On Translating Kristín Svava Tómasdóttir

The poems in Herostories are made entirely of found text from Íslenskar ljósmæður I-III (Icelandic Midwives I-III). These volumes about Icelandic midwives working between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries include memoir from the midwives themselves, articles written by their contemporaries or descendants, and entries written by priests collecting the material. 

Kristín Svava classifies these stories as “þjóðlegur fróðleikur,” a beloved Icelandic literary genre that frequently memorializes dangerous and deadly wilderness journeys. Most of Herostories’ protagonists worked in rural Iceland, and tales of their difficult travels describe how they would embark in the middle of the night, trekking through weather and treacherous terrain to help women get through labor. As women were typically confined to the home, these midwives’ position in þjóðlegur fróðleikur is rather unique. Repetition in the poems mirrors repetitions in the source narratives, exploring undertones of romanticization and contradiction regarding praiseworthy feminine attributes—modesty and selflessness alongside leadership and professional achievement. 

The translations often use compounds to reflect compound Icelandic words. Experimental in the vein of the book’s contemporary forms, I believe this direct approach serves the found text and expresses common local attitudes. Many Herostories’ compounds derive from Icelandic’s capacity for describing bad weather, while others echo vocabulary surrounding poetry and composition.