Helland

Helland refers to a large Norwegian fiddle-making dynasty rooted in Bø in Telemark, particularly associated with the development and refinement of the Hardanger fiddle, or hardingfele. Over almost two centuries and four generations, the extended family included fourteen known fiddle makers, several of whom are regarded as central figures in Norwegian instrument-making history. The family’s work is closely connected with the evolution of the Hardanger fiddle as both a musical instrument and a cultural symbol of Norway. The family history begins with Jon Eriksson Helland, born in 1790, and continues through several related branches using the Helland and Steintjønndalen farm names. In the naming conventions of older rural Norway, middle names were generally patronymics, while the final name often indicated the farm with which a person was associated. This means that the historical makers did not necessarily operate as a single modern corporation or use Helland as a standardized commercial brand. Rather, Helland identifies a network of related craftsmen whose instruments and reputations became associated with the family name. The makers were based mainly in the Bø area of Telemark. Their instruments are considered among the finest examples within the Hardanger fiddle tradition. Hardanger fiddles are distinguished from ordinary violins by features such as sympathetic strings, ornate decoration, and a design adapted to Norwegian folk music. Helland makers contributed to the instrument’s construction, sound, and visual form, helping establish standards that influenced later Norwegian builders. The family’s reputation extended beyond local communities. The celebrated Norwegian violinist and folk musician Ole Bull played Helland fiddles, an association that helped reinforce the family’s standing among musicians and instrument enthusiasts. Individual instruments made by members of the family remain valued as historical examples of Norwegian folk-instrument craftsmanship. The dynasty also developed an international connection. Olav Gunnarsson Helland established a Hardanger fiddle workshop in Notodden in 1896. His brothers Knut Gunnarsson Helland and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland emigrated to the United States in 1901 and settled in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. There they became known as ski jumpers and opened a workshop called Helland Brothers. After Knut’s death in 1920, Gunnar continued the business until 1927. This American branch demonstrates that the family’s craft tradition traveled with Norwegian emigrants, even though its principal cultural importance remained tied to Telemark. Other branches continued working in Norway. John Gunnarsson Helland settled in Skien, where he operated a workshop and music shop until his death in 1977. In Bø, the related Steintjønndalen line continued fiddle making until Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen died in 1969. The wider family tradition therefore persisted across multiple workshops and generations rather than through a single surviving company. The Helland name is best understood as a heritage craft designation rather than an active mass-market brand. No current corporate owner, website, public listing, or operating company is identified in the cited reference material. Its enduring significance lies in surviving instruments, family records, historical scholarship, and its contribution to the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle tradition.

The Helland fiddle-making tradition developed in and around Bø in Telemark over a period spanning approximately 1790 to 1977. It was not a single incorporated enterprise but a family network in which craft knowledge, names, workshops, and local affiliations passed between generations. The earliest figure commonly associated with the lineage is Jon Eriksson Helland, born in 1790. His descendants and relatives became important contributors to the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle tradition. Several branches of the family used the Helland name, while others were identified through the Steintjønndalen farm name acquired through marriage or residence. Members of the extended family included Jon Eriksson Helland, Erik Jonsson Helland, Jon Eriksson Helland II, Knut Eriksson Helland, Gunnhild Eriksdatter Helland, Gunnar Olavsson Helland, and later makers including Olav, Knut, Gunnar, and John Gunnarsson Helland. The family is described as having included fourteen fiddle makers across four generations, an unusually large concentration of instrument makers within one lineage. The family’s principal contribution was to the development of the Hardanger fiddle. This Norwegian folk instrument combines violin-like playing characteristics with distinctive decoration and sympathetic strings. Helland instruments became particularly respected for their craftsmanship and tonal qualities. The family’s reputation was strengthened by the use of its fiddles by prominent performers, including Ole Bull, one of Norway’s best-known nineteenth-century musicians. In 1896, Olav Gunnarsson Helland settled in Notodden and established a workshop devoted to Hardanger fiddles. His work is regarded as representing some of the highest standards of the tradition. His brothers Knut Gunnarsson Helland and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland emigrated to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in 1901. Known locally for ski jumping as well as instrument making, they opened the Helland Brothers workshop. Knut died in 1920, after which Gunnar continued the American business until 1927. John Gunnarsson Helland established another branch in Skien. He combined fiddle making with the operation of a music shop and remained active there until his death in 1977. Meanwhile, makers in Bø continued the family tradition. The last member of the related line identified in the reference material is Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen, who died in 1969. A related craftsman, Jon Eilevsson Steintjønndalen, learned fiddle making from his father Eilev Jonsson Steintjønndalen. Although he eventually left the area and abandoned the trade, instruments attributed to him survived. One fiddle known as “The Troll” was taken to the United States by the Hardanger fiddler Halvor Jøren, but later disappeared. By the late twentieth century, the family’s active workshop tradition had ended. Its legacy continued through surviving instruments, historical documentation, local-history research, and scholarship on Norwegian fiddle making. Helland is therefore primarily a historical craft lineage and cultural heritage name rather than a contemporary commercial brand.

• 1977

  Death of John Gunnarsson Helland

  [1]Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org

  John Gunnarsson Helland died after operating a fiddle workshop and music shop in Skien.

• 1969

  Death of Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen

  [1]Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org

  The death of Knut Knutsson Steintjønndalen marked the end of the last identified active maker in that branch of the family.

• 1927

  Helland Brothers workshop closes

  [1]Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org

  Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland’s operation in Wisconsin ended after he had continued it following his brother’s death.

• 1920

  Knut Gunnarsson Helland dies

  [1]Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org

  Following Knut’s death, his brother Gunnar continued operating the Helland Brothers business.

• 1901

  Helland Brothers opens in Wisconsin

  [1]Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org

  Knut and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland emigrated to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and established the Helland Brothers fiddle workshop.

• 1896

  Olav Gunnarsson Helland establishes a Notodden workshop

  [1]Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org

  Olav Gunnarsson Helland settled in Notodden and opened a workshop specializing in Hardanger fiddles.

• 1790

  Birth of Jon Eriksson Helland

  [1]Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org

  Jon Eriksson Helland, the earliest listed member of the documented fiddle-making lineage, was born. The family tradition is traced through him and subsequent generations of makers.

Historic Norwegian heritage craftsmanship centered on highly regarded Hardanger fiddles and the preservation of Telemark’s traditional fiddle-making culture.

• Traditional folk string instruments

  Helland Hardanger fiddles

  Handcrafted Norwegian Hardanger fiddles made by members of the Helland family. These instruments belong to a distinctive regional tradition characterized by violin-like construction, sympathetic strings, and elaborate decorative work. Helland examples are regarded as important contributions to the development of the instrument and remain valued as historical and musical artifacts.

• Traditional folk string instruments · 1901

  Helland Brothers fiddles

  Instruments produced by Knut and Gunnar Gunnarsson Helland in their Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin workshop. The shop represented an overseas continuation of the Telemark family tradition among Norwegian emigrants in the United States.

1. 1Helland (fiddle makers)en.wikipedia.org