Olav Aukrust

Olav Aukrust was a Norwegian poet and teacher, who wrote poems with a renewed national romantic style. He popularized the use of Nynorsk as a literary language and is most commonly associated with his poem Himmelvarden (1916). Aukrust was born and raised in the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal, where he was influenced by the folk culture and the natural scenery. He studied at the folk college at Romundgard in Sel, where he met the priest and author Ivar Mortensson-Egnund, who became his mentor and friend. Aukrust also became interested in music and played the fiddle and the mouth harp. He married Gudrun Blekastad, the daughter of a Haugean businessman, in 1911. Aukrust worked as a teacher at various folk high schools, such as Dovre and Gausdal, where he inspired his students with his poetic and spiritual vision. He also wrote articles and essays for newspapers and magazines, promoting the Nynorsk language and the Norwegian identity. Aukrust suffered from tuberculosis, which affected his health and his mood. He joined the Anthroposophical Society in 1921, after visiting the Goetheanum in Switzerland with his wife. He died in 1929 at the age of 46, leaving behind a legacy of poems that express his love for his homeland, his faith in God, and his quest for the cosmic harmony.