Kristin Lavransdatter
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| Author | Sigrid Undset |
|---|---|
| Original title | Kristin Lavransdatter (Kransen, Husfrue, Korset) |
| Translator | Charles Archer (first edition), Tiina Nunnally |
| Country | Norway |
| Language | Norwegian |
| Genre(s) | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Aschehoug |
| Released | 1920, 1921, 1922 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-394-43262-2 |
Kristin Lavransdatter is the common name for a trilogy of historical novels written by Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset. The individual novels are Kransen (The Wreath), first published in 1920, Husfrue (Wife), published in 1921, and Korset (The Cross), published in 1922. Kransen and Husfrue have also been published in English translation under the titles The Bridal Wreath and The Mistress of Husaby.
Undset's work is much admired for its historical and ethnological accuracy.
[edit] Plot introduction
The cycle follows the life of Kristin Lavransdatter, a fictitious Norwegian woman who lived in the 14th century. Kristin grows up in Sel in Gudbrandsdalen, the daughter of a well-respected and affluent farmer. She experiences a number of conflicts in her relationships with her parents and her husband, Erlend in medieval Norway. She finds comfort and conciliation in her Catholic faith and eventually dies at peace with her world.
[edit] Plot summary
Kristin Lavransdatter is the daughter of Lavrans, a charismatic, much-respected farmer in a rural area of Norway, and his depressive wife Ragnfrid. Raised in a loving yet stern family, Kristin develops a sensitive but willful character, defying her family in small and large ways. At an early age, she is exposed to various tragedies, and a trip to Oslo proves to define her outlook on life.
She is betrothed to a neighor's son, Simon Darre, but falls in love with the knight Erlend Nikulaussøn, from the estate of Husaby in Trøndelag, whom she meets and falls in love with while staying at a nunnery in Oslo. Erlend is living under the Church's ban because of his affair with Eline, the wife of another knight. They have two children together, Orm and Margret. These children have no legal rights since they were born of an adulterous relationship.
Erlend and Kristin begin a passionate affair that is sealed with Erlend's seduction of Kristin and their eventual complicity in the death of Eline -- both great sins in the eyes of the Church. After three and a half years, Lavrans cannot bear to oppose his beloved daughter any longer and agrees to allow the two to be married. They are formally betrothed, but before the wedding, Kristin becomes pregnant. Out of shame, she keeps this a secret from everyone, including Erlend, and is wed wearing a golden wreath, a privilege reserved for virgin brides.
The second book opens with Kristin's arrival at Husaby. She is suffering from remorse for her sins and fears for her unborn child. Her relationship with Erlend is no longer the careless one of days past, as she can see that he is impetuous and wasteful of his possessions although his passion for her is unchanged. She gives birth to a son, Nikulaus (Naakkve for short), who to her surprise is healthy and whole in spite of the circumstances of his conception.
After confessing to her parish priest, Kristin undertakes a pilgrimage to St. Olav's shrine in Trondheim to do penance and give thanks for her son's birth. She donates her golden wreath, which she wore undeservedly at her wedding, to the shrine.
Over the following years, Kristin and Erlend have six more sons together, as Kristin becomes the head of the household. She must deal with her husband's weaknesses while running the estate, raising her children as well as those of Erlend's former mistress, and trying to remain faithful to her religion. During these years, her parents die and her sister is married to Simon Darre, although he secretly still loves Kristin.
Erlend, impulsive to the point of recklessness, runs afoul with the political powers of his time and is imprisoned. Through the efforts of Kristin's former fiance, Simon, his life is spared but his property must be forfeited to the crown. Husaby is lost to them. The only property left to the family is Kristin's childhood farm, Jørundgård.
Kristin, Erlend, and their children return to Jørundgård but fail to gain the acceptance of the community. Hardship forges strong family bonds and highlights Kristin's sense of obligations to her family and her faith. Erlend dies after he and Kristin find peace with each other.
After handing the farm over to her third son and his wife, Kristin returns to Trondheim, where she is accepted as a lay member of a nunnery. When the Black Plague arrived in Norway in 1349, Kristin dedicates herself to nursing the ill before she herself succumbs to the plague.
Undset wrote a tetralogy, "The Master of Hestviken", which takes place around the same time as Kristin Lavransdatter. Kristin's parents make a brief appearance in this book, near the end of the part called "The Snake Pit". They are depicted as young married people, playing with their baby son. They are a happy and prosperous couple at their first home in Skog, before Kristin's birth. The unfortunate life of Olav, the main character of "The Master of Hestviken", stands in stark contrast to the happiness and good fortune of the young couple. Anyone who has read "Kristin Lavransdatter" knows that Kristin's parents eventually lose all their sons in infancy, and suffer many other misfortunes and sorrows in their life.
[edit] Characters in Kristin Lavransdatter
- Kristin Lavransdatter, the protagonist
- Lavrans Bjørgulfsson, her father (also referred to as Lavrans Langmandsson)
- Ragnfrid Ivarsdatter, Kristin's mother
- Simon Darre (also called Simon Andresson), initially engaged to Kristin
- Erlend Nikulausson, the weak and handsome knight who seduces and marries Kristin
- Ulvhild Lavransdatter, Kristin's younger sister left chronically ill and unable to walk after an accident
- Ramborg Lavransdatter, Kristin's youngest sister and wife of Simon Darre
- Åashild Gautesdatter of Dovre, a wise, witch woman whom Kristin befriends. She is Erlend's aunt.
- Laurentius Lagmand, brother of Lavrans' grandfather who fled Sweden
- Lady Bengta, taken out of a Swedish convent by Laurentius Lagmand and carried off to Norway
- Kristin Sigurdsdatter, Lavrans' mother
- Åasmund Bjørgulfsson, Lavrans' brother and master at the Skog homestead
- Gyrid, Åasmund's wife
- Ketil Åasmundsson of Skog, son of Åasmund and first cousin to Kristin
- Sigurd Kyrning, husband of Åasmund's oldest daughter Ragna
- Ivar Gjesling, father of Ragnfrid and grandfather of Kristin
- Trond Ivarsson (also called Trond Gjesling) Ragnfrid's brother
- Ivar, Borgar, Guttorm, and Haavard Trondsson (also called Gjeslings), sons of Trond, first cousins of Kristin, and friends of Erlend.
- Sigurd Eldjarn of Sundbu, first cousin to Kristin (her mother's sister's son)
- Arne Gyrdson, Kristin's childhood friend and foster-brother
- Sira Eirik, parish priest at Kristin's childhood home in Jørundgaard
- Bentein Priestson, grandson of Sira Eirik and murderer of Arne
- Sira Solmund, new parish priest at Jørundgaard, succeeding Sira Eirik
- Guldsveinen, Lavrans' horse
- Soten, Erlend's horse
- Margygren, Erlend's ship
- Gunnulf, Erlend's brother
- Lady Gunna, Kristin's midwife
- Sira Eiliv, parish priest at Husaby, Erlend's home
- Eline Ormsdatter, Erlend's mistress in his youth
- Orm, son of Erlend and Eline and stepson of Kristin
- Margret, daughter of Erlend and Eline, and stepdaughter of Kristin
- Gaute Erlendsson, Erlend's mother's father
- Nikulaus Munanson, Erlend's father
- Baard Munanson, Nikulaus's brother and first husband of Åashild
- Magnhild, mother of Erlend and sister of Åashild
(Note: two brothers married two sisters.)
- Bjørn Gunnarsson, Lady Åashild's second husband
- Baard Peterson, Erlend's foster-father and brother of Erlend's grandfather, Gaute Erlendsson
- Ulf Haldorsson, servant and friend to Kristin and Erlend and illegitimate son of Baard Peterson
- Haldor, Ulf's nephew and servant of Kristin
- Jardtrud Herbrandsdatter, wife of Ulf
- Sunniva Olavsdatter, wife of Thorolf. She has a brief affair with Erlend with tragic consequences
- Haftor Olavsson of Godøy, friend of Erlend and brother of Sunniva
- Andres Gudmondson of Dyfrin, Simon Darre's father
- Gyrd and Gudmund Darre, Simon's brothers
- Sigrid Andresson, sister of Simon
- Geirmund Hersteinsson of Kruke, Sigrid's husband, harpist and singer
- Gjavvald, originally betrothed to Sigrid
- Lady Halfrid of Manvik, Simon's first wife
- Arngjerd, Simon's illegitimate daughter by Lady Halfrid's servant
- Andres Simonson, son of Simon and Ramborg
- Jammaelt Halvardsson of Ælin, Ramborg's second husband
- Brynhild Fluga (also called Brynhild Jonsdatter), owner of a brothel in Oslo and mother of two of Munan Baardson's children
- Naakve, Bjørgulf, Gaute, Ivar, Skule, Lavrans, Munan, and Erlend. Kristin's sons.
- Signi, Ivar's wife
- Jofrid, Gaute's wife
- Erlend Gautesson, Kristin's grandson.
Undset put some real historical characters into the novel:
- King Magnus VII (also called Magnus Eiriksson), King of Norway and Sweden 1319-1343
- Lady Ingebørg Haakonsdatter, mother of King Magnus
- Knut Porse, Lady Ingebørg's lover
- Erling Vidkunsson, "Drotsete" (Regent or High Steward) of Norway 1322-1330 under King Magnus. In the story, he is related to Erlend and Lady Halfrid, and is a lifelong friend of Erlend.
- Munan Baardson, friend of Lady Ingebørg and Knut Porse. In the story he is son of Åshild and cousin to Erlend.
- Jon and Sigurd Haftorsson, King Magnus's cousins who plotted to overthrow him
- Paal Baardson, Chancellor of Norway 1330, an old antagonist of Erling Vidkunsson.
[edit] Major themes
The cycle is set in medieval Norway, in the middle of a lengthy transition from paganism to Catholicism and eventually the Reformation. Undset's narrative unfolds against the backdrop of stunning natural landscapes, the great uncertainties facing people of the time, and the awesome power of the church.
Undset also places great emphasis on the detail of daily life at the time - the customs, crafts, and personalities that dominated local, relatively isolated communities.
Undset wove Norwegian folk stories and themes into the novel. Mentally retarded children are believed to be changelings. As a young child, Kristin sees an elf maiden. Years later, when she spends a night on the mountain with a group of pilgrims, they hear footsteps and a door slamming on the mountainside: the Mountain King, no doubt.
Erlend speaks a folk proverb when he is put in prison -- "When kine lie mired, 'tis for the owners to hang onto their tails". In other words, since he took a leadership role in the plot, he expects to take the brunt of the punishment.
[edit] Literary significance & criticism
Kristin Lavransdatter was notable and to some extent controversial in its time, for its explicit characterization of sex in general and female sexuality in particular; its portrayal of the Catholic faith in the past of a country that was (and is) overwhelmingly Protestant; and its treatment of morally ambiguous situations.
It was the main basis for Undset being rewarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The original translation to English was made in the 1920s by Charles Archer. His choice of archaic and stilted English phrasing ("thee", "I trow", "methinks" etc.) is considered by critics today to cloud Undset's clear prose and make it unnecessarily formal and clumsy. Other bowdlerizations include a sexually explicit scene being edited out of the English edition at the time. A new and complete translation by Tiina Nunnally was recently released by Penguin Classics, and this translation is considered by many critics to be the superior of the two.
[edit] Allusions/references from other works
Kristin Lavransdatter is considered one of the great novels in Norwegian and world literature. In particular, it is held as a standard for historical fiction.
[edit] Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science
Undset's characterizations of the ethnology and history of 14th century Norway have held up as archeological and literary evidence has emerged since its writing.
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
- Kristin Lavransdatter, 1995, directed by Liv Ullman
[edit] Trivia
- Several of the sites mentioned in the novels have been made into museums and destination along the Norwegian countryside, including Jørundgard medieval center, The Kristin Days, and other events
- The plot of Kristin Lavransdatter is used as a minor plot point in the 2007 Academy Award winning animated short, The Danish Poet.
