Kristin Lavransdatter

Kristin turns 17. Her former fiancée, Simon Darre, is now betrothed to a wealthy older widow. Lavrans wishes that his daughter would give up her love for Erlend, and he tries to explain to her why he refused her request to marry such a dishonorable, impetuous man. Ragnfrid sides with her daughter, hinting to her husband that Kristin may choose love over honor and give herself to Erlend regardless of any marriage, causing a “great misfortune” for the family. As evidence, she tells him about her love for someone else, someone whom she met before she married Lavrans. Ragnfrid then prays for her husband, her daughter, and herself, while reconfirming her love for Lavrans.

Erlend visits Aashild, his aunt who is renowned for her knowledge of magic and healing. He wants Aashild to help him to lure Kristin away from her family so he will be able to marry her in a secret ceremony and then run away to Sweden. Aashild reluctantly agrees. Kristin comes to Aashild’s farm, where she prepares to elope with Erlend. They are interrupted by the arrival of Eline, Erlend’s mistress and the wife of his former mentor. Erlend lived with Eline in sin, flouting law and honor by fathering two children with her. Eline reveals that her husband is now dead, allowing Erlend to marry her as honor demands and as he has promised. Eline offers Kristin a drink; Kristin, correctly deducing that the drink is poison, demands that Erlend choose between the two women. When Erlend tries to make Eline drink the poison, she draws his knife and tries to attack him. Instead, she stabs herself. Eline dies and Erlend quickly recruits Aashild’s husband Bjørn to lie on his behalf, creating a story in which Eline took her own life after a disagreement elsewhere. They take away the body to be buried in a church.

Erlend and Kristin make their escape, but their plans for elopement are discarded. At Jørundgaard, the injured Ulvhild becomes increasingly sick. Her sickness forces Kristin to contemplate her own sins. When Ulvhild dies, Lavrans is distraught but solemn. Nothing he can say will convince Kristin to abandon her love for Erlend. He gradually changes his mind regarding Kristin’s betrothal.

Erlend’s foster father and friend, Sir Munan Baardsøn and Sir Baard Petersøn of Hestnes, visit Lavrans to discuss the marriage. Lavrans reluctantly admits that their proposal is reasonable and, with a lingering hesitation, gives his approval. He shakes hands with the men on the condition that the betrothal “should last a year” (246).

The betrothal does not fill Kristin with the joy that she had expected. One day, she meets her former betrothed, the now-married Simon. A short time later, she comes across Brother Edvin on the road. The old monk is terribly sick. She helps him to her home and tries to nurse him back to health. On his sick bed, he provides spiritual guidance to the local people. He recovers enough to make one last journey and to counsel Kristin one last time, but he dies in a monastery a short time later. His good deeds make him a candidate for sainthood. His death takes a great toll on Kristin, who considers herself a sinner. She feels “quite cut off from the person she had been” before she met Erlend (254).

In spite of the wedding still being months away, Kristin reluctantly has sex with Erlend at his insistence and becomes pregnant. She feels nauseous and hides the pregnancy from everyone. The local church catches on fire during a storm. The people rush to save whatever is inside; Lavrans and Erlend recover many of the most valuable religious artefacts, putting their lives at risk to do so. Kristin fears that the destruction of the church bodes ominously for her wedding. When she goes to Sira Eirik, however, he criticizes her for being so prideful that she thinks her sins are important enough to warrant the destruction of the entire church. After his help during the fire, Lavrans warms to Erlend.

Aashild notices that Kristin is pregnant but tells no one. As the wedding approaches, however, Kristin wrestles with her conscience. She does not know whether she can go through with the ceremony while pretending that she and Erlend have not sinned together. She speaks to Aashild about the pain and suffering that has been caused by her relationship with Erlend. On the day of the wedding, the ceremony seems almost like a hallucination. Kristin is beset by visions of Eline, prompting her to pray to Saint Olav to protect her unborn child. Kristin, wearing her “heavy” (274) ceremonial crown, forces herself through the wedding and the feast. Later, she and Erlend are led to the bed chamber to spend the night together. They both cry, weeping with relief that they are finally married. After, Lavrans and Ragnfrid talk in private. They note that Kristin did not seem nervous; they accept that Kristin likely did not wait until this night to have sex with Erlend. Lavrans regrets that he allowed his daughter to marry a dishonorable man, who will “squander more of her life and happiness” (284). He reflects on the nature of love and whether he has ever loved anyone. The marriage between himself and Ragnfrid was arranged by their parents. Ragnfrid admits that she struggled to love her husband, though Lavrans has always been good to her. She admits to Lavrans that—like Kristin—she “wasn’t a maiden” (288) when they were wed. Lavrans is surprised that his wife was not a virgin, but he forgives her.