Design and origins of bunad
Woman in a traditional bunad, 1892.
The various bunads have been designed through different
means. Some of them are based on old local customs, other models
are reconstructions made in the 20th century, relying on local
and historical material. The interest for bunads dates back to
Norwegian romantic nationalism and gained increasing
interest with the folk dance movement at the beginning of the
20th century.
In some parts of the country folk costume tradition was alive
as early as the 19th century. Bunads with such long traditions
are to be found in the
Bergen area on the west coast, in
Setesdal in the south, in some districts of
Telemark,
Numedal,
Hallingdal,
Gudbrandsdal and at
Røros
in eastern Norway.
Hulda Garborg (1862-1934)
and
Klara Semb (1884-1970)
are cited as pioneers in bringing bunad into mainstream culture.
With Garborg's publication of the pamphlet Norsk Klædebunad
in 1903,
the focus moved from the creation of a single national costume
to the development of several regional bunads. Although bunads
are based on traditions in various areas, these designs are
embellished by additions such as embroidery. The overarching
sense of bunad design is to preserve the way people dressed for
festive occasions in one particular era. This has led local and
national councils to impose official constraints on various
details in the bunad, e.g., colors, fabric, embroidery, jewelery,
cut, allowable headwear, etc.
