The Wreath: Kristin Lavransdatter #1

Lavrans is presented as a man of honor and piety, loyal to a fault and concerned above all with God and caring for his family. Married at a young age to a woman three years his elder, he made the decision to move south in order for his wife to live more closely to her relatives, giving evidence of his kind nature and sacrificial attitude towards his wife and children. The community benefits by his actions, whether he is giving alms and food in times of hardship, or when tragedy strikes, as during the Church fire where he was directly involved in salvaging as much as possible from the wreckage.

Closely attentive to the Church calendar and the laws of the Church—observing all feast days and times of fasting with strict regularity—he is also full of joy, and “had a lively spirit in his own way” (5), willing to sing and dance when the occasion called for it. His oldest daughter, Kristin, holds a special place in his heart as the firstborn daughter who survived when her older brothers had all died in infancy, Lavrans is always keen to give special favors to Kristin or to treat her in a way that is especially kind and loving. This demeanor is, unfortunately, also the cause of his great disappointment and sorrow when Kristin begins to make unwise choices, ultimately leading to a great rift between father and daughter as they wage war over her choice to wed the infamous Erlend Nikulausson.

Of all the characters in the novel, Lavrans is put forth as the moral compass, even more so than the local parish priest (whose moral character is questionable). There is scarcely a time where Lavrans’s decisions are not clearly the most prudent and most well-advised among those of any other individuals. Even when he and Kristin are most sternly at odds with one another, he is quite clear that even though he grieves over the anger he holds in his heart at her decisions, he could never stop loving and caring for her. Even when dealing with his wife, who is often cold and distant, he is willing to care for the family at his own expense.

The wife of Lavrans, Ragnfrid is a much more enigmatic character than either her husband or her daughter. As Kristin is the main protagonist, the reader is given access to Kristin’s inner thoughts, and Lavrans is presented as a relatively transparent and straightforward personality; Ragnfrid, on the other hand, has a much more mysterious personality and often presents conflicting emotions. It is clear from the beginning that she has a complicated relationship with Kristin, as seen in her first trip away from home with her father. Ragnfrid is curiously antagonistic when her daughter is excited to be traveling with her father and Ragnfrid attempts to elicit feelings of guilt from Kristin—“Are you so happy then, Kristin, to be going so far away from me, and for such a long time?” (23)—giving evidence of a strained relationship.

As the narrative progresses, it is clear that Ragnfrid has spent her entire marriage feeling guilty and angry about a number of things. She went into her marriage in love with Lavrans while knowing that he did not love her in the same way. Additionally, with each successive death of their children, she sunk deeper and deeper into depression, not only with her own feelings of sorrow but also with feelings of not being good enough, or useful enough, to her husband: “You should curse me—strike me [...]” (295) she says, hoping that in some way, if she could be made to suffer it would make up for all the years of disappointment. Ragnfrid represents the kind of life that Kristin is unwittingly entering into: a life of married misery of her own doing, the only difference being that Ragnfrid at least was married to a good man while Kristin seems—at least at this point—to have made a poor choice of a husband.

Erlend Nikulausson, the stepson of Fru Aashild and the heir to the estate at Husaby, is the central cog around which the vast majority of Kristin’s miseries revolve. A handsome and charismatic figure, Erlend rescues Kristin and her companion from the hands of ruffians while they are out on a walk while at the abbey of Nonnestater. From that point on he is a constant fixture in Kristin’s thoughts. After rescuing Kristin, he chances to meet her again at another event. He woos her and eventually sleeps with her, vowing to marry her one day.

Erlend’s past is complicated as he had at one time been excommunicated for taking the wife of a well-respected judge, Eline Ormsdatter, as his mistress and fathering two children by her. Though this affair had begun when he was very young, it continued for over a decade and is something that he initially kept from Kristin. Erlend is the epitome of recklessness, narcissism, and manipulation; though he is genuinely in love with Kristin, he does not know what love is, or what love requires, and refuses to take any responsibility for the consequences of his actions, routinely downplaying the negative consequences of his decisions.

In refusing to care that Kristin is already engaged, Erlend reveals that he gives no thought to Kristin’s reputation or the institution of marriage. He cares more for his own pleasure than Kristin’s long-term happiness. In failing to return Lavrans’s wagon after borrowing it to transfer Kristin’s belongings to their new home at the Husaby estate, Erlend shows that he cannot be trusted to fulfill a promise or think of the good of others. While Erlend does possess a few redeeming qualities—he is brave when rescuing Kristin and helping with the Church fire—he fails to take care of the most important things in life.

Feared by most of the locals, Fru Aashild has the reputation of being a witch in Jørundgaard. Coming to the aid of Ulvhild at Ragnfrid’s beckoning, Aashild is a last resort for the townsfolk because “the bishop of Oslo and the canons of the cathedral had sat in judgment on her” (41). A complex woman, Fru Aashild is an older woman who is still beautiful and who becomes a friend to Kristin, almost acting like a surrogate mother. Aashild gives Kristin advice when Kristin feels that there is nobody she can trust. After discovering the extent to which Kristin and Erlend have become entangled, Aashild gives what assistance she can to try and ensure that their relationship will be favorable and eventually end in marriage.

Simon is the second son of Sir Andres Gudmundsøn and Kristin’s betrothed during the first half of the novel. A heavyset and rather unremarkable young man of 20, Simon has ambition and authority but lacks the kind of passion to which Kristin is attracted. Faithful to Kristin throughout their engagement, he eventually discovers that Kristin has failed to reciprocate his feelings, eventually discovering that she has become attached to Erlend. Though enraged at the behavior of Erlend in regard to Kristin’s honor, Simon does everything he can to protect Kristin’s reputation, ending their engagement and quickly marrying someone else.