Margit Hjukse

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a woman, Margit, from the proud Hjukse farm, who is taken by the "Bergjekongjen" (Mountain King). The narrative begins with her setting off for church, but veering off to a mountain where she encounters this figure. The King offers her wine, and she drinks, leading to her spending nine years in the mountain, bearing children. This initial departure and transformation are framed by a recurring lament: "Det er eg som ber sorgji så tronge" (It is I who bear such heavy sorrow). The central tension arises from Margit's choice and its consequences. After nine years and multiple children, she asks to visit her father. The Mountain King grants permission but with a strict time limit: "But you must not be away longer than an hour or two." Her father's joy at seeing her is palpable, "Oh, my dear daughter, oh, are you here now!" But the Mountain King appears swiftly, reminding her of her children and the consequence of her absence: "Aren't you coming home to the children tonight?" This forces a definitive, heartbreaking choice. The most striking craft element is the stark contrast between the idyllic imagery of the farm and church, and the supernatural, binding nature of the mountain encounter. The recurring lines, "Tidi fell meg long'e" (Time feels long to me) and "Det er eg som ber sorgji so tronge" (It is I who bear such heavy sorrow), act as a mournful refrain, underscoring the inescapable burden of her situation, whether it's the loneliness of waiting or the weight of her mountain life and subsequent loss. This narrative is effective because it taps into a primal fear of being taken and irrevocably changed, while also highlighting the crushing weight of difficult choices. Margit's final declaration, "Fare no vel då alle i min heim / No kjem eg aldri til dikkon meir" (Farewell then, all in my home / Now I will never come to you again), is a devastating acceptance of her fate, a stark pronouncement that seals her separation from her original life and family, leaving only the lingering sorrow.