Mysteries

by Knut Hamsun

38 Hamsun shows an awareness, both in Hunger and Mysteries, of the philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), epochal German philosopher who revolutionized the conception of time and space, viewed by him as “perceptual forms” rather than as objective realities.

  39 Nagel is referring to the dramatic poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) published in two parts, in 1808 and after Goethe’s death, respectively. Faust is considered to be one of the greatest literary works of all time.

  39 Ola Upnorth (Ola Nordistuen) denotes the typical or average Norwegian, also called “Ola Nordmann.”

  39 Hallingdal, one of Norway’s long East Country valleys, is known for its crafts, with rich traditions in woodworking, knitting, and weaving.

  39 Trondelag, the area around the Trondheim Fjord, comprising the counties of South and North Trondelag, was in ancient times briefly the center of the Norwegian kingdom. Its inhabitants, the Trønders, are thought of as a staunch, no-nonsense, down-to-earth lot.

  46 Finnmark is Norway’s northernmost county.

  47 Helsingfors is the Swedish name of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

  47 The county of Buskerud extends northwest from the Oslo Fjord to the watershed. Smalenene was the former name (until 1919) of Østfold County, southeast of Oslo.

  52 The people of Setesdal, a rather isolated valley in East Agder County, are popularly known for their adherence to tradition and the preservation of regional arts and crafts.

  52 Vetle Vetlesen is a made-up name. It is intended to connote an ultraconservative cultural policy.

  52 Johann Arendt (1555-1621), a German Lutheran pastor, was widely known for his edifying religious writings. His books were translated into many languages and had a decisive influence on pietism.

  64 After the Turks granted Serbia autonomy under a hereditary prince in 1829, it was torn by a feud between two rival clans for over fifty years. It gained full independence in 1878 and was proclaimed a kingdom in 1882. Six years prior to Hamsun’s writing of Mysteries, in 1885, it engaged in an unsuccessful war with Bulgaria.

  64 Kristiania was the official name of Oslo until 1924. The ritzy Grand Hotel, located not far from the Royal Palace, is known for its rather exclusive café, with a long history as a gathering place for artists and other intellectuals.

  66 Belgrade is the capital of Serbia.

  67 The editor of the ultraconservative Morgenbladet (The Morning Paper) at the time, Christian Friele (1821-99), was both feared and hated for his sharp, sometimes malicious pen.

  67 The Czar alluded to here is Alexander III (1845-94), whose reign was notorious for its reactionary policies.—Jean Constans (1833-1913) was a French politician who, as Minister of the Interior (1889-92), firmly combatted the opponents of the Third Republic led by Georges Boulanger (1837-91). In 1889, hoping to realize his dream of becoming France’s dictator, Boulanger had planned to march on the Elysée Palace with his Revenge Party supporters, but abandoned the idea and fled to Belgium. Having been accused of treason and condemned to life imprisonment, he committed suicide on the tomb of his mistress in 1891, a few months after the period referred to in Hamsun’s novel.—Charles Parnell (1846-91), the Irish nationalist leader, championed Home Rule for his country with considerable success. However, being named a corespondent in a divorce suit caused him to lose his influence, and he died a broken man.—The Balkan Question is linked to the centuries-long endeavor by the European powers to curtail the territory of the Ottoman Empire west of the Bosporus. The problem was particularly virulent in the latter half of the nineteenth century and continued to be so in the twentieth.—Statistische Monatschrift was published in Vienna.

  68 Otto von Bismarck (1815-98), creator of the modern German state and chancellor of Germany 1871-90, ruled as a virtual dictator. After nearly two decades of conducting a successful foreign as well as domestic policy, he was dismissed by the Emperor, William II (1859-1941), a longtime enemy, soon after the latter’s accession to the throne.

  68 The leading workers’ association in Norway was founded by Eilert Sundt (1817-75) in 1864. From 1879 on, when the Liberal Party took over political leadership from the Conservatives, it became an important forum of radical political propaganda. The Norwegian Labor Party was formed in 1887.

  69 James Carey (1845-83) was a member of the Invincibles, an Irish terrorist association condemned by Parnell and the orthodox Fenians. After participating in the Phoenix Park murders on May 6, 1882, Carey informed on his associates and turned state’s evidence. Four of the principals involved were executed in 1883. Carey was shot dead on board ship to Cape Town.

  74 The German thinker Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) developed a philosophy of aristocratic individualism, epitomized by such concepts as the will to power, the eternal return, and the superman.

  77 Joseph Lanner (1801-43) was co-creator, with the Strauss family, of the Viennese waltz and one of the chief generators of the early-nineteenth-century waltz fever. Lanner conducted a small orchestra for which he wrote waltzes and other dances, and Johann Strauss the Elder (1804-49) was his violin player.

  80 the law against quacks: Since April 1871, when a new law was passed, persons without a medical degree were permitted, with certain restrictions, to engage in the business of healing in Norway.

  91 Built in the first century B.C., the Tower of the Winds, a.k.a. the Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes, stands not far from the site of the Roman agora, just outside the market enclosure. The tower served the triple purpose of sundial, water clock, and weather vane.

  98 The Gudbrandsdal Valley in Oppland County extends ca. 130 miles northwest from Lillehammer at the northern end of Lake Mjøsa. The regional culture is marked by a certain “yeoman aristocracy.” The area has preserved many examples of old farm and stave church architecture and has produced a rich store of legends and fairy tales, such as the Peer Gynt story.

  99 Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig (1783-1872), Danish poet, churchman, and educator. He founded the folk high school, a form of adult education designed to foster patriotism and religious convictions in young people. This particular line must have impressed Hamsun; it is repeated in his last work, På gjengrodde stier (1949). See On Overgrown Paths, trans. by Sverre Lyngstad (Los Angeles: Green Integer, 1999), p. 202.

  128 Henri de Rochefort, Marquis de Rochefort-Luçay (1831-1913), a prolific French nineteenth-century journalist noted for his political adventurism. Over a few decades during the century’s second half he managed to enact a wide gamut of roles, of which the following is a sampling: as an extremely vocal critic of the Second Empire, with periods of exile and imprisonment; an elected deputy (1870), a position from which he resigned after a few days; a supporter of the Paris Commune, imprisoned and subsequently deported to New Caledonia ; and a passionate follower of General Boulanger. See note to p. 67.

  129 The prime minister here referred to is Emil Stang (1834-1912), leader of the Conservative Party in the 1880s and 1890s and premier for two periods, including 1889—91. Lie and Haug, meaning “hill-side” and “hill” respectively, are more common Norwegian names.

  146 “The Ramparts” most likely refers to Akershus Castle and Fortress, situated on a promontory by the Oslo Fjord. It is an important Oslo landmark.

  147 The Drammen Road is a scenic street running in a westerly direction from the Oslo city center.

  154 Adolf Stocker (1835-1909), Lutheran pastor and court preacher, in 1878 founded the Social-Christian Party, which became the first anti-Semitic organization in Germany, indeed, in all of Europe. An indefatigable traveler, he used his considerable oratorical gifts to spread anti-Semitism, to the point of urging the government to consider passing laws inimical to Jews. In 1882 he organized, in Dresden, the first international anti-Semitic congress, of which he was elected president. Though he was eventually censured by the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Churches, he remained a member of the Reichstag until 1908, a year before his death.

  155 William Booth (1829-1912), a London evangelist and social reformer, in
1865 founded the movement which subsequently, in 1878, became the Salvation Army. He called himself “General.”

  164 Guy de Maupassant (1850-93), a French psychological realist whose novels and short stories portray ordinary people and their appetites in a coolly objective, often ironic style.

  165 torpedo under the ark: from Ibsen’s poem “Til min venn revolusjons-taleren!” (To my Friend, the Revolutionary Speech-maker). The last line of the poem reads, “I gladly place a torpedo under the ark,” the reference being to Noah’s Ark.

  170 Gertrude Colbjornsen (1879) is the principal work of Hamsun’s friend Erik Skram (1847—1923), a Danish novelist and critic. The book attracted attention by its attack on conventional marriage.

  187 La Glu is the title of a novel (1881) by Jean Richepin (1849-1926). It deals with a Parisian courtesan, an adventuress who, among other things, ensnares a young Breton lad and then abandons him. When the siren reappears on the scene, her interest in the youth reawakened by his attempted suicide on her account, she is murdered by the young man’s mother. Though Nagel’s anecdote echoes some elements of Richepin’s novel, it is wholesome by comparison with this sordid story. The woman’s name is appropriate: La Glu has a fatal attraction for susceptible males; they are entrapped by her, like birds caught by birdlime, the literal meaning of the French word glu.

  208 Mittelwalder: The correct name would be “Mittenwalder,” derived from Mittenwald, a village in Bavaria, Germany, which has a school for making violins and other string instruments.

  232 This biblical verse, in which Jesus addresses ten lepers who appealed to him for mercy, runs: “Go show yourselves unto the priests” (Luke 17:14).

  232 The kingdom of Barnum: P. T. Barnum (1810-91), the American showman, became notorious for his extravagant self-advertising. His famous circus was opened in 1871. He was given the cognomen “king of humbug.”

  232 Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major, is the brightest star in the heavens. It is also known as the Dog Star.

  232 Antoine Lavoisier (1743-94), French scientist and a founder of modern chemistry, was guillotined during the Reign of Terror. The saying “Don’t step on my circles!” is traditionally attributed to Archimedes (ca. 287-212 B.C.), the Greek mathematician and inventor. He was killed by a Roman soldier at the capture of Syracuse, Sicily, during the Second Punic War, supposedly while working on a problem in geometry. Euclid (fl. 300 B.C.) was a Greek mathematician, best known for his Elements, a groundbreaking work employing a deductive system of proof in which he sums up the mathematics of his day.

  234 Orion, one of the most conspicuous constellations, has a nebula that can be seen with the naked eye. It is located just below the belt of the hunter for whom the constellation is named.

  234 Carl Frederik Fearnley (1818-90), Norwegian astronomer, was director of the Oslo Observatory from 1861 onward.

  237 “Think of the day ... ”: a hymn written in 1841 by Wilhelm Andreas Wexels (1797-1866), Norwegian pastor, author, and editor of hymnals, to a melody composed in 1833 by the Italian-Swedish Mathilda B. V. M. Gyllenhaal, b. Orozco (1796-1863).

  238 Ola Olsen from Lista: The name is a moniker for the average Norwegian. Lista is a coastal township in West Agder County. Fjære is a parish in the county of East Agder, not Ryfylke; it is located near the coastal town of Grimstad and not far from Lillesand, the probable setting of Mysteries.

  239 Pontus Wikner (1837-88), professor of philosophy in Kristiania (now Oslo) 1884-88, was a religious idealist; he developed a personalist doctrine that was quite influential. His collected sermons were published in 1889.

  240 When completed, the Hallingdal Railroad became known as the Bergen Railroad, between Oslo and Bergen. It was opened in 1909.

  241 “Behold the congregations saved ... ”: from another hymn by Wexels, written to a tune of 1554 by the German cantor and composer Nikolaus Herman (1500-61).

  TEXTUAL NOTES

  The language of the first edition of Mysteries looks very much like Danish. The text was revised several times as the novel was reissued. In addition to Norwegianizing the spelling, grammar, and vocabulary and thoroughly overhauling the punctuation, these revisions entailed quite radical changes in style and substance. The diction of the original, whose emotional stridency occasionally approached the grotesque, was considerably muted, especially in the dialogue. Repetitions, expletives, and hyperbolic sallies were reduced, contributing, along with the deletion of many exclamations, of ah’s and oh’s, to a more sober tone in a work that still may seem to some readers to teeter on the brink of the hysterical. In particular, the extensive cuts in Nagel’s speeches and interior monologues help make the principal character, who in the original version comes across as excessively loquacious and verbose, more readily believable.

  While the noted revisions are numerous, they account for only a fraction of the total; most minor changes have not been listed.

  The first edition, published by P. G. Philipsen (Copenhagen, 1892) and, in facsimile, by Gyldendal (Oslo, 1994), will in these notes be indicated by “P”; the source text for the translation, Knut Hamsun’s Collected Works, vol. 1 (Samlede verker [Oslo: Gyldendal, 1992]), by “CW.” The page references to P are listed first.

  CHAPTER I (pp. 1-8)

  1 8/146. Deleted in CW: as if it didn’t concern him.

  2 10/147. In P, the last clause reads: “and I like to have a good view.”

  3 14/149. The P text reads: “What affectation!”

  CHAPTER II (pp. 9-17)

  1 20/152. In P, the word is “hotheaded.”

  2 21/152. Deleted in CW: “But you have no discretion, none at all, though you are a splendid fellow.”

  3 22/153. This exclamation is not in P.

  CHAPTER III (pp. 18-27)

  1 34/159. Sentence deleted in CW: “I hope you don’t think my hesitation had anything to do with the money.”

  2 35/159. Deleted in CW: “It sounds funny, but I really landed on my right shoulder, after tumbling over several times.”

  3 38/160. The last clause of this sentence is not in P.

  4 38/160. The preceding clause is not in P.

  5 39/161. Here CW omits the following:“I see.... But you must drink a little; let us drink a toast to something, say, to the Kielland family, would you? They must be a nice family.”

  When they had drunk, Nagel said,

  6 41/162. Deleted in CW: “It’s for you alone to decide that.”

  7 41/162. In P, the following paragraph begins: “You can do as you please, of course.”

  8 45/163. The following exchange has been deleted in CW:“Unlucky? Well, sure. So he fell and stabbed himself to death?”

  “Yes, he was probably lost in thought, and so he stumbled and pierced the arteries in his fall. It was a tragic accident.”

  9 46/164. Deleted in CW: “Those who have so much may not be very much happier.”

  10 47/164. Deleted in CW: “That’s why I simply said, ‘I suppose that will be all for today.’ ”

  CHAPTER IV (pp. 28—40)

  1 49—50/165. From here to “The little boy walked ... ,” the P text reads: Well, why not, for that matter? What in the world is it supposed to be good for to try and keep afloat so desperately? Especially if one is laid to rest in consecrated ground despite everything, and with dispatches in all the newspapers. Heh-heh-heh. Anyway, what is the difference between carrying an open pocketknife in one’s hand and a little vial in one’s vest pocket? Beat that one, if you can, gentlemen and ladies. Heh-heh-heh!Gladstone, though, is top dog. Gladstone will undoubtedly live until he dies a natural death from too much well-being. And let us hope that he will still keep humankind informed about his cold for many years to come. Gladstone is huge, Gladstone is absolutely the greatest man of our day. Who else should be our greatest man? Victor Hugo is dead and ... Suppose we wrote 1703, let’s say March 5, 1703: a world without Gladstone, the earth a wilderness, nothing but conservative newspapers!

  “May your steel be as sharp as your final
no!” How beautiful! How delightfully inane! Just bombastic enough to be human! It makes me think of a stuffed-up, runny kid’s nose. But he did have some spunk: among other things, he had chosen a sensible position, flat on his belly and his face buried in a puddle. But the time-oh, God help me! In broad daylight and with a goodbye note in his hand, ugh! However, the man had good taste, he took to the woods with the affair, and I side with him on that.

  2 50-51/166. Up to this point of the paragraph, P reads:But the time was absolutely unfortunate. I would have chosen a glorious stormy night, a raw pitch-darkness without a star. And there would be no question of a written farewell.... But why do I lie here thinking about this? What is it to me? What in the world do I have to do with that sentimental theologian, his steel and his last no? Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, what the hell do I have to do with it! ...

  How many strange sounds there are in a human being! Take laughter, for instance; where does it come from and where does it go? A disgusting sound, a shameless sound, a sound reminiscent of magpies and monkeys. Laughter must simply be a rudiment, ergo, laughter is a rudiment. And this meaningless, unarticulated sound is

  3 52/166. Deleted in CW: Hey, up up up up up up up up!

  4 55/168. Deleted in CW: ... But really, why should I give him a reminder ? What concern is it of mine? Here am again, meddling in other people’s business all the time; that will have to stop. As I hope to be saved, it will have to stop!

  5 55-56/168. Here a couple of paragraphs are deleted in CW:For example, do I get invited to take part in the debate when a club discusses religion? Absolutely not, absolutely not; no one has ever asked my opinion. Why, then, didn’t I let the young man present his excellent arguments? He knew a lot and spoke well, divided sun and wind equally among God and humans, and declared his agreement with Drawden and Spinoza. What fault can be found in that? And what fault could be found in the next speaker, the city engineer ? He went a smidgen further, but still observed the utmost moderation, in his own way. When he banged the table and insisted, in black and white, on God’s existence, he even made a strong impression; two old men nodded to themselves and came around to his view. In short, they were all in agreement on the matter, heh-heh. And so I could have kept my mouth shut and looked after my own business; after all, what was passed in the club didn’t concern me personally. But I stood up and made a nuisance of myself, confusing them all. I do believe I rose respectfully, but that was all for nothing, since I made fun of the audience and was shown the door. Heh-heh-heh.