Glittering Weavings from the Past

The Contribution of Women to the Collection of Folktales and Legends in East Iceland

Abstract

In this article, the working practices of Jón Árnason (1819–88) and one of his contributors, the reverend Sigurður Gunnarsson (1812–78) are examined with regard to their collecting of Icelandic folktales (see Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og æfintýri, 1862–64). Sigurður lived in eastern Iceland with his family at Desjarmýri, and later at Hallormsstaður, and he collected many stories and tales from participants in his parish. His source network consisted of twelve individuals: eight men and four women. This article sheds light on the contribution of Elísabet, Sigurður’s teenage daughter; Lára Sigfúsdóttir and Brandþrúður Benónísdóttir, who were both maids; and Sæbjörg Guðmundsdóttir, a pauper. Each of these women contributed their stories and tales in written form or as oral sources to the collection of folktales and legends. It is suggested that their participation in the collecting of this material around the middle of the nineteenth century might have been a way for them to channel their thirst for education and knowledge.