White men on pedestals have had it tough lately. This applies in particular to those who have been involved in one way or another in the colonization of the world. The bust of Carl Lumholtz (1851–1922) has largely been left alone in Søndre Park in his birthplace Lillehammer. DRESSED FOR SUCCESS: Carl Lumholtz in tropical gear in 1887. The adventurer from Lillehammer was sponsored by names such as Vanderbilt, Carnegie and JP Morgan. Photo: Hulda Szacinski Carl Sofus Lumholtz Was born at Fåberg in Lillehammer on 23 April 1851. Was an explorer, ethnographer and author. Discovered several new plant and animal species and studied Indians in Mexico in 1890. Lived in Borneo in the years 1913–1917. There he documented the wildlife and collected valuable information from the Dajak people. Wrote books and toured the US with lectures about his experiences. Died in the USA on 5 May 1922. Source: SNL Sponsored by magnates Historian Morten Strøksnes shows that colonialism and the desire to document and map the world were connected. This is perhaps the great realization in the book. Lumholtz and the other explorers were sponsored by capitalists and states that wanted access to the Earth’s resources. In this landscape, Carl Lumholtz maneuvered with an apparently unlimited willingness to stand his ground, curiosity and mood. He started out as a botanist and zoologist, but quickly realized that it was the people he was interested in just as much. FÆRRA TE MEXICO: On his second major expedition, Lumholtz lived for periods with the Wixárikas in Mexico. It resulted, among other things, in the book “Among Mexico’s Indians. Five Years’ Travel in the Sierra Madre and Other Little-Known Parts of Western Mexico’ (1903), as well as a number of photographs taken by Lumholtz himself. Photo: Carl Lumholtz Raw level of precision in the bush The first journey was to Australia in 1880, with the sailing ship “Einar Tamberskjælver”, and this is also the first part of the book. The main sources are Lumholtz’s own books, as well as the diaries, notebooks and log books which are located in Oslo at the Cultural History Museum. Morten Strøksnes gives us the real feeling of being present at ground level, at the same time as he assesses the documents and photographs Lumholtz left behind with a gentle, but at the same time critical, eye. RIDING RIDERS TO MULES: Carl Lumholtz, Chihuahua, March 20, 1892. Photo: CH Taylor Singing around the campfire This really couldn’t have been done better. Strøksnes has a completely raw level of precision when he depicts Lumholtz’s search for new discoveries in the Australian bush. The atmosphere around the campfire is impeccable. Lumholtz and the aborigines even begin to sing together: Carl Lumholtz contributed songs from his regions. He himself highlights “I have sailed the world and walked many miles” by the Danish revue writer Erik Bøgh. Opting for “straw men” When Strøksnes flies into the same areas, in Lumholtz’s footsteps, things immediately get a little more tiring. He is simply a bit too melancholic a tour guide. Morten Strøksnes writes best when he has a, yes, maybe we should call it a straw man? In the previous book he introduced an old friend. The painter Hugo created the necessary dynamism in “Havboka”, for which he fully deserved both the Brage Prize and the Critics’ Prize. This time it is Lumholtz who, with his irrepressible optimism out in the field, balances out Strøksnes’ penchant for (well-founded) pessimism and melancholy. THE ORIGINAL STRAWMAN?: Carl Lumholtz in 1894/95. Photo: Unknown Fish head in Jakarta The project is clear enough. He will The alternation between present and past causes the book to drag out and become overly wordy. Maybe it’s just me who is too affected by the hustle and bustle of our time unable to let myself fall into this book’s slow-moving rhythm over 814 pages? The book is too long, but at the same time there are some absolutely priceless scenes that suddenly appear, and which I would not be without. Like when Strøksnes – in the present – is served a fish in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, which looks like the recently severed head of a newborn calf. COZY GURU: When the First World War broke out, Carl Lumholtz took a detour to India. There he started yoga, and made a good friend in the guru Mahatma Brahmachari. Photo: Carl Lumholtz Meets the ghost Or when he allows himself to be lured into a cockfight, and consistently bets the money on the losing bird. In such moments, perhaps the impossible becomes possible – to come into contact with Carl Lumholtz’s ghost in what Strøksnes acts in his spirit. The synthesis between the two time levels means that the reader also gets the same views as the author: This can also be understood in a metaphorical sense. There are no shortcuts. Not for the author – but not for the reader either. This is the route we must go up in order for us to be able to reach our goal. From oblivion Those who persevere will feel an increasing loyalty to how the author has constructed the book. At least that happened to me. Morten Strøksnes is neither looking to build Lumholtz up nor to tear him down. But to brush off him the veil of oblivion that has settled like a light layer of snow on the shoulders of this scientist and explorer. I feel like I know him now. I feel enlightened. news reviewer: Photo: Exil Design / Forlaget Oktober Title: “Lumholtz’ gänferd” Author: Morten A. Strøksnes Genre: Nonfiction Publisher: Forlaget Oktober Number of pages: 814 Date: 4 November 2022 Hi! I read and review literature in news. Please also read my review of “Kairos” by Jenny Erpenbeck, “Etterliv” by Abdulrazak Gurnah or Franz Kafka’s “The Process” translated by Jon Fosse.
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“Lumholtz’s return” by Morten A. Strøksnes – Reviews and recommendations
