The Eyes and Ears of an Explorer: Database for Audiovisual Archives of a Norwegian Linguist from his Journeys to Afghanistan and South Asia, 1923–1975

Abstract

Georg Morgenstierne (1892–1978), Professor of Indo-Iranian Languages at the University of Oslo, Norway, travelled in South Asia documenting scenery, traditions and everyday life from Sri Lanka, through India, Pakistan, Afghanistan to Iran. The inaccessible mountains of Hindu Kush, with the remote valleys of Nuristan and Chitral, became fields of many years of linguistic study and visual documentation. Especially valuable are the moving images and audio recordings made there as early as in 1929. Glimpses into ancient pre-Islamic religion and ways of life have been captured and preserved, just as the archaic culture finally succumbed to the pressure of Islam. Today, after decades of war and destruction in Afghanistan, most objects of cultural value unconnected to Islam have been destroyed or damaged. In the 1990s, the National Library of Norway joined forces with the University of Oslo to preserve the Morgenstierne archive. When finished in 2000, the project resulted in a well-organized, conserved set of originals, and a database of some 3,500 images including short movies and audio. Descriptions, dates and other information are provided in both Norwegian and English. Additionally, a bilingual website was set up. Access to the database is open and free of charge for personal use.