The Legend of the Ice People

The Legend of the Ice People (in Norwegian language Sagaen om Isfolket) is a 47-volume story of a family bloodline, first published in 1982.^[1] The author of the series is Margit Sandemo. The novels are predominantly based in Scandinavia and focus on historical fact, but contain some fantastical elements. The series first began as a feuilleton in the Norwegian magazine Hjemmet. The first volume was released 1982, and the series became one of the best-selling series of novels in Scandinavia, with more than 39 million copies sold.^[2]

The series was originally published in Norwegian, but have been translated into over eight languages including Swedish, Polish, Icelandic, Russian, Hungarian and English.

The Legend

Once upon a time, many centuries ago, Thengil the Evil went out to the wilderness and sold his soul to the Devil. He became the forefather of the Ice People. For wealth and power, one of his descendants, in every generation, would be cursed to serve the devil and perform evil deeds. Their distinguishing feature would be yellow cat eyes and they would possess magical powers. Some say they will never be free of the curse until they unearth the urn containing the potion that Tengel the Evil used to summon the Devil. It is said one day a child of his blood will be born, gifted with knowledge and wisdom the like of which the world has never known before who will end the family curse. So says the legend but no one knows if it’s true.

In the 16th century, a cursed child of the Ice People was born. He tried to turn evil to good, and therefore he was called Thengil the Good. This saga is about his family. Or rather it is about the women in his family.

Plot

The story begins in Trondheim, Norway in 1581, with the story of Silje Arngrimsdotter, and how she comes into contact with the Ice People, a community of outcasts living in an isolated valley. From there on it follows the Ice People through the centuries, with members of the clan migrating from Norway to Denmark and Sweden. Other members of the clan wind up in or visit various corners of Europe and Asia over the course of the series.

The Ice People are cursed with a terrible forefather, Tengel the Evil, whose actions resulted in at least one cursed individual being born in every generation. The cursed individuals were born with magical and mystical abilities, but also the potential for bottomless evil. The cursed men have yellow eyes, malformed shoulder blades and Mongol features, while the cursed women have yellow eyes, but are otherwise beautiful. Some cursed individuals fight their tendency for evil, whilst others embrace it.

Each book tells a separate story, very often the story of one or a few individuals of the clan. Quite often the protagonist of each book is a female, sometimes of the Ice People, but sometimes one who will marry into the clan. Many of the books also focus on the cursed individuals, their battle with their evil tendencies, and also how they utilise their powers, be it for good or evil.

Throughout the series, the cursed and their helpers steadily increase their efforts to rid the clan of the curse from Tengel the Evil. But the beastly forefather is not dead, he is merely sleeping, awaiting a special signal that will wake him up and allow him to take over the entire world with a reign of terror. Before this signal is played his descendants must find a way to defeat Tengel and rid themselves and the world of his curse. The end battle will require the birth of a very special individual as well as the help of some powerful mythological creatures.

Adaptations

Stage

In 2008 stage productions based upon the first three novels in the Legend of the Ice People premiered, receiving positive reviews from critics.^[3]

Television

In 2011 it was announced that a television adaptation of the series was being planned, with an estimated length of 200 episodes.^[4]

The Legend of the Ice People

References