Sunday, January 29, 2012

Sune Bergman & Swedish Handwriting translation

     My grandfather Arthur Jonsson and great grandparents Esther and Helge Jonsson had a number of books written by "Sune Bergman" Apparently a Swedish author and someone they knew on a personal level. It seems Sune would send a book to them once it was published, with a handwritten note inside the cover. I have tried to find more about this author but have had no luck. I have also tried to translate the notes a little bit but I'm having a hard time with the handwriting I think.


     If anyone knows ANYTHING about Sune Bergman, the author of these books, or help for the translation on these notes I may have botched, feel free to let me know! I think I may post some of the pictures on Anbytaforum and see if anything comes up.

   The first book of Sune Bergmans that we have:
Äventyret I Gungstolen translated to  Adventures in The Rocking Chair.






and the note inside the cover.....

I've tried google translate and all I can get is something like:
Esther and Helge, Today as of June 11, 1958, This comes to you by plane from the old country.

   Then I have no idea what that Bruksanoisming word is. after that, I type in the words, and the sentence changes around on translation, and then disappears, like the computer can't make anything of it. so I tried typing in one word at a time, deleting, then another word, deleting, then another word.... tedious, but worked out a little better.....
The book is intended to lie on nightstands. Only five pages need to be read at a time - then that- when so well.
      Sune
Okay, I got the jist of the first part. but not the last. And this doesn't give a clue as to who Sune is to them, except he probably knew them from the old country.

Next book we have is another copy of Adventures In The Rocking Chair but it's a hard copy. Copyrighted the same year as the other; 1957.






 
 The text inside the cover is short and upon first translation I got:
  Helge & Esther
With normal cervical accession
   Sune
    
                   Well then. I'm going to take a wild guess here and assume that's incorrect.....


  After playing around with the words and trying different letters... I got something that makes much more sense:
Helge & Esther
With usual greetings,
Sune

 Ahhhhhh. Ok! Much better. But why were two copies given? I don't have a clue. Maybe Sune wanted the paperback one "on the nightstand" meaning it could get roughed around and the hardcover put away for keeping? I honestly don't know.

NEXT.........    Med Näver Och Glödstift  or in English, With Birch Bark And Glow Plugs



Um, what are "glow plugs"? Am I missing something here?  ....Anyways...... on to the inside cover...


 To my dear friends Helge and Esther from Sune in Aug. 1958
   In memory of your second Sweden trip.

Well that's a tad more helpful.... so I can assume Sune is not family, but a dear friend. But now I want to read the book and see why it's given "in memory of" their trip back to Sweden. I am NOT google translating this whole book. I guess I'll just have to learn Swedish! Ha!

Last book, simple hard cover like the second, is titled:
Nog Går Det Bra   which translated to: Enough, Do Not Hesitate 
If I put each word in alone, I get "Enough can the good." Sooo, I'm going to go with the first one.

.

  Inside under the title it says: ur min rese dagbok, which translated to: from my travel diary

The inscription says....

With the usual greeting (then a word I can't figure out....) desire for Merry Christmas from all of us in (oh this next word gave me trouble....) Hawk morning? Hawk bog?  Is it the name of a town maybe? 




One other interesting tidbit... the last book, it also has published inside a lot of pictures. The pictures are described as this in the beginning of the book:
    Illustrations are printed in the book directly from linoleum plates which has been cut by the author.

     This is interesting because some of them look familiar. Our family has prints that look very similar, but were done, as we understand it, by my great grandfather Helge. 
      Also, this one in particular stands out....
  My grandfather, Arthur,  made a few woodburning pictures when he was back in Sweden visiting. His cabin is done the same way, same angles and looks very similar. I'll try to post a picture of it. Seeming as how this print is describing Norrbotten, and our family was from Norrbotten, I wonder if they were looking at the same thing when they each made their pictures......



4 comments:

  1. Hi, You have a wonderful, interesting blog, I have read about Sune and I have to read more!

    "Bruksanvisning" = "Instructions For Use" ;))

    You can find some swedish rusks recipes here:
    http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1-1,swedish_rusks_sour_cream,FE.html
    My grandmother Judith use to make rusks, She baked ordinary wheat buns, split them and dried them in the oven. Hope you find some recipe that you like!
    I have not read all in your blog, yet... are your grandparents from Sweden?
    Best Regards, Yvonne

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    1. Thanks Yvonne! Thanks for the translation help! :) It turns out, Sune is a great-great uncle. I have found quite a few interesting things in our family belongings. I'll have to get around to posting a Sune part 2. :)

      My great grandparents are from Sweden. My grandfather though, (the first generation American) was only Swedish speaking until he started school, and he didn't know any English. He met a boy in the neighborhood who would walk to school with him, and this little boy taught him English. They remained life long friends, it's a really sweet story.... but I digress... lol

      I think the skorpor (skorpa?/rusks) my great grandmother used to make were dried from her coffee bread/cake? Does that sound familiar at all? Cardamom and cinnamon were involved. Sprinkled with sugar also I think. I'd love to make some for my coffee, and I know my Dad and aunts would appreciate some homemade ones. I think it reminds them of when they were little. :)

      Unlike my great grandmother who baked her life away in the kitchen... I really stink with pastries. :/ It's something I'd certainly like to improve on. I really only do Swedish cooking around Christmas, (besides swedish pancakes.) and it's basically Pepparkakor and Rice pudding. I want to expand into new territory and try some more recipes from our family.

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  2. Yes, it does that sound familiar that your great grandmother used to make rusks / skorpor that were dried from her coffee bread/cake. And also involved cardamom and /or cinnamon. One can make them from dough with yeast or baking powder, there are different recipes, perhaps I think, it is most common with yeast.
    Look forward to read more about your great-great uncle Sune and your family recipes and other things..;)

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    1. Ahh, yeast is a problem for me when it comes to baking.... unfortunately. I suppose I'll be searching the baking powder recipes!

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