Daughters in the Rígsþula

Turns out waiting for a baby to burb is not the best time for searching for quotes in primary literature. I've been trying to find some time during the day but there is none. I apologize but for the time being there won't be any quotes from the sagas.

Which brings me to another piece of mediaeval Norse literature I've reacently read to my daughter. Well, not the original one, but it was a Rígsþula-retelling written by my teacher Helena Kadečková in her perfect book Soumrak bohů. Old Norse mythology written for kids, a linguistic jewel on its own.

U have enthusiastically read to my little one how the two lower classes of society came into being and the names Helena Kadečková has chosen to translate. Which were hilarious. Then came the Jarl and the nicer people, his handsome son and his sons with honorable names. Aaand this time, no daughters were mentioned.

Which was rather embarassing because I was looking forward to tell her how beautiful the daughters were and how similar to my little pricess they were. And I was preparing her for that moment, adding comments like "you will see how wonderful just like you the daughters will be". Oh my... I admit it has been some time since I had read the Rígsþula carefully. So I have mercifully forgotten some basic facts about the narrative. Nevertheless, there I was, not believing Helena would have forgotten to add the girls' names after such a nice story. So I checked the original and indeed there are none daughters of Jarl and Erna.

Which is embarassing for many reasons. First of all: how could I have forgotten such a basic fact. That even found its way to Wikipedia... Second: I had to explain the dynastic value of girls in this story to my daughter, even though she will not remember ;) And then I had to invent some new, fitting names to the imaginary daughters which are missing in the Eddaic lay. A thorough lecture on the developmet of marriage and on female rights and equality will probably have to wait. For now, we will stick to fairy-tales, with proper commentary.