| Ronia, the Robber's Daughter | |
|---|---|
Trina Schart Hyman's cover for Ronia the Robber's Daughter (1985 Puffin Books edition) |
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| Author(s) | Astrid Lindgren |
| Original title | Ronja Rövardotter |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Publisher | Rabén & Sjögren |
| Publication date | 1981 |
| Pages | 235 pp |
| ISBN | 91-29-54877-2 |
| OCLC Number | 9462379 |
| LC Classification | MLCS 82/9917 |
Ronia the Robber's Daughter (Swedish: Ronja Rövardotter) is a children's fantasy book by the noted Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, first published in 1981. In the film based on the story, Ronia was played by Hanna Zetterberg Struwe.
Contents |
Ronia, the main character, is a girl growing up in a castle in the wood in a clan of robbers. As she is the only child of Mattis, the chief, she is expected to become the leader of the clan someday. Their castle, Matt's Fort, is split in two parts by a lightning bolt on the day of Ronia's birth. Soon afterwards, a different clan of robbers, the "Borkas", settles the other side of the mountain, resulting in much strife between the two clans. Ronia grows up with Matt's clan of robbers as her only company. One day, Ronia sees Birk Borkason, the only son of the enemy chieftain, Borka, idling by the chasm that splits the two parts of the castle. He is the only other child she has ever met, and so she is sorry that he is a Borka. He engages her in a game of jumping across, which does not end until Birk almost falls down. Ronia saves him and they become friends.
The following winter is long and cold and although Matt's robbers are well fed, their counterparts are suffering on the other side of the chasm. Ronia brings food to Birk through a secret passageway. They get very close but both know that they cannot tell their families. Later that year Birk saves Ronia from being captured by the faeries only to be captured himself by Ronia's father. Ronia gives herself to the Borkas so she must be exchanged, but as a result her father disowns her and refuses to let her be his daughter. Birk and Ronia run away to the woods. Ultimately their families repent of their feuding, and everyone is reunited.
In 1984, the book was made into a Swedish fantasy film. It was directed by the Swedish film director Tage Danielsson and adapted for screenplay by Astrid Lindgren herself. It was a major success, becoming the highest-grossing 1984 film in Sweden,[1] and winning a Silver Bear at the 1985 Berlin International Film Festival.[2] More than 1.5 million people attended its screenings in Sweden.[3]
In 1994 the book was made into a German musical called "Ronja Räubertochter". The musical is written by Axel Bergstedt in the German language, and has orchestra, band and more than one hundred people on the stage.[4][5][6]
A production in the Balver Höhle was performed in 1993 and 2004 with its musical director Ralf Linke, Oberkirch (Baden) in 2006. The German adaptation was written by Barbara Hass.
Ronia the Robber's Daughter has been translated into 39 languages.[7] Two English translations exist which provide different translations of the Swedish names.
| Swedish, Ronja Rövardotter | English, 1983, Methuen Children's Books, The Robber's Daughter | English, 1985, Puffin Books, Ronia, the Robber's Daughter |
|---|---|---|
| Ronja | Kirsty | Ronia |
| Mattis | Matt | Matt |
| Lovis | Lena | Lovis |
| Borka | Ranulf | Borka |
| Undis | Hanna | Undis |
| Birk | Burl | Birk |
| Skalle-Per | Skinny-Pete | Noddle-Pete |
| Tjegge | Shaggy | Shaggy |
| Pelje | Proudfoot | Pelle |
| Fjosok | Fulke | Foolok |
| Jutis | Jolly | Jutto |
| Joen | Jip | Jep |
| Labbas | Knuckles | Knuckles |
| Knotas | Knott | Knott |
| Turre | Tapper | Tapper |
| Tjorm | Tobbit | Torm |
| Sturkas | Bumper | Bumper |
| Lill-Klippen | Snip | Little Snip |
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