What is a Skjelm?

[Jack Frost]

 From a publication, it reads: "one skjelm behind the ear,"


Anyone have an idea what a "skjelm" is?

[Ole Westermann]

That's a rogue. Today: skælm.

[Jack Frost]

The whole sentence is:

"The German novelist Willibald Alexis gave in his book Herbst Travel durch Scandinavien a lively portrayal of Carstens as a waddling, unhurried man with a red face, one skjelm behind the ear, an inexhaustible freak who kept stiffer prices than any Swiss hotel."

[Jack Frost]

I understand at that time (1700s+) Norway was under Denmark which was ruled by Germany.

That man Carstens was a German immigrant to Norway from Hanover.  He married a Norwegian woman and had a daughter (born in Norway) who married the grandson of Johann Gottlieb Bohme.  Another clue that Bohme was a German himself. 

My Bohm family identifies as Norwegian but the Bohm surname line apparently came to Norway from Germany via Denmark.  The German Bohme man married a Danish woman and their son married a Norwegian woman, their son married a woman who was half-German and half-Norwegian, and their son married a woman who was full-Norwegian and they immigrated to the U.S.     

So, in Europe, would that family be considered Norwegian by the time they immigrated?         

[Jack Frost]

The son of Johann Gottlieb Bohm immigrated to Norway and all of his descendants lived in Norway until immigrating to the U.S. 

[Ole Westermann]

I think the Norwegian Bohme family felt Norwegians, when they emigrated to US, but they also hadn't forgotten the roots from Denmark and Germany.

[Ole Westermann]

And Denmark was not ruled from Germany, but many Germans came to Denmark and settled down in the 1700s.

[Ole Westermann]

By the way:  one skjelm behind the ear  means:  to be playful or sly

[Jack Frost]

He's also called rude.  Sly fits. 

[J. K. Olsen]

A person with a 'skjelm' behind his ear is a prankster.

As for the relationship between what's to-day separate countries, it should be remembered that nationalism was not yet in the vogue back then. One's loyalty was tied to one's sovereign. Therefore Danish and Norwegian citizens were equally the subjects of their King, who happened to reside in Copenhagen. As for Germany it was split up into separate, independent states. They formed a loose alliance. To gain commercial access to Southern Denmark - Slesvig - the German state of Holstein for many centuries chose the Danish king as their sovereign - their Duke. The realm of the Danish king therefore started at Altona, which is to-day a Northern suburb of Hamburg, even though Holstein was part of the German alliance mentioned before - in English called the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.

Sincerely
J. K. Olsen