Helena Blessing              
contact@helenablessing.com
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Jorðhnot
2024

    The poster Jorðhnot traces the cultural and botanical journey of two Norwegian plants to France and England, inspired by Rolf Nordhagen’s assertion: “Et avgjørende bevis på at Rollon kom fra Norge, og at det var nordmenn som grunnla Normandie”“Definitive proof that Rollo originated in Norway, and that Norwegians founded Normandy.”

    The first plant, Conopodium majus, known as jordnøtt (earth nut) in Norwegian, appears under a different name in Normandy. Through a phonetic collage, the poster visualizes the gradual transformation of the plant’s name as it migrated linguistically and geographically.

    The second plant, Primula vulgaris, or kusymre in Norwegian, is known as the primrose. In Swaledale, England, it is still unofficially referred to as simmerens — a name echoing its Old Norse roots. The blossoming flower once signaled the start of summer and the moment when cows were released into the fields, marking a seasonal rhythm shared across northern Europe.

   Jorðhnot intertwines botany, language, and migration to highlight how flora carries the traces of shared history — one that stretches from the fjords of Norway to the valleys of France and England.

Printed on Riso, A2

Helena Blessing (2000)
is a designer and illustrator living in Oslo.
She holds a Master’s degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from the Oslo National Academy of Arts as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Photography and Graphic Design from the University of Arts and Design Linz.


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