Kristin Lavransdatter

Kristin misses Husaby, which has been taken from Erlend as part of his punishment. The family has returned to Jørundgaard, which belongs to Kristin. She is grieving after a miscarriage and is not sure whether she wants to have another child. In her new home, she feels as though she is regarded as an outsider, along with Erlend, her sons, and especially Ulf, who is “outright despised” (716) Though she grew up at Jørundgaard, the local people do not warm to her family. She senses Erlend’s frustration at being forced to live at the much smaller farm, though he never says anything aloud. Kristin wonders whether Aasulf, the son of Sunniva, might actually be Erlend’s son, since Sunniva’s husband is very old and cruel. By this time, Naakkve is 16. Kristin keeps a close eye on her son’s relationships with the maids, particularly a girl named Astrid. Kristin feels a festering dislike for her husband, though she has promised herself that she will never hold Erlend’s crimes against him. She feels lost, trapped, and stuck in a spiritual turmoil. One evening, Simon appears unexpectedly and asks Kristin to come with him. His only son Andres is sick and, since Kristin is known to be a talented healer, he seeks her help. Kristin agrees to tend to Simon’s sick boy.

Andres is very sick, and Kristin exhausts herself trying every solution she can. Eventually, with the child close to death, she turns to a magical solution. With Simon’s reluctant blessing, she secretly goes to the graveyard and takes dirt from one of the graves, leaving behind a ring in exchange. She smears the dirt on the sick boy and, through a mystical process, brings him back to consciousness. Simon is conflicted by this “terrible thing she had done” (746). He is still deeply in love with Kristin, though he never says so aloud. He dreams of living with her and tries to atone for his sinful desires. After she heals his son, he lies beside Andres and feels thankful to Kristin.

Simon has several siblings and in-laws. The more he feels discontented with his life, the more he looks to their happiness to feel better about himself. When he goes to confession, he tells the priest about his sins. Though he is devout, he has kept silent about the magical way in which Kristin healed his son. Such techniques are considered sorcery and would be condemned by the church. When he looks at Andres, he fears that the sorcery has affected the boy somehow. Erlend and Kristin come to the estate to visit their family. Erlend has a favor to ask of Simon: Ulf has had an affair with a young woman who is now pregnant, and Erlend would like Simon to assist him in arranging a marriage between the lovers to avoid a scandal. Simon respects Ulf very much and agrees to speak on Ulf’s behalf.

Ulf marries a much younger woman named Jardtrud. She is displeased by the marriage, which has been hastily arranged because she is pregnant after a brief affair with Ulf. She resents the way in which Kristin and Erlend seem to treat Ulf as their servant, even though he is Erlend’s kinsman and trusted friend. Ramborg makes a concerted effort to be friendly to Erlend and to Kristin. Some time after the marriage, Jardtrud’s baby is stillborn. This makes her angry, as she is now trapped in a marriage to a much older man due to a baby that did not even survive.

Erlend and Simon journey together to a remote farm. The farm was part of the estate left behind by Lavrans, and it is now disputed. At the meeting, Simon notes Erlend’s unconscious arrogance. He still resents Erlend, in spite of their history together. After the matter is settled, Erlend goes to fetch the horses. A joking remark about Lavrans incites Simon to anger, and he kills one of the men. A fight breaks out, whereupon Erlend saves Simon in a bloody brawl. They get away and make plans to settle the matter in a legal fashion. As they ride, Simon is aware that Erlend has saved his life, making them even, as he saved Erlend’s life during his imprisonment. Erlend is sincere and honest in the thanks he offers to Simon, seeming to recognize that he has taken Kristin from Simon. The incident embarrasses Simon.

Simon recognizes that Kristin’s son Gaute seems to bear a grudge against him. During a meeting, he asks Gaute about this animosity, and Gaute reluctantly mentions that he saw Simon’s seal on the letters that were given to him by Erlend. He read the letters before he burned them, so he believes that Simon escaped from blame while his father was accused of treason. Simon is shocked, knowing that he did not conspire with Erlend. He believes that his brother, Gyrd, must have conspired with Erlend and used his seal on one of the letters; Gaute mistook Gyrd’s seal for Simon’s. As he seeks the truth from Erlend (who is reluctant to confirm Simon’s suspicions, not wanting to reveal the names of any of his co-conspirators), Erlend realizes that Simon is still in love with Kristin. Simon has never forgiven him, Erlend realizes, and Simon confesses to this. Simon returns home, where Ramborg accuses him of always having loved Kristin more than her. Though she is correct, Simon tries to comfort her. When the family attends mass the following day, however, the despondent Simon refuses to go with them.