Kristin Lavransdatter read-along | 2025

[TimeforaGandT]

Following on from The Count of Monte Cristo read-along in the first half of 2025, we are reading Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset for the second half of 2025.

The medieval epic tells the story of a passionate and headstrong woman from childhood in three books : The Wreath, The Wife and The Cross.

It’s a majestic 1124 pages in the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition which has been translated by Tiina Nunnally and this is the edition I am using for page number references. Kudos to anyone who is reading it in the original Norwegian.

There are 67 chapters in total (if I have counted correctly) and the consensus is to read three chapters a week / one every two days with Sundays off. I have ignored the Introduction as part of the read-along as, in my experience, there are often contain spoilers.

Starting on Monday, 7 July our first week looks like this:

The Wreath – Part 1 (Jørundgaard)

Monday / Tuesday – Chapter 1 (pages 5 to 21)
Wednesday / Thursday – Chapter 2 (pages 22 to 37)
Friday / Saturday – Chapter 3 (pages 38 – 47)
Sunday – day off

I will try and tag all those who have previously expressed interest.

Oh good, I didn't want to post spoilers when I had read ahead earlier. Certainly didn't foresee events!

Until this week, I had some sympathy for Kristin caught up in the flush of first love and unable to believe that anything can get in the way of true love. Whilst she was starry eyed, I could put it down to naivety and selfishness.

But this week's chapters have revealed much more of her character and shown her to be ruthless and lacking any kind of humanity - it seems to be completely at odds with her upbringing.

Whilst Eline brought the poison and was clearly willing to poison Kristin, I feel that her actions were driven by desperation. She is disgraced by having become Erlend's mistress, has two illegitimate children and is now being discarded. I have some sympathy for her. Also intrigued to know if Erlend was still sleeping with her when at his house.

Fru Aashild is clearly a very resourceful woman and may yet save Kristin's bacon. Although Kristin will probably fail to show appropriate gratitude!

It seems that Kristin's parents don't know the full extent of her involvement with Erlend whilst at the convent (and subsequently). Lavrans will be broken hearted if/when he discovers what went on. Very interesting to learn more about Kristin's parents and their relationship and it seems that whilst Kristin worshipped her father that she may be much more like her mother.

Can't wait to see what next week brings.....

I thought that Eline brought the poison for Erlend ('for all the times you betrayed me') but then changed her mind and tried to give it to Kristin. But I could be wrong. I agree that this episode was unexpected and shocking and also that we will consider Kristin very differently from now on.

Ah Fuzzy you're probably right and I have forgotten the detail. So, she had given up hope of getting him back.

I think so, Time. I think she came to do damage in one way or another. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of killing her either. A proud woman!

I think Fru Aashild managed the situation as best she could. Bjorn got roped into the get-away plan. He had more courage than Erlend. No surprise there.

Erlend seems to be pretty useless and trades on his looks!

I suppose if we are being sympathetic to Erlend we could say he thought he was protecting Kristin but it is a bit of a stretch. I think he did it because of the new baby. He comes across as very weak and selfish though rather than purposefully evil. Am very suprised Kristin isn't more shocked herself at his violence.

What eventful chapters! I’m surprised at Fru Aashild going along with it, she’s suffered from having been shunned by society and is not doing much to try to stop Kristin having the same fate. She’ll be burning her bridges with Lavrans. Also interested by Kristin’s saying that she might have behaved the same as Eline in her position. I agree Elaine’s new baby was what pushed him over the edge.

Re @cassandre’s point about not doing anything wrong by modern standards, I do think Kristin would still be judged for her behaviour today because she has been so reckless for basing the relationship on her first impressions when had she waited a little longer & thought about it, she might have made a different choice. I’m not sure whether she would have been put off by the previous relationship but I think she might have been put off by the mismanagement of his estate (and as soon as I typed the words “first impressions” I immediately began to think about characters like Willoughby from Jane Austen as Erland is definitely in that vein rather than a medieval style courtly lover). I also think the sheer sordidness of their meetings would be held against her - I suspect if this happened today, her family & friends would be deeply worried for her whereas less fond acquaintances would be very critical.

I also think the lack of safeguarding from the nuns & from her uncle is worrying & would still be so today. Both must have been aware of Erland’s reputation yet no-one put Kristin on her guard or supervised them even though she was so young & naive.

I also thought the conversation between Kristin & Erland about Fru Aashild & Bjorn was very telling where Erland’s memories how Bjorn’s earlier beauty was contrasted with Kristin’s less flattering opinion of him now. When I read it I wondered if it prefigured Erland’s future except that we now know that Bjorn is much braver than Erland.

Finally, I also thought that Simon improved as the reader got to know him. There are several signs that suggest that his relationship with Kristin could have gone very differently - there’s the bit after Arne’s death where she thinks about embracing him but doesn’t. Then there’s the later bit where she realises that she is not indifferent to him but she is too tied by then to Erland to break with Erland.

As the situation goes from bad to worse, this week we are reading:

Monday / Tuesday - Chapter 4 (pages 232 - 239)
Wednesday / Thursday - Chapter 5 - (pages 240 - 246)
Friday / Saturday - Chapter 6 (pages 247 - 254)

I am up to date but also had to read on a bit until the end of the volume. Interesting developments with Kristin's parents but have gone off Erland even more.

There is only 40 or so pages until end of book 1.

I’ll reserve full thoughts for when we’ve finished The Wreath, but I am very on the fence about the book, the characters and everything. I will definitely carry on though, I am committed now.

I fell behind but then I finished Book 1!

Loads of great comments, thank you everyone.

Initially I thought @AgualusasLover 's comment about Lady Macbeth was extreme, but actually, when I thought about it further, it makes a lot of sense. Erlend is the weaker one and Kristin is the one who is committed to following through. When I first read the scene of Eline's death, I didn't see Kristin as implicated, but when I reread it, I could see the significance of Kristin's role:
Then Kristin stepped forward and grabbed the horn. "One of us must drink - you can't keep both of us."

I agree that Kristin is not coming off well here, but part of me admires her determination to stand by the decision she has made. She refuses to shift the blame; she insists on her own agency. There's something feminist in that, even though her willingness to destroy another woman is strongly antifeminist.

The info about how Ragnfrid felt sexually frustrated in her marriage to Lavrans was almost painful to me (as though it were TMI!). @MotherOfCatBoy I find this comment of yours so insightful:
If Lavrans doesn’t have it in him to understand that kind of bond, it illuminates how he could arrange a marriage for Kristin with someone she doesn’t desire, and why he doesn’t understand what’s driving her now. It also means the mother and daughter have something in their nature in common.
Ragnfrid and Kristin are very attuned to erotic love; Lavrans (and maybe also Simon?) aren't.

When it comes to modern morality, I agree that Kristin is making a lot of dubious ethical decisions. But I'm still trying to distinguish somehow between decisions that involve poor judgement (because Erlend is not a great guy) and the idea that extramarital sex is de facto sinful.

About chs 4-6:

Ch 4. Kristin doesn't feel entirely at ease about what she has done; the death of her sister Ulvhild makes her feel guilty.

Ch 5. Lavrans thinks Kristin 'has not been raised to manage properties and riches herself.' Is he underestimating his daughter here? Lavrans thinks she needs to marry a man who will take the lead. Hmm.

Lavrans is very sceptical of romantic love. Yes, that sort of thing sounds so beautiful when we hear it in a courtly tale from the southern lands. But we are not in Bretland, and surely you would demand more of a man you intend to take as a son-in-law than that he had made your daughter swoon with love before everyone's eyes. Again, there's a lot of ambiguity here: is he right or wrong? On the one hand, he's right in saying that sexual desire on its own isn't enough to guarantee a good relationship. On the other hand, we know that he himself doesn't seem to appreciate the power of sexual desire ...

Ch 6. Kristin's dad has said yes, but she has misgivings. Interesting. She's starting to intuit at some deep level that Erlend isn't worthy of her?

The final scenes between Kristin and Brother Edvin are moving. In an era that precedes modern therapy/psychology, it seems like religion and Kristin's conversations with Edvin fill this void.

The last sentence of Ch 6 says, She was now quite cut off from the person she had been - the time when she was a maiden.

Is the wreath a symbol of maidenhood? if so Kristin is now out of the innocent sphere of the virginal wreath, and in a more complicated world.

I thought thé conversation between Erland’s relatives was interesting. One of them complains about the effort they have had to make asking Lavrans’ permission to the marriage given the previous assignations between Kristin and Erland. The other blames Erland for the assignations and hopes that Lavrans does not find out about the assignations as it would be better for Erland to get on well with Lavrans.

I thought thé conversation between Erland’s relatives was interesting. One of them complains about the effort they have had to make asking Lavrans’ permission to the marriage given the previous assignations between Kristin and Erland. The other blames Erland for the assignations and hopes that Lavrans does not find out about the assignations as it would be better for Erland to get on well with Lavrans.

Sorry, slightly behind schedule because of bank holiday.

This week's chapters are:

Monday / Tuesday - Chapter 7 (pages 255 - 268)
Wednesday / Thursday - Chapter 8 (pages 269 - 291)

Book 2, Part I

Friday/ Saturday - Chapter 1 (pages 297 - 316)

Kristin has made her bed and now she is going to have to lie in it - does she have regrets and if not yet will she regret her choices in the future?

Is the wreath a symbol of maidenhood? if so Kristin is now out of the innocent sphere of the virginal wreath, and in a more complicated world

I assumed that that's what it meant.

Its interesting that as Kristin is growing up and becoming more worldly not only is her relationship with Lavrans changing, but the way he is portrayed is changing too. He has changed from this incredibly strong and fair lord to someone who is growing tired as he ages, he feels the responsibility of getting those who rely on him through tough times, he resents feeling obliged to agree to Erlend higher ranking relatives, when he is trying to do the right thing, and has lost the will to fight with Kristin any longer.*

I seem to remember at the beginning of the book they mentioned that although it was obvious he wasn't in love with or attracted to his wife, he never sought sex outside the marriage with other women. His attitude to sex is obviously very different from that of his feisty womenfolk!

*anyone who has had an enraged teenaged DC shout accusingly at them 'You just don't want me to make the mistakes you made!' will know this feeling (sigh)

Thanks @cassandre
I think Lavrans is really blind to an aspect of his daughter’s (and wife’s) personality: sexuality. As pp have said though, that doesn’t necessarily make Erland a great choice. Just that Simon wasn’t really great for her either. Arne would have been but was too poor.
Also not great that he doesn’t think Kristin can manage property. Her mother seems capable enough. Maybe Lavrans can’t help seeing Kristin as some little girl/ princess who has to be looked after by practically a knight in shining armour. Life’s not like that!
Which makes his « we’re not in Bretland » comment double edged - we don’t live in fairy stories, yet he won’t recognise his daughter’s true character and that she is growing up.

(Looks up the note for « Bretland » - « old Norse name for Wales » 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️ - looks like our myths and stories travelled a long way!)

I am late in updating on last week.

Having held firm on her position (which I do admire as it would have been easy for her to crumble), Kristin has got what she wanted. But does she still want Erlend - I sense some doubt and unease creeping in. She has been so fixated on marrying him that I think she is only now considering what that will mean.

I find it very sad that Lavrans remains ignorant of Erlend and Kristen's behaviour and everyone else is gossiping about it behind his back. I feel it diminishes him when he has been trying to do what he believes to be the right thing under the circumstances that he believes to be true. And all whilst dealing with the death of his other daughter. I agree that Lavrans has transformed from the vigorous "hero" figure of the early chapters to almost a broken man.

Onto this week's chapters.....

The portrayal of Lavrans is very wise and nuanced, I’m finding. There’s a lot of hinterland.

Ive finished this week’s chapters and can’t wait to discuss them.

As an aside - is anyone else enjoying the Little-House-On-The-Prairie-esque details of all the household craft and food preparation and self sufficiency? The author must have done a lot of research about medieval life and I find I’m enjoying the physical descriptions a lot (weaving, spinning,brewing, feasting etc). I wonder if we like it because most of us are so far away from the production of our own food and clothing these days? And I guess we romanticise it for that reason. It would have been incessant hard work. But very satisfying!

I think I need to get back to reading the three chapters during the week, the way I started out. I feel a bit out of step with the thread and the discussion.

I think the characters have gone through so much that they are quite changed as a result, especially Lavrans and Kirstin.I agree with your comment Time. The difference in Lavrans is significant; he seems like a broken man. Kirstin and Erlend's relationship is in flux as well, with more low points than high points. I can't remember if it's time to mention what happened on that journey between them, but it was terrible.

So, the wimple of the married woman has replaced the bridal wreath?

I'm also appreciating the details of the homestead and farming life as well. The author did her research. She certainly doesn't romanticise it, that's true. Fru Aashild making a quick change out of her sweaty, stained housedress before the visitors arrived, for example. Life was tough!

I'm enjoying the discussion and everyone's comments.

I’ve also got slightly ahead. Enjoying everyone’s comments. The episode is indeed shocking Fuzzy. Very true that Kristin has made her bed and now has to lie in it Time. Erlend is certainly not of Lavrans’ calibre and Kristin is seeing that clearly now. And where it seemed initially that Eline’s death had simply saved Kristin from disgrace it is now clear that she is haunted by it.

I’m another one enjoying the detail of the daily life. Struggling to understand why there is quite so much shame in having been up the duff at the time of the wedding, given that they are now respectably married, there’s a suggestion that elopement’s would have been less shameful?

I have a slight theory about Lavrans based on my own father. He was very strict with me about boys, to the point that in my 20s he was still shouting at boys to stay away from me. BUT, I did once tell him I had a boyfriend, and then I continued to lie and tell him I was with various friends including weekend sleepovers and holidays with said boyfriend. He never once questioned it or tried to catch me out. He obviously knew but just wouldn’t accept it. I suspect Lavrans has a bit of that what he doesn’t know for sure can’t be real regarding his little girl. Ignorance is bliss etc. Though we can see that carrying it has diminished him somewhat - but that is also due to the death of Ulvid. To use my dad again, he physically deteriorated almost overnight after my sibling passed away. So, a tough physical life, disappointment in Kristen’s
choices, drought, grief brings us to the Lavrans we now see.

I have to say I would read a book just about Lavrans. He is by far and away my favourite character and I find him endlessly interesting.

I haven’t finished th chapter yet, but nearly there.

Sigrid Undset's father was an archaeologist and she inherited her interest in the medieval period from him, and the accurate historical detail about the period in Kristin Lavrandatter and her other medieval novels was part of the reason she was awarded the Nobel prize. You'll all be glad to know that continues throughout the rest of the trilogy.

With regards to The Wreath, the older translation called the first part of the trilogy The Bridal Wreath.

**
Struggling to understand why there is quite so much shame in having been up the duff at the time of the wedding, given that they are now respectably married, there’s a suggestion that elopement’s would have been less shameful?

I think it's not so much shame, but Kristin is annoyed that everyone will just think it's funny that she's pregnant at her wedding, and that betrothed couples who 'couldn't wait' until the wedding were figures of fun. Whereas, if she had got pregnant while her father had forbidden the wedding, they would have been seen as more romantic, as star-crossed lovers who stayed true in times of trial and hardship.

She also seems annoyed that it's likely she won't enjoy the huge feast that she's working so hard to help prepare because of pregnancy, , and I think she's trying hard not to dwell too much on her underlying concern that Erland did not take no as meaning no.