Nobel Prize in Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 26 (1928) Winner
Sigrid Undset
シグリッド・ウンセット
Sigrid Undset
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1882-05-20 （Kalundborg, Denmark）
- Died
- 1949-06-10 （Lillehammer, Norway） age 67
- Nationality
- Norwegian, Danish
- Languages
- Norwegian, Danish, English
- Religion
- Roman Catholic Baptized in 1924
- Residence History
- Oslo (then Kristiania), Norway → Lillehammer (Bjerkebæk), Norway → Rome, Italy → Brooklyn Heights, New York, USA → Kalundborg, Denmark
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Translator, Essayist
- Active Years
- 1907-1949
- Affiliations
- Norwegian Authors' Union
- Memberships
- Norwegian Authors' Union
- Influenced By
- Robert Hugh Benson (religious writer), G. K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, Old Norse literature and medieval historical studies
- Influenced
- Writers in the Norwegian Catholic literary revival, Later historical novelists portraying medieval Norway
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretarial school (specific institution unknown) | — | — | — | 1897–1898 | Norway |
Secretarial school (specific institution unknown)
Period:
1897–1898
Year of Graduation:
1898
Country:
Norway
Unable to undertake university studies due to family finances; completed a one-year secretarial course and began work at age 16.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Nobel Prize in Literature | Kristin Lavransdatter (trilogy) | — | Swedish Academy (Nobel Committee) | Winner |
Nobel Prize in Literature
1928
Work:
Kristin Lavransdatter (trilogy)
Organization:
Swedish Academy (Nobel Committee)
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wreath
1920 Historical novel (Medieval Norway) 400 pagesSet in medieval Norway, the first volume follows Kristin's early life from birth into young adulthood, exploring love, faith, sin and redemption as part of a trilogy.
FaithLove and sinMedieval societyA woman's life
Adaptations
- [Film] Kristin Lavransdatter / Liv Ullmann (1995)
Translations
- Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wreath (English translation)
Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wife
1921 Historical novel (Medieval Norway) 450 pagesThe second volume of the trilogy: focusing on Kristin's married life, domestic struggles, and ethical and religious conflicts.
MarriageEthicsReligious conflict
Translations
- Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wife (English translation)
Kristin Lavransdatter: The Cross
1922 Historical novel (Medieval Norway) 420 pagesThe trilogy's conclusion: portraying Kristin's inner struggle toward faith, atonement, and the end of her life.
AtonementFulfillment of faithEnd of life
Translations
- Kristin Lavransdatter: The Cross (English translation)
The Master of Hestviken (Olav Audunssøn series)
1925 Historical novel (Medieval Norway) 1600 pagesA four-volume tetralogy (1925–1927) portraying heroic narrative, moral and religious conflicts in medieval Norway, written after the author's conversion to Catholicism.
Sin and penanceHonorMedieval law and faith
Translations
- Olav Audunssøn (The Master of Hestviken) – English translations
Bibliography
- Marta Oulie (1907)
- Jenny (1911)
- Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy (1920–1922)
- The Master of Hestviken tetralogy (1925–1927)
- Madame Dorthea (1939)
- Catherine of Siena (biography, 1951)
Adaptations
- Kristin Lavransdatter (1995 film, dir. Liv Ullmann)
Translations by Author
- Norwegian translations of G. K. Chesterton (including The Everlasting Man) and works by Robert Hugh Benson; translations ofアイスランド・サーガ
Translations of Works
- Kristin Lavransdatter – English translations (Charles Archer, Tiina Nunnally, etc.)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- RealismHistorical fiction narrativeDeep psychological characterizationA style infused with religious and ethical reflection
- Recurring Motifs
- Faith and atonementLove and betrayalMedieval worship and monastic lifeA woman's life and social role
Health
-
Psychological breakdown/mental collapse1948Effectively ceased creative output afterwards and did not fully recover.
-
Kidney inflammation (nephritis)1949Acute condition leading to hospitalization and shortly thereafter to death.
Legacy
Sigrid Undset is a central figure in 20th-century Norwegian literature, acclaimed for her epic historical novels set in the Middle Ages and for deep religious and ethical inquiry. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928, her works remain widely translated and her home, Bjerkebæk, is preserved as a museum and cultural monument.
Museums
- Bjerkebæk (part of Maihaugen) Lillehammer, Norway Opened in 2007
Academic Societies
- Norwegian Authors' Union
- Norwegian literary study societies
Archives
- Maihaugen (Bjerkebæk archives and related materials)
- National Library of Norway (selected holdings)
- US university archives (papers from exile period)
In Popular Culture
- The animated short The Danish Poet (2006) references Undset and Kristin Lavransdatter.
- Her portrait has appeared on Norwegian banknotes (500 kroner) and stamps.
Quotes
-
"I have been unfaithful to my husband."
Source: Opening line from the novel Fru Marta Oulie (character's words) (1907)
Trivia
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928.
- Donated her Nobel Prize to support Finland during the Winter War (1939–1940).
- Her home Bjerkebæk is preserved as part of the Maihaugen museum.
- A crater on Venus is named 'Undset'.
- A lunar feature was once erroneously associated with the name Mons Undset (later corrected).