Hello, Poetry Friend
Welcome back to my occasional series, poeming my way through Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter. I’m having fun reading along with the
gang.In their recent discussion of the end of book 2, the discussion turned to who is the hero. I have an answer: Halfrid. She was Simon’s first wife. She was also the love of Erling Vidkunsson. (Since his name is so similar to Erlend’s, I call him Vito.)
Poor Halfrid gets a total of four pages in chapter 5 of “Husaby,” from The Wife. And then she disappears from the narrative for more than 100 pages, until she comes up in a conversation between Simon and Vito in chapter 7 of “Erlend Nikulausson.'“
It is Vito who saves Erlend’s life. Because of Halfrid. Here, at her gravesite, her name appears five times in four pages.
Vito will not approach the king for Erlend’s sake. He will not do it for Simon’s sake, who betrayed Halfrid by sleeping with her maid. He won’t even do it for Kristin’s sake, who he likes despite her past. He will do it for Halfrid’s sake — the woman he loved and could never have. Just like Simon loves and can never have Kristin.
In effect, Halfrid saves Erlend and Kristin without saying a word.
That’s why I wrote a poem for her. It follows the pattern of a hymn to the Virgin Mary called “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman.”
Hail Halfrid, Silent Woman with “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman” by Carey Landry Chorus: Silent woman Wealthy wife Lovely gowns Gentle eyes Sweetest mouth Weak of womb Sickly breath Early tomb Verse: You chose honor over happy For your name means stable home Your first husband stole your beauty And the next was bound to roam Verse: All night long you spoke in whispers From a heart more pure than gold Never knew you saved a rebel Only knew the peace of God
Happy poeming! Or songing.
Megan