Paper short abstract:

This research looks at how women who break traditional female stereotypes are portrayed in Icelandic legends of the past. The aim is to show how such legends can be used to shine a new light on feminism in a changing world.

Paper long abstract:

Folk legends and narratives can be an effective window into the past. They provide us with valuable information about world views in the time in which they were written down and also the ideas and ideology of the people who told them. It is therefore important to look at social context that surrounded the legends. Most Icelandic legends in the past were collected, told and recorded by men, meaning that most legends reflect their point of view.

My PhD project is based on the way women are portrayed in Icelandic legends. In this lecture I will look at how women who break traditional female stereotypes and gender roles are portrayed in Icelandic legends and the consequences that befall them in the stories. The women in question are witches, outlaws, women who do jobs usually done by men, and women who have children outside marriage or who do not marry the men they are expected to. The aim of the research is also to try to understand why they are presented in this way and to consider the interactions and potential conflicts that are shown as occurring between the male and female characters in the stories.

As will be shown here, the folk legends told by people in the rural world of the past shed valuable light on the place of women in a time of change in Icelandic society, attitudes which are worth considering as part of present day dialogues.