I'm thrilled beyond measure to see the first copies of this landmark translation of 300 Sámi folktales hit the bookshelves. It's a handsome volume, hefty but not overwhelming, and a pleasure to leaf through. I'm really pleased when people tell me how funny some of the stories are--as well as subversive, strange, unexpected, and generally delightful. Of course my introduction makes a case for the cultural and historical importance of the collection as a work of traditional Indigenous knowledge and a look at the politics of the main collectors, the philologist Just Knud Qvigstad and the Sámi politician and folklorist Isak Saba, but it must be said that the stories themselves are just plain wonderful.
On the occasion of the English translation, the University of Minnesota Press has posted an interview on their website, available as a podcast, of a wide-ranging discussion that I had with Lise Lunge-Larsen earlier this year on Zoom. We talk about the differences and similarities of storytelling in Norway/Sápmi, about the many characters in the tales, and about translation itself.
Lise is a well-known storyteller originally from Oslo and now living in Duluth. She specializes in Norwegian folktales, especially stories about trolls. She is the author of numerous books, including Seven Ways to Trick a Troll.
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