# Norwegian Saying on Those Old Jøtul Cast Stoves



## Big_Bill_Borg (Jan 1, 2006)

Years ago, when I last had a Jøtul, it had a lovely saying in Norwegian on it.  Apropos both a wood stove and life. 

Any chance someone who still has such a stove could provide the saying?  Norwegian version is preferred. 

Thanks – Big Bill


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## Mike Wilson (Jan 1, 2006)

If it is the Jotul Black Bear model, the wording that is cast into the front means, loosely translated:

"Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds, chased by one Norwegian."

A tighter translation yields the following:
"I built me a flame late one night. When day is done, God will my flame never die out."

-- Mike


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## Big_Bill_Borg (Jan 2, 2006)

I laughed out loud when I read that… As I recall, my father recited it as, 
‘Ten thousand Swedes 
Ran through the weeds
Chased by ten Norwegians.
And the dust from the weeds 
made snuse for the Swedes 
at the battle of Copenhagen.’ 

My Swedish bride has demonstrated for over 35 years that they just sent the wrong Swedes to Copenhagen. 

Could have sworn the quote translated as ‘banked the fire at the end of the day.’  Banking, of course, being that old skill we used to use to get the fire through the night. But my memories (& many other things) fade with age. 

Any chance you have a Jotul & can jot it down in Norwegian? If you don’t have the right letters, just give me ‘oo’ for the strange ‘o’ with a line through it, ‘ae’ for the ae-ligature combination, & ‘aa’ for the a with the small circle above it (sure that’s got a name too, but it’s another thing I’ve forgotten (even forgotten if I ever knew it)).  Then I can see if your translation is superb – which of course any good Norwegians would be. 

Thanks – Big Bill


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## Mike Wilson (Jan 2, 2006)

With pleasure:

Enkel å plassere med uttak for røykrør på toppen, bak og 
på begge sider

-- Mike


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## Big_Bill_Borg (Jan 2, 2006)

Well, I have no doubt that “Enkel å plassere med uttak for røykrør på toppen, bak og på begge sider” is written on your Jøtul cast iron stove. 

But that doesn’t translate as “I built me a flame late one night. When day is done, God will my flame never die out.” 

If my weak Norse serves me, I think it roughly translates as, “simply place with departure points for heat (literally smoke, but I think in this context heat) at the top, back and at both sides.” I suspect this is provided as good guidance to Norwegian installers to avoid burning down the house.  Good advice, too… 

Perhaps the newer Jøtuls don’t have such lovely quotes any longer. Ah well… 

I do appreciate your effort. A Thousand Thanks – Big Bill


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## Big_Bill_Borg (Jan 2, 2006)

But then I look up 'røykrør' and discover that it is a smoke pipe (probably what we'd call a flue).  So now I'm totaly confused about why on all sides - unless these are options with the Black Bear model. 

Amazing what one learns along the way.


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## begreen (Jan 2, 2006)

At least on the older models, I think what is cast into the front of the stove reads:
 EG GREV NED MIN ELD
  * SENT OM KVELD *
  NAAR DAGEN ER SLUT
  GUD GJE MIN ELD
  ALDER SLOKNA UT

The translation I got was:
_ I build my fire
  Late in the evening
  When the day is through.
  God ensure my fire
  Never blows out.
_
Is that close Big Bill?


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## Mike Wilson (Jan 2, 2006)

HAHAHAHAHAHA  I got hosed by the Squareheads over at Jotul's Web Page design department!

No, its not cast into my Jotul, so what I did was go on their US web site, and see where the English translation was on the page.  Then I opened up Jotul's Norwegian language web site, and in the exact same location was that quote...  Who knew I was copying the lines that read "insert stove pipe here you moron."

See for yourself:
Jotul's Web Page

Dammit Wabbit!

-- Mike


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## Big_Bill_Borg (Jan 2, 2006)

Excellent.  These are indeed the words I recalled.  

The translations “I built me a flame late one night. When day is done, God will my flame never die out” or 
“I build my fire 
Late in the evening 
When the day is through. 
God ensure my fire 
Never blows out.” 
are indeed very reasonable translations. 

I do suspect ‘grev ned’ (literally “hoe down”) is the English equivalent of banking the fire. Part of my view comes from the years of my youth, when I had the job of banking the furnace late in the evening (literally covering the coals with ashes to keep the fire buring slowly through the night). Properly done, the coals would burn slowly to keep the house warm (not 70F, but not freezing) all night. In the morning, while my father went out into the cold winter to the barn, I had a few minutes reprieve while I’d stir up the banked coals and add some kindling and heavier wood to quickly restore the fire. 

So I’d translate the poem as: 
"I bank my fire;
set for the evening
when day is done.  
God grant my fire 
never die out."

Appreciate very much your passing the Norwegain words on . After all these years (as I reach the age where I discover I'm banking my own fire) I discover in this poem another layer of meaning; not just the simple meaning which I ascribed to it as a lad. 

Thanks – Big Bill


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## Big_Bill_Borg (Jan 2, 2006)

Mike Wilson said:
			
		

> Who knew I was copying the lines that read "insert stove pipe here you moron."
> 
> See for yourself:
> Jotul's Web Page
> ...



Must confess I quite enjoyed this exchange; thanks!


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