One of Norway's most beloved holiday films is called "Reisen til Julestjernen (The Journey to the Christmas Star)". Released in 1976, it is now often played on Norwegian TV on Christmas Eve.
"Julestjernen" has a couple of meanings. It refers to the Christmas star that shown over Bethlehem. It also means the star that traditionally tops a Christmas tree.
I've put a playlist together of video clips that make up much of the movie. You can see them on the Multe Music YouTube channel here. The movie is in Norwegian, but the plot is fairly simple and obvious.
A band of traveling players comes to a Norwegian town and tells the story. A king and queen had a beautiful young daughter. The king also had an evil relative, a count, who coveted the throne. One winter evening, the count wishes the Christmas star to disappear — which places a curse on the queen and princess and they both disappear. Twelve years later, the traveling players come to the palace, where the king has been in deep sorrow, and their troupe includes a young girl named Sonja and an old crone. The king has assembled a group of advisors to try to find out where the Christmas Star has gone and why his wife and daughter disappeared. The advisors don't know, but they suggest trying to make a Christmas Star. In the end, Sonja is revealed to be the Princess and the curse is lifted, turning the old crone into the queen herself. The family is reunited and the Christmas Star shines again in the heavens.
The song from that movie, "Sonja's sang til julestjernen (Sonja's Song to the Christmas Star)" is also a holiday favorite — and is today's video clip. In the movie, it was sung by the now well-known Norwegian singer, Hanne Krogh who played the part of Sonja, who is revealed as the disappeared princess.
The song was written by Egil Monn-Iversen and Axel Helgeland.
The Norwegian text is
Julestjerne, får jeg deg?
Sa en gang en liten pike
Ville gi et kongerike
For å kjenne degJulestjerne, gå din vei?
Sa en bitter konge siden
Mørk ble du, og mørk ble tiden
Må du gjemme deg?Julestjerne, kom til meg!
Du har voldt oss sorg og smerte
Se, nå gir jeg deg mitt hjerte
La meg tenne degJulestjerne, bli hos meg!
Det er godt å se deg skinne
Du må aldri mer forsvinne
Aldri glemme meg
My own English translation:
Christmas Star, may I receive you?
Said once upon a time a little girl
I would give a kingdom
To know you.Christmas Star, go away!
Said a bitter person at the side of the king.
Dark should you be and dark the times.
Can't you hide yourself?Christmas Star, come to me!
You have damaged us with sorrow and pain.
See, now I give you my heart,
Let me light you.Christmas star, be with me!
It is good to see you shine.
You must never disappear again.
Never forget me.
