Scandinavian literature summaries - 2023
Short summary - Mariamne (Herod and Mariamne)
Selma Lagerlöf
The action of the first novel of the trilogy "The Löwenskiöld Ring" takes place in the Hedeby estate, which the old general Löwenskiöld receives as a reward from King Charles XII for his faithful service in the war. After the death of the illustrious general, fulfilling the will of the deceased, the ring, also a royal gift, is placed in his coffin. The family crypt remains open for several days, allowing the peasant Bordsson to steal the jewel at night. Seven years later, the illegal owner of the ring dies. All these years he was haunted by misfortunes and misfortunes: the estate burned down, the cattle fell from a rampant pestilence, and Bordsson became impoverished, like Job. The pastor, who confessed the peasant before his death, learns about his sin and receives the missing ring. The son of the deceased, Ingilbert, who overheard the confession, forces the pastor to give the ring to him. A few days later, Ingilbert is found dead in the forest. Three travelers who accidentally pass by and discover the body are suspected of murder, and although the ring is not found with them, they are sentenced to death. Thirty years later, Marit, the bride of one of the executed, unexpectedly finds a knitted hat at the bottom of the chest, into which Löwenskiöld's ring was sewn. How did he get there? Mertha, Ingilbert's sister, recognizes her brother's hat. Marit decides to return the ill-fated ring to the young Löwenskiöld, Baron Adrian, sewing the jewel into his cap. Since then, peace in the Hedeby estate has been disturbed. Both the maids and the owners are convinced that the ghost of the old general lives in the house. Baron Adrian falls seriously ill. The doctor says he has a few hours to live. But the housekeeper Malvina Spaak, who is in love with the young Löwenskiöld, lives in the house and does everything possible to save her beloved. On the advice of Marit, she takes Adrian's clothes (including a hat with a ring) and puts it in the old general's grave. As soon as the ring returns to its true owner, Adrian's illness passes, peace reigns in the house.
The action of the second novel of the trilogy "Charlotte Löwenskiöld" takes place in Karlstad, its characters are the family of Baroness Beata Ekenstedt from the Löwenskiöld family. This educated, charming and universally worshiped woman has two daughters and a son. She idolizes her son, Charles Arthur. He passes the entrance exams to the famous Uppsala University brilliantly, standing out among fellow students with intelligence and erudition. Once a week he sends letters home, and the Baroness reads them aloud to all her family at Sunday dinners. The son is convinced that his mother could become a great poetess if she did not consider it her duty to live only for her children and her husband; all his letters are filled with love and admiration. At the university, Karl-Arthur meets Freeman, an ardent supporter of pietism (a religious movement within the Lutheran church that preached asceticism in everyday life and the rejection of all worldly pleasures. - N.V.), and falls under his influence. Therefore, having received the title of master and becoming a doctor of philosophy, he also passes the examination for the pastor. Parents did not like the fact that their son chose such a modest career.
Karl-Arthur receives a place in the pastor's estate in Korschyurk and becomes an adjunct pastor. The pastor and pastor are elderly people, they roam the house like shadows, but their distant relative, Charlotte Loewenskiold, a cheerful, lively, lively girl, taken into the house by a companion, breathed new life into them. Charlotte is well versed in all things pastoral, so she teaches Charles Arthur how to baptize children and how to speak at prayer meetings. Young people fall in love with each other and announce their engagement. Charlotte understands that Charles Arthur needs a decent salary to get married, and she tries to convince her fiancé to apply for a teaching position, but he does not want to hear about it. Therefore, one day, wanting to scare Karl Arthur, the girl publicly declares that, despite her love for her fiancé, if the rich factory owner Shagerström asks her, she will not refuse him. Karl-Arthur, along with the guests, laughs at Charlotte's words, taking them for a joke.
The careless words dropped by the girl reach Shagerström, and he decides to get to know her. At the pastor's estate, Shagerström is given a warm welcome, as both the pastor and the pastor are against Charlotte's engagement to a man who resolutely refuses to think about the maintenance of the family. But the proud Charlotte is offended and throws indignantly at Shagerström: “How dare you come here and ask for my hand if you know that I am engaged?” A worthy rebuff, Freken Löwenskiöld, even more disposes to her the richest man in Korschyurka. Karl-Arthur, on the other hand, doubts the bride and suspects that she refused Shagerström only because she hopes to see an adjunct pastor as rector of the cathedral or even a bishop in the future. Charlotte, having heard accusations of double-mindedness and greed, does not consider it necessary to make excuses. Young people quarrel, and Karl-Arthur exclaims in anger that now he will marry only the one whom God himself chooses for him, meaning by this that the first unmarried woman who meets him on the way will become his wife. The choice falls on Anna Sverd, a poor peddler from Dalecarlia, a remote mountainous area, a young and beautiful girl. She will not hesitate to agree to join her fate with a man who would like to remain a poor man for life, rejecting wealth and earthly blessings, says Karl-Arthur. The Dalecarlian, barely recovering from the unexpected proposal, not believing her happiness, cherishes the dream of living in her own house in prosperity and contentment.
Meanwhile, Shagerström, having learned about the gap between Charlotte and Charles Arthur, is trying to reconcile the young, believing that their happiness is destroyed through his fault. He offers Karl-Arthur a factory pastor in the mines, but the young man rejects such a lucrative offer. By this time, the assistant pastor had already managed to become famous in his parish. Possessing the gift of eloquence, the young priest with heartfelt sermons attracts parishioners who gather from afar for Sunday services and, with bated breath, catch his every word. Charlotte, who continues to love Charles Arthur and is having a hard time with the termination of the engagement, nevertheless causes hostility among others and serves as an object of ridicule and bullying. Thea Sundler, the organist's wife, in love with Karl Arthur, is to blame for this. The woman is hypocritical and treacherous, she sees her enemy in Charlotte. It is she who unambiguously hints to Charles Arthur that Charlotte repented of her refusal to Shagerström and intentionally quarreled with her fiancé so that he canceled the engagement. In this vicious slander, Thea made believe not only Karl-Arthur, but also all those around him. Charlotte tries to write a letter to Baroness Eckenstedt, the only person in the world who understands her, and tell the whole truth about what happened, but, after rereading it, the girl notices that, wanting to prove her own innocence, she portrays the actions of Charles Arthur in a very unsightly way. . Charlotte is unable to cause grief to her adored, failed mother-in-law, so she destroys the letter and, for the sake of peace between mother and son, silently endures vain accusations. But the peace in the Ekenstedt family has already been broken. When the baroness finds out about her son's intention to marry a Dalecarl woman, she, who has seen Charlotte only once, but managed to fall in love with an independent and intelligent girl, prevents this marriage in every possible way. The adamant Karl-Arthur, not wanting to give in to his parents and breaking off relations with them, marries Anna Sverd.
The young wife hopes for a separate pastoral estate with a maid in the house and a large household. What was her disappointment when she saw a house consisting of a room and a kitchen, and found out that she would have to cook, heat the stove and everything else around the house herself. All hopes are shattered in an instant. In addition, Thea Sundler, whom Karl-Arthur considers his friend (not realizing her true feelings) and whom he trusts with the arrangement of his new home, causes sharp pain to Anna Sverd. The girl sees an old single sofa in the kitchen, and Thea explains that it will be comfortable for her to sleep here. The unfortunate Dalekarlian immediately understands that in this house she is destined for the role of a servant. She despairs, not finding understanding and love from Karl-Arthur, and only her strong, hardworking nature helps her to pass the test. She has no time to delve into her own mental anguish, as Charles Arthur soon rescues ten orphans who were threatened with being put up and sold at auction, and takes them under his care.
Now Anna Sverd comes to life: she gives all her strength and love to the children, and the kids reciprocate. Work is constantly in full swing in the house, laughter does not stop, but Karl-Arthur is unhappy that children's noise interferes with his studies. And one fine day, he tells his wife that he is giving the children to their distant relatives who do not mind this. Anna is heartbroken, the burden of parting with her children is unbearable for her, and she leaves Karl-Arthur. After learning that she will have a child, she goes to the baroness and receives the money she needs to purchase her own house.
Charlotte Löwenskiöld, who married Shagerström, is nevertheless interested in the life of Karl Arthur. Therefore, when she learned that he had decided to distribute the orphans, she was very surprised by this inhuman act. The astute Charlotte realizes that Karl-Arthur did not do this without the influence of Thea Sundler. She meets with Karl-Arthur, trying to protect him from this cruel and vindictive woman, but she sees that there is already another person in front of her and it is unlikely that she will be able to save him.
One day, Charlotte is invited to visit by her distant relative, Baron Adrian Löwenskiöld, the wealthy owner of Hedeby. He tells her about the terrible death of his brother, Yoran, who has long led a dissolute life, wandered with gypsies and froze at night in his wagon. Gyoran has a daughter, and Adrian, knowing that Charlotte has no children, offers her to take the girl to raise. Charlotte happily agrees, but the child is kidnapped. Charlotte and Adrian pursue the thieves, and on the way, Adrian reminisces. Malvina Spaak was in love with his father, Adrian, and he owed his life to her. Therefore, Adrian Sr. sharply condemned his sons when he realized that they disliked Thea Sundler, Malvina's daughter. Moreover, when Yoran began to scare Thea with the ghost of the old general, and she told her mother about everything, he had no other choice but to run away from home.
From that time on, Yoran began a wandering life. Adrian believes that it was little Thea who condemned Gyoran to death in a ditch by the side of the road. In addition, Adrian reports that the child was kidnapped by none other than Karl-Arthur. It turns out that he has long fallen, mired in lies, crimes, poverty. This is facilitated by Thea Sundler, who has long shared his fate. Saving the child, Adrian dies, while Karl-Arthur miraculously survives thanks to Charlotte. Thea tries to bring Charles Arthur back by force, but Charlotte saves him and takes him away from this low woman, capable of bringing only suffering.
Eight years passed, and in 1850 Karl-Arthur returned to Korschyurka from Africa, where he was a missionary. Finally, he found his true place in life, now he has learned to love his neighbors. When Anna Sverd heard his sermon and felt the kindness of heart in his every word, she realized that this was the same person "to whom she once sent bows with migratory birds."