Hrafninn

by Vilborg Davíðsdóttir

Naaja er ung kona sem elst upp meðal inúíta á Grænlandi á 15. öld. Hún samlagast illa og er gerð brottræk úr samfélaginu ásamt sérvitrum föður sínum. Þá gerast voveiflegir atburðir sem reyna á styrk hennar svo um munar.

Hrafninn er spennandi og áhrifarík skáldsaga um framandi menningu og það sem gerist þegar ástir og örlög rekast á þykka veggi fordóma og hefða.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

312 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Vilborg Davidsdottir was born in 1965 in Thingeyri, a village in the remote Westfjord Peninsula of Iceland. Her background is in journalism and ethnology (folkloristics). In her MA thesis in ethnology, she wrote about the storytelling tradition in the Shetland Isles, UK. Vilborg worked in various media from 1985 to 2000. Since then, she has dedicated herself to writing.

Her tenth and latest book, Under Yggdrasil (2020), is a gripping novel inspired by the Icelandic Sagas, set in the early Viking Age, as was her acclaimed trilogy of novels on Aud the Deep-Minded, the first of which was nominated for the Icelandic Prize for Literature. Vilborg’s historical novels have been tremendously popular over the last decades, especially as they throw a new and unexpected light on the lives of women in the Viking Age. For further information on Under Yggdrasil, see http://www.davidsdottir.is/new-under-...

Her first novel, Við Urðarbrunn, (By Urd’s Well) was published in 1993 and a sequel, Nornadómur (Norns’ Judgement) in 1994. These tell the story of a young slave woman in 9th century Iceland, the daughter of a Norwegian chieftain settler and his Irish slave, and her pursuit for freedom. The story is set in Iceland, Scandinavia and the Scottish Isles.
Við Urðarbrunn was awarded by the Icelandic section of IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) in 1994, and a year later, the sequel, Nornadómur, received the Reykjavík School Council Award. In 2001 the books were published in a single volume titled Korku saga. Both novels have enjoyed great popularity in all age groups and have been widely read in secondary schools, ever since the first publication.

Vilborg's third book, Eldfórnin (1997) is a historical novel set in the 14th century, and takes place in the nunnery at Kirkjubaer in South Iceland. The events of Vilborg's fourth novel, Galdur (2000) are also based on historical events, this time in the 15th century, in Skagafjord in North Iceland, when Englishmen dominated the trade and were highly influental in Iceland.

Sources describing the lives of the Inuit and the Norse inhabiting Greenland in the middle 15th century provide the background for Vilborg's fifth novel, Hrafninn (2005). The story touches on the mysterious disappearance of the settlements started in Greenland by Icelandic settlers around the year 1000. Hrafninn was nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize. Film rights have been sold to an Icelandic film maker, Köggull ehf.

Auður (2009), Vilborg’s sixth novel, tells the story of the only Viking woman known to have led her own independent settlement expedition to Iceland. Aud the Deep-Minded was married to the first Viking king of Dublin in Ireland and set sail from the British Isles to Iceland where she settled in the west of the country, setting her slaves free. Auður was also nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize. A sequel, Vígroði (Crimson Skies) was published in 2012 and the last book of this trilogy, Blóðug jörð, (Ocean Road), in 2017. The novels about Aud the Deep-Minded have been highly praised by readers and critics alike and the rights to produce TV series based on the trilogy have been sold to Deepminded3 AB in Sweden.

In autumn 2017 Vilborg put on a storytelling show about Aud, performed at the Settlement Centre in Borgarnes, Iceland. The event turned out to be quite popular, so much that it was run till spring 2019, with each of the 30 events sold out.

Vilborg’s memoir, Ástin, drekinn og dauðinn (On Love, Dragons and Dying) was published in 2015. Here, she tells the story of her husband’s journey with terminal brain cancer, “the Dragon”, and her first year as a widow following his death in 2013. This unique memoir has been highly acclaimed by readers and critics alike.

Reviews

[Hildur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very clearly split into two parts.

I absolutely loved the first part of the book about Naaja growing up in the village, how she had to cope with people's prejudice and judgement towards her as well as her time away from the village in the small cottage (maybe it wasn't a cottage? I can't remember). It was great seeing how she grew as a person as the book went along.
I loved the atmosphere of Greenland in the time this novel is supposed to be happening (15th century, I think it was) and how it was full of mystery and magic.

Then when new characters are added in the middle of the book and the storyline changes, everything starts feeling a bit rushed. It's like the writer realised she had a deadline so she didn't really bother doing the last bits properly.

I should probably just cut this book in half, give somebody the 2nd half of it, pretend it never existed and rate this book 5 stars.

[Elín Vigdís · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besta bók Vilborgar mörg ár síðan ég las hana en lifir enn með mér.

[Sigríður Guðrún · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mögnuð bók

[Freydís Þrastardóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Áhugaverð bók með skemmtilega innsýn í líf inúíta.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

945 besiedelten die Mannschaften von 14 isländischen Schiffen unter Führung Eriks des Roten Grönlands Westküste. Überreste mittelalterlicher Siedlungen bestätigen diese Überlieferung. 800 Jahre später konnten keine Nachkommen der "Bleichen" mehr in Grönland gefunden werden; Hungersnöte oder Piratenübefälle könnten Grund dafür sein.

"Die Winterfrau" spielt Mitte des 15. Jahrhunderts. In Davídsdóttirs historischem Roman treffen Naaja, eine Inuit, die zweimal von ihrem Stamm verstoßen wurde, und Mikjáll aufeinander, ein Isländer aus einer Siedlung an der grönländischen Südspitze, der in den "nördlichen Jagdgründen" von seiner Jagdgruppe getrennt wurde. Isländer und Inuit halten Angehörige des jeweils anderen Volkes allein aufgrund ihres Aussehens nicht für Menschen. Naaja weiß von Mikjálls Leuten nur, das sie behaarte Körper haben und nicht sehr geschickt im Herstellen warmer Kleidung sind. Mikjáll hält zunächst unter dem Einfluss des Christentums Inuit nicht für Menschen, bis er durch Naajas Güte und Fürsorge überwältigt wird.

Inuit konnten in der unwirtlichen Umgebung nur überleben, wenn jeder Jäger, der Jagdglück hatte, seine Beute teilte. In Zeiten des Hungers wurden unnütze Stammesmitglieder, wie Alte und unfruchtbare Frauen, zurückgelassen. Naaja und ihr Vater, als Außenseiter verstoßen, konnten nur deshalb außerhalb eines Stamms eine Weile überleben, weil Naaja zusätzlich zu den Frauenarbeiten (Bearbeitung von Fleisch und Häuten) als geschickte Jägerin zum Lebensunterhalt beitrug. Der Alltag der Inuit-Frauen war bestimmt durch ständige Arbeit; das Leben aller durch strenge Regeln, mit der die Inuit ihre Achtung gegenüber Natur und Jagdbeute ausdrückten. Kurze Zeit lebt Naaja nach kinderloser Ehe mit einem Angakok, einem erfahrenen Schamanen der Inuit zusammen, der ihr den Zugang zu ihrer besonderen Begabung öffnet. Mikjáll findet sie in erbärmlichem Zustand nach dessen Zusammentreffen mit einem Eisbären. Ohne Naajas Pflege und Fertigkeiten hätte Mikjáll den grönländischen Winter nicht überlebt; beide lieben einander. Die Reaktion seiner Jagdgruppe, die gemeinsam in einer von Landsleuten angelegten Jagdhütte überwintert hat, auf Naaja lässt Mikjáll ahnen, zu welchen Problemen seine Beziehung zu Naaja in seiner vom Pfarrer streng geführten isländischen Siedlung führen wird.

Fazit
Vilborg Davídsdóttir macht es ihren Leserinnen leicht, sich beim Lesen ihrer historischen Romane mit deren Heldinnen zu identifizieren. Die Inuit sind einfach und gut, die christlichen Priester verbohrt. Durch Landkarten und ein Nachwort der Autorin lassen sich die Ereignisse den verschiedenen Schauplätzen zeitlich und räumlich gut zuordnen. Besonders ansprechend fand ich den ersten Teil, der Naajas Heranwachsen beschreibt und ihre Außenseiterrolle plausibel herleitet, sowie die vielen Details aus dem Alltag einer Inuit-Frau.

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heillandi söguleg skáldsaga eftir Vilborgu sem lýsir uppvexti inúítastúlkunnar Naaju sem glímir við andúð og erfiðar aðstæður í samfélaginu. Fyrri hluti sögunnar lýsir lífi hennar á meðal inúíta en sá síðari því þegar hún kynnist norrænum mönnum sem þá byggðu Grænland.
Mér fannst fyrri hlutinn sérlega vel heppnaður þar sem siðir, trú og bönn skiptu miklu máli en í þeim síðari skoðar Vilborg nokkuð hvernig brokkgeng samskipti inúíta og norrænu mannanna voru.
Sagan var tilnefnd til íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunanna og er velheppnuð söguleg saga sem opnar fyrir okkur hugarheim lítilla samfélaga áður fyrr sem glímdu við óblíð náttúruöfl.

[Guðfinna Harpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Þemu bókarinnar eru fordómar fyrir því óvenjulega, kynbundið ofbeldi og ástir og örlög. Söguleg skáldsaga sem er þroskasaga Naaju ungrar inúítakonu á Grænlandi. Bókin er í grunninn tvískipt en ólíkt mörgum sem skrifa umsögn finnst mér seinni hlutinn ekki mikið síðri en sá fyrri, bara ólíkur. Bókin er skemmtileg, spennandi og flæðir vel. Klassísk Vilborg sem klikkar ekki, ein af mínum uppáhalds höfundum.

[Kristinn Logi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Þetta fannst mér æðisleg bók. Ævintýri fyrir fullorðna byggt á heimildum, mér fannst hlutirnir ljóslifandi og fekk vatn í munninn þegar ég söguhetjan borðaði sjóðheita lifrina úr bráðinni osfrv. Fyrri hlutinn skemmtilegri og einstaklega flottar og nákvæmar lýsingar á veiðiaðferðum og búnaði.

Stefni að því að lesa allt eftir hana Vilborgu sem er núna í uppáhaldi.

[Ragnheiður · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couln't put it down. I loved reading about the Inuk's customs and their stories. I also liked the focus on the cultural differences. I thought the author's explanation of the disappearance of the nordic settlement in Greenland very interesting.

[Þórólfur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las þessa í framhaldi af Galdri sem mér fannst ekki eins góð og Hrafninn. Vilborg hefur greinilega sett sig vel inn í lífshætti Inúíta þannig að lesandinn fær góða innsýn í siði og samfélag þeirra. Bókin vann á og á tímabili gat ég ekki hætt að lesa - þó fannst mér endirinn frekar snubbóttur.

[Dagbjört Ásgeirsdóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, but enchanting. It kept me.

[Snædís Ósk · Rating 5 out of 5]

No! It can't be over! Not yet!
I want more ... *sobs*

[Inga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ég er sökker fyrir sögulegum skáldsögum.