''The Pretenders'' (original

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

title: ''Kongs-Emnerne'') is a dramatic

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.

Play overview

''The Pretenders'' was written in bursts during 1863, but Ibsen claimed to have had sources and the idea in 1858. It is a five-act play in prose set in the thirteenth century. The play opened at the old

Christiania Theatre Christiania Theatre, or ''Kristiania Theatre'', was Norway's finest stage for spoken drama from 4 October 1836 (opening date) to 1 September 1899. It was located at Bankplassen by the Akershus Fortress, in central Christiania. It was the fir ...

on 19 January 1864. The plot revolves around the historical conflict between Norwegian King Håkon Håkonsson and his father-in-law, Earl

Skule Bårdsson Skule Bårdsson or Duke Skule ( Norwegian: Hertug Skule) (Old Norse: Skúli Bárðarson) ( – 24 May 1240) was a Norwegian nobleman and claimant to the royal throne against his son-in-law, King Haakon Haakonsson. Henrik Ibsen's play '' Kongs ...

. It has been commonly ascribed to the rivalry between Ibsen and

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson ( , ; 8 December 1832 – 26 April 1910) was a Norwegian writer who received the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguishe ...

, who had succeeded Ibsen as director of the Norske Theater in 1857.

List of characters

* Håkon Håkonsson, King-elect of Norway * Inga of Varteig, Håkon's mother * Earl Skule Bårdsson, Norwegian nobleman and future father-in-law of Håkon * Lady Ragnhild, Skule's wife * Sigrid, Skule's sister * Margaret, Skule's daughter and Håkon's future wife * Guthorm Ingesson * Sigurd Ribbung * Nikolas Arnesson, Bishop of Oslo * Dagfinn the Peasant, Håkon's Marshal * Ivar Bodde, Haakon's Chaplain * Vegard Vaeradal, one of his bodyguard * Gregorius Jonsson, a nobleman * Paul Flida, a nobleman * Ingebjorg, wife of Anders Skialdarband * Peter, her son, a young priest * Sira Viljam, house chaplain to Bishop Nikolas * Master Sigard of Brabant, a physician * Jatgeir, an Icelandic poet * Baard Bratte, a chieftain from near Trondheim

Historic background

Håkon Håkonsson reigned as king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. In the earlier part of the reign of King Håkon, much of the royal power was in the hands of Skule Bårdsson. In 1225, Håkon married Skule's daughter Margaret Skulesdatter. The relationship between the two became strained as Håkon asserted his power. In 1239, the conflict between the two erupted into open warfare when Skule had himself proclaimed king. The rebellion ended in 1240 when Skule was put to death. This rebellion and the death of Skule are generally taken to mark the end of the

Civil war era in Norway The civil war era in Norway ( no, borgerkrigstida or ''borgerkrigstiden'') began in 1130 and ended in 1240. During this time in Norwegian history, some two dozen rival kings and pretenders waged wars to claim the throne. In the absence of f ...

which had dated from 1130.

Translations

This play was translated into English by Scottish writer and critic

William Archer William or Bill Archer may refer to: * William Archer (British politician) (1677–1739), British politician * William S. Archer (1789–1855), U.S. Senator and Representative from Virginia * William Beatty Archer (1793–1870), Illinois politician ...

as a part of his publication, ''Henrik Ibsen's Prose Dramas Vol III''. This volume consisted of ''Lady Inger of Östrat'' (''Fru Inger til Østeraad''), ''The Vikings at Helgeland'' (''Hærmændene paa Helgeland''), and ''The Pretenders'' (''Kongs-Emnerne''). It was published by The Walter Scott Company, London in 1890. This play was translated into Welsh (as ''Yr Ymhonwyr'') by T. Gwynn Jones, and performed to an audience of 10,000 at the 1927 Holyhead National Eisteddfod. The production was part of the national drama movement in Wales, funded by Baron Howard de Walden. 'Byd Gwynn: Cofiant T. Gwynn Jones' by Alun Llwyd (Barddas, 2020), p.449-451

Play overview

List of characters

Historic background

Translations

References

Further reading