People who are a little bit interested in Norwegian culture will probably have heard of our bunads. Bunad is the Norwegian national garb, and it has actually increased in popularity in later years. Especially men are getting more interested in owning and wearing their own bunad. According to the Norwegian online encyclopedia, 80% of Norwegian women own a bunad, and 20% of men – and the numbers are increasing, but what is a bunad?
What is a bunad? Definitions:
Bunad is the Norwegian national garb. It is based on what people wore centuries ago in the old peasant society, i.e. their “Sunday bests”, to put it simply. However, it can be broken down to at least five categories:
Category 1 – a bunad that represents a final link in the development of a folk costume. This is basically an original folk costume that has taken on the function of a bunad.
Category 2 – a bunad that has a background in a particular folk costume that is out of use but not forgotten. It is generally reconstructed from first-hand knowledge, with many extant examples. You can see examples of traditional Norwegian clothing in my post about the open-air museum in Sunnfjord.
Category 3 – a bunad that has been reconstructed from preserved folk garments which reflect the actual time and region of the piece. Pictures and writings may be used as sources in reconstruction.
Category 4 – a bunad that has been made based on random and incomplete folk material. Missing pieces have been designed to match.
Category 5 – a bunad that has been completely or partially ‘freely composed’. It was the 1800s bunad movement that has given these types of bunad their status.
From the pages of The Norwegian Institute of bunad and folk costume.
Breaking down the bunad:
Traditionally it’s made of natural materials, like wool, silk, and linen, but some newer mass-produced ones may consist partly of synthetics, although most people go for the traditional bunads that are partly handmade and made of natural materials.
The main parts are: The skirt, the bodice, the apron (on most bunads), the shirt. Then you have different types of headpieces, capes, shawls, scarves, underskirts, stockings, shoes, belts, and the jewellery.
Bunads are popular, and used for many different occasions
The expression bunad was coined by Hulda Garborg who was active in the cultural field among the patriots in the Norwegian movement towards independence. She saw the bunad as something that would inspire pride in your identity, and that’s probably still a very important component in the popularity of bunads today. According to The Norwegian Institute of bunad and folk costume, almost 70 percent of all Norwegian women own a bunad, and almost 20 percent of men. It’s popular with people of all ages and it is used whenever there’s an opportunity; weddings, christenings, confirmations, and other big occasions. Many get married in their bunads. There are also extra “trimmings” for brides, like crowns and other special accessories.
There are simpler versions for children, and there are also summer/winter bunads, but I would think there aren’t many who have more than one, because they are extremely expensive. The reason why they are expensive is that most bunads are partly hand sewn, they are made to measure, and there can be expensive fabrics and materials, and embroidery, not to mention the jewellery that completes the bunad.
Personally, I prefer bunads from category 3, the reconstructed bunad, and if I ever have enough money to spare, I plan to get one of those. The reconstructed ones seem to me to gain popularity, but a lot of people also like the fantasy bunads. I DO think a lot of the fantasy bunads are beautiful, but if I were to spend all that money on a bunad, I would get a “real one”.
Each bunad belongs to a specific area
Most people get a bunad from an area that they are historically connected to. For some it is easy, their family has been firmly planted in the same area for hundreds of years, for others it’s more complicated, but at the same time, people with a more complicated ancestry or story, will have more to choose from. For me, I have a lot of different geography. Maybe I should follow my maternal line all the way back? If so, I would end up with one of the reconstructed Trøndelag bunads, which I like. Or I could go to Jølster where I have plenty of ancestry, they also have a nice reconstructed bunad. OR I could make a fantasy one myself, which is probably more realistic in my current economic circumstances.