The Norwegian Classroom        

The writer must be able to revel and roll in the abundance of words; he must know not only the direct but also the secret power of a word. There are overtones and undertones to a word, and lateral echoes, too.

Knut Hamsun
(1859-1952) born on Aug 4
Norwegian novelist. He was a leader of the Neo-Romantic revolt who rescued the novel from excessive naturalism; "Growth of the Soil," 1917.

    The warmth and intimacy of a Norwegian cottage is successfully captured in the design of the classroom. It is divided into two parts: a large spruce-paneled student area with sloped ceilings, fireplace, and bay, and a smaller alcove that houses the professor's table and chair.

    The trapezoidal corner fireplace of kleber stone with its birch logs, opposite the stately grandfather clock, suggests the north's long winter nights. The sloped ceiling reminds one that steep roofs are necessary as protection against the accumulation of heavy snow. The ridge beam of the ceiling is decorated with carved stars and rosettes forming midnight sun motifs. Two-tiered lighting fixtures with tulip cutouts are suspended from turned ornamental stems. The original of the hand-woven tapestry is in Norway's Lillehammer Folk Museum. It depicts the biblical parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins. Nearby are brightly painted wall cabinets.

   The front alcove has a low-beamed ceiling. doors that in a home would open to reveal a bed, here conceal the blackboard. This area is painted with elaborate rosemaling designs. The professor's oak chair back is carved with an ancient Viking design of intertwining dragons, while its extended leg posts terminate in bird heads and the armrests in fierce beast heads -- all designed to ward off evil. Muted colors highlight carvings on the professor's chair and trestle table, as well as the carved slat and bentwood-backed student chairs.