Narratør

Narratør is a term used in Danish and Norwegian literary studies for the narrator—the voice or persona that tells a story. The narratør conveys events, comments on them, and shapes the reader's understanding through perspective, tone, and information control. The narrator is distinct from the author; the author writes the text, while the narratør is a fictional or implied entity that presents the narrative.

Narrators can be inside the story (homodiegetic) or outside it (heterodiegetic). They may speak in the first person (I) or in the third person (he/she/they). In practice, authors can use omniscient narration, where the narratør knows all thoughts and events, or limited/partial narration, where knowledge is restricted to a character or a viewpoint. Focalization describes which aspects of the story the narratør reveals to the reader. Narrators may be reliable or unreliable, influencing how readers interpret events and motives.

In film and theatre, narratør-like effects appear as voice-over narration or off-screen commentary, or through stage directions and character dialogue that guides audience interpretation. The use of a narratør can create distance, irony, or suspense, and it interacts with other storytelling devices such as montage, flashback, or non-linear structure.

Etymology and usage: The term derives from Latin narratus via Old French narrateur; in Scandinavian languages it is used to discuss narrative technique similarly to the English narrator. Outside of literature, narratør concepts are applied in media studies, film studies, and narratology.