East of the Sun and West of the Moon : A Fable for the Ages

Art History

History

Storytelling

East of the Sun and West of the Moon : A Fable for the Ages

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On a basic level, storytelling and visual art transcend entertainment. They are intrinsic to humanity, offering a way for us to communicate and connect with ourselves and others. And they are that much more powerful when combined.

In 1914, a translated collection of Norwegian folktales was first published, each accompanied by a set of striking illustrations. Not only did this particular collection become massively famous (cut to 2008, when an original signed copy was sold at an auction for the highest price ever paid for an illustrated children’s book), but moreover, it established one of the most intricate, enduring and inspirational connections between art and fable of all time.

The Folklore

East of the Sun and West of the Moon is one of a classic collection of 15 stories, originally assembled by popular folklorists’ Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe titled Norwegian Folktales (or Norske Folkeeventyr) and later translated to English by G.W. Dasent for publication in New York by the George H. Doran Company.

Unfortunately, Asbjørnsen and Moe never got to witness the incredible, international success of their collection, passing away in 1885 and 1882 respectively. Seemingly though, neither were motivated by our modern concept of success, but instead driven by that subtle, lingering magic of legends and fairytales passed down word-of-mouth through generations.

Asbjørnsen actually traversed the entirety of Norway on foot in his lifetime to personally engage with and gather stories and relics – too bad Fitbits weren’t around then, right?

The title East of the Sun and West of the Moon (or Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne in Norwegian) actually refers to the title of the first story in the collection, which is definitely a stand-out among the bunch.

It’s classified as a type 425A folktale within the Aarne-Thompson-Uther (ATU) Index, which is a cataloging system used in folk studies. This essentially means that the story’s broad, underlying theme falls into both the “search for the lost husband” and the “animal as bridegroom” ATU category, similar to and likely a precursor to the well-known Beauty and the Beast.

The full story is available for free as part of the Project Gutenberg ebook, and Wikipedia provides a succinct synopsis too.

Like most fairy tales, its beauty lies in its simplicity. (Although it does contain lots of those fun, classic motifs like a wicked stepmother, golden apple, curse, castle, troll – you name it!) And it’s this fact that makes the genius complexity of the corresponding illustrations all the more astounding.

The Illustrious Illustrator

Kay Rasmus Nielsen was a Danish illustrator born and raised in the early 20th century, a period of time that is now referred to as the Golden Age of Illustration. Nielsen himself described this era as a tense atmosphere of art, but as a modern onlooker, it’s easy to romanticize.

The Golden Age of Illustration represents a specific moment in history (approximately 1850 to 1925) when recent advances in printing and photographic technology, as well as increased access to resources, catapulted illustrators and their art to international stardom.

Illustrations accompanied books, periodicals and literary magazines – fiction and non-fiction alike. Illustrators were highly regarded and respected with their art form at its peak, mainstream popularity.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon : A Fable for the Ages Illustrations by Kay Nielsen. Art & Fable Puzzle Company

Today, more than 60 years since his death, Nielsen is still a household name, inspiration and guide to many artists. However, even if you don’t recognize his name, you probably know some of his work. Well, only if Walt Disney rings any bells…

Nielsen is the artist behind Disney’s 1940 film Fantasia, and furthermore, is credited with the conceptual drawings for The Little Mermaid. However, he only collaborated with Disney for a few years before being suddenly let go.

It’s largely speculated that this was due to stylistic differences, with Neilsen’s work standing in contrast to the happily-ever-after direction that Disney was beginning to take.

Nielsen’s illustrations encapsulate the grit of original fairy tales. They are darkly enchanting, dramatic but delicate, both natural and metaphysical. Perhaps this is why his name remains synonymous with Fairy Tales by Hans Christen Anderson, Hansel and Gretal, and Other Stories by the Brothers Grimm and of course, East of the Sun and West of the Moon – the latter being his most notable and celebrated work.

His innate storytelling ability as well as his strong Asian and Scandinavian influences are palpable in the East of the Sun and West of the Moon illustrations. It’s hard not to draw a comparison between the magic that Asbjørnsen and Moe sought, and the magic of fairy tales themselves, to Nielsen’s gift of capturing it all with just paper and ink.

With each glance, there is more mystery, more fantasy, more whimsicality and an unending depth – because whether through a children’s book, Disney film or Art & Fable puzzle, each new set of eyes on Nielson’s illustrations brings some new meaning to life.

East of the Sun and West of the Moon : Illustrations by Kay Nielsen. Art & Fable Puzzle Company

The Endurance

As is the nature of folktales, it’s impossible to know exactly when the stories that make up the 1914 East of the Sun and West of the Moon collection originated. In that same vein, Nielsen’s illustrations have been reproduced countless times and it’s impossible to know exactly how long that will continue.

The title of the story itself marks the location of a faraway castle, where a prince is bound by a spell.

“Tell me the way, then,” she said, “and I’ll search you out.”

“Yes,” she might do that, he said; “but there was no way to that place. It lay East of the Sun and West of the Moon, and thither she’d never find her way.”

The main character, a young woman, must somehow get there in order to break the spell and marry the prince. She solicits help from various old women and embodiments of the wind. Spoiler alert: She succeeds.

“Are you afraid?” said the North Wind.

“No!” she wasn’t.

But they weren’t very far from land; and the North Wind had still so much strength left in him that he managed to throw her up on the shore under the windows of the castle which lay East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

Obviously you can’t find it on a map in reality, but interestingly, you can’t find it on a map in its own fantasy world either. East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a liminal space, somewhere between the darkness of night and the light of day: Indescribable, yet strangely familiar.

Maybe East of the Sun and West of the Moon is the place where old stories and art meet their new counterparts. Maybe it’s the place where individual interpretation feeds and shapes universal meaning – and vice versa.

And hopefully, it’s a place where at some point, we’re all brave and wise enough to go.

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The Jigsaw Puzzle

Art & Fable is proud to offer a 500 piece puzzle (with their signature velvet touch pieces) that features Nielson’s illustrations from two pages of Asbjørnsen and Moe’s East of the Sun and West of the Moon. As always, the puzzle includes a high-quality art print, boxtop stand and reusable bag.