Myllarguten
| Targjei Augundsson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Myllarguten |
| Origin | Sauherad, Norway |
| Died | November 21, 1872 |
| Genres | Folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Hardingfele |
Targjei Augundsson (1801 – November 21, 1872), better known as Myllarguten (meaning the Millerboy), is arguably the most acknowledged Norwegian folk musician to this day, and by far the most legendary.
Targjei was born in Sauherad, Telemark. The date of his birth is disputed (the years range from 1799 to 1801), and some say his father Augund was only registered as the father of the boy (in the local church documentation). He married Gunhild, the mother, in October 1801. Targjei was already born at the time. Usually, farmers of the Norwegian serfdom stock is not very well documented, often moving from homestead to homestead.
Myllarguten's father was a country fiddler, one of many at the time, and Targjei was going for the fiddle from early age, but it is told he feared his father would beat him if he tried the instrument. So he sneaked himself to playing while his father was outside and at work at the local mill. His father's profession gave Targjei his name, the Millerboy. One day the father returned early from work and heard someone inside playing, and asked astonished who the player was. His wife, Gunhild, had to admit it was his son Targjei. From then on, Augund his father trained him, but the boy was so eager his father had to give him away to other fiddlers in the area.
Amongst his teachers were the fiddlers Knut Lurås from Tinn, Jon Kjos from Åmotsdal, Mattis Flathus from Sauherad and Øystein Langedrag from Bø. The latter had been a soldier in the Napoleonic wars and had some experience with military music, which influenced his style, and to a degree the style of Myllarguten. The fiddler he regarded the best of his teachers, was Knut Lurås, one of two colleague fiddlers he really appreciated. As his reputation grew, Targjei was known as a hard critic and a merciless competitor. He did not like to be bested at playing. The other he held in esteem, was Håvard Gibøen, regarded as his traditional counterpart in folk music from Telemark. Håvard was the only fiddler of whom Targjei would say: "He is the master of us all".
Life as a fiddler was a life on the road. He soon got reputation, and played from early on at weddings and county feasts all over Telemark. He soon made longer journeys, and spanned the country as far as Bergen and Gudbrandsdalen. He eventually got married, with Ingebjørg Eddandshaugen from Vinje, and had ten children by her, of whom at least four sons became fiddlers themselves, and through them, the music from Targjei has been passed on down to this day in Telemark.
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