anne Godlid

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Anne Godlid, born ca. 1773 and died November 4, 1872, 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."

Jørgen Moe found her during the harvest late 1842, while he was still seeking for employment. She was getting the hay indoors, and Moe had to help her to get to her. When the work was done, she told him stories and fairy-tales, and he wrote them down. But he was not thorough enough, and got only four or five stories dowm. One of them was The Master Maid. Many of her stories were long and elaborate, and Moe did´nt manage many that night, and had to move on. They never met again.

From Anne, about hundred stories are written down. There is an amount of uncertainty about her actual knowledge, but it was known to be very great. She had a fabolous memory, Landstad recorded after meeting her. Some ballads and songs are also written down from her memory, and she gave many stories on to her grandson, the storyteller and fiddler Olav Tjønnstaul.