''Norske Folkeeventyr'' ('''''Norwegian Folktales''''') is a collection of Norwegian folktales and legends by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe . It is also known as '''Asbjørnsen and Moe''', after the collectors.
Asbjørnsen, a teacher, and Moe, a minister, had been friends since the age of 13 or 14 when they published the folktales—the collection of which had been an interest of both for many years. The tales were released in two volumes in 1845 and 1848. The work must be seen in connection with Norway’s new-won independence, and the wave of nationalism that swept the country in the 19th century. The authors considered the stories remains from Old Norse mythology, and the period of Norwegian greatness before the union with Denmark . At the same time the language in the tales contained many words of Norwegian dialect, and helped create an autonomous Norwegian written language, Distinct from Danish .
