List of The Master of Hestviken characters
This is a list of characters in Sigrid Undset's tetralogy The Master of Hestviken.
As noted throughout the series, ties of kinship were a major feature of Norwegian social life, conferring various privileges and obligations, and Norwegians at all walks of life took care to keep track even of their more distant kin.
Olav's family
Olav Audunsson, the Master of HestvikenAudun Ingolfsson, father of OlavCecilia Björnsdatter, Danish wife of Audun and mother of OlavQueen Ingebjörg of Norway, friend of CeciliaIngolf Olavsson, Olav's grandfatherRagna Hallkelsdatter, Ingolf's wife and Olav's grandmotherElk, Olav's horse at FrettasteinApalhvit, Olav's horse at HestvikenKinfetch, the costly ornamented axe that Olav inherited from his father. Olav Torgilsson, his great-great-grandfather was holding it when he died in battle. At that time it was called 'Wrathful Iron'.Olav Ribbung or Olav Olavsson, great-grandfather of OlavOlav Torgilsson, father of Olav Ribbung and great-great-grandfather of Olav Audunsson He was the first male of the line to live at * Hestviken.Tora Ingolfsdatter, wife of Olav Torgilsson and mother of Olav RibbungIngolf of Hestviken, father of Tora who died without a male heirTorgils Fivil of Dyfrin, father of Olav TorgilssonAstrid Helgesdatter of Mork, wife of Olav Ribbung Helge Olavsson, son of Astrid and Olav Ribbung. He was the brother of Olav Audunsson's grandfather Ingolf and of Torgils Foulbeard. He fell at Nidaros with King Skule.Cecilia Olavsdatter, daughter of Olav Audunsson and Ingunn SteinfinnsdatterIvar Staal, son-in-law of Olav RibbungHalldis, wife of Ivar Staal and daughter of Olav Ribbung and AstridBorgny the Nun, daughter of Olav Ribbung and AstridIngolf Alavsson, priest and twin brother of Olav RibbungNikulaus Arnesson, bishop who ordained Ingolf Olav Ingolfsson "Half-Priest", son of Ingolf AlavssonBergljot of Tveit, Olav Half-Priest's motherKaare of Tveit, brother of Olav Half-PriestErlend of Aasheim, brother of Olav Half-priestTorgils Foulbeard, son of Olav Ribbung and AstridAasa, Torgils mistress who cares for the child Olav AudunssonHerdis Karlsdatter, another mistress of Torgils Jon of Stein, Herdis's husbandEarl Alf Erlingsson of Tornberg, patron of young Olav AudunssonArne's family
Sira Benedikt Bessesson, parish priest at HestvikenAstrid, Sira Benedikt's sister and mother of Torgils' illegitimate son ArneArne Torgilsson of Hestbaek, illegitimate son of Astrid and TorgilsSigne, Una, and Torgunn, daughters of ArneBaard Paalsson, husband of Signe AndresdatterPaal of Skikkjustad, father of Baard Kaare Jonsson of Roaldstad, Astrid's husband and good stepfather to ArneThe Steinfinnsons
Steinfinn Toresson of Frettastein, foster-father of Olav Ingebjörg Jonsdatter, wife of SteinfinnMattias Haraldsson, originally betrothed to IngebjörgJon Paalsson, father of IngebjörgIngunn Steinfinnsdatter, oldest daughter of Steinfinn and Ingebjörg and wife of Olav, the Master of HestvikenTora Steinfinnsdatter, younger daughter of Steinfinn and IngebjörgHallvard Steinfinnsson, oldest son of Steinfinn and IngebjörgJon Steinfinnsson, younger son of Steinfinn and IngebjörgTore Steinfinnsson of Hov, grandfather of Steinfinn ToressonTore Toresson of Hov, father of Steinfinn ToressonKolbein Toresson, illegitimate son of Tore Toresson, and Steinfinn's half-brother Ivar Toresson, full brother of SteinfinnEinar Kolbeinsson, son of Kolbein and cousin of IngunnHaftor Kolbeinsson, brother of EinarHallvard, cousin of Einar and HaftorBorghild, sister of HallvardSir Gaut's family
Sir Gaut Torvardsson, friend of Kolbein and kinsman of Andres PlyttLord Andres Plytt, member of the council that governs Norway while the King is underageHelga Gautsdatter, Sir Gaut's daughterHaakon Gautsson, son of Sir Gaut. Kolbein promised Ingunn to him but he married her sister ToraSteinfinn Haakonsson, son of Haakon and ToraIngunn's family at Berg
Lady Magnhild of Berg, aunt of Ingunn, and the oldest of Tore Toresson's legitimate childrenDagny and Margret, twin daughters of Lady Magnhild's foster-daughterAasa Magnusdatter, wife of Tore Toresson and mother of Magnhild and Ivar. She is Ingunn's grandmother and Arnvid's aunt. Aasa's mother was also named Ingunn.Viking Erlingsson, deceased husband of MagnhildGudmund Jonsson, suitor for Ingunn at BergArnvid's Family
Arnvid Finnsson, Steinfinn's first cousin and friend of Olav. Tore Toresson of Hov married Arnvid's father's sister Aasa Magnusdatter; Arnvid is a good singer.Tordis, Arnvid Finnsson's wife. She was originally promised to Magnus, the oldest of the Finnsson's.Magnus, Finn, and Steinar, three sons of ArnvidHillebjörg of Elfardal, Arnvid's motherGuttorm, Arnvid's old henchman who "might be called his foster father"Sven Birgersson, friend of ArnvidOlav's family in Denmark
Erik Eriksson of Hövdinggaard in Denmark, Olav's maternal uncleBarnim Eriksson of Hövdinggard, Olav's maternal uncleStig Björnsson, Olav's maternal uncle. Margrete, mother of Cecilia Björnsdatter, Erik Eriksson, Barnim, and Stig. She had two husbands: Erik first, and then Björn.Helge of Tveit, a descendant of Olav's great-grandfatherIngolf Helgesson and Jon Helgesson of Tveit, the two sons of HelgeKetillög, young woman who is befriended by Olav Audunsson in DenmarkClergy, servants, neighbors, tradespeople
Lord Torfinn, Bishop of Hamar, later canonized Asbjörn All-Fat, priest who serves Lord TorfinnBrother Helge, cleric at the Bishop's houseSira Hallbjörn, parish priest at Hestviken after Sira BenediktBrother Stefan, priest who came to Hestviken as Ingunn lay dyingGrim, bailiff at Frettastein and later a servant at BergDalla, sister of Grim and servant at Frettastein and later at BergJon, blacksmith in the town of HamarBrother Vegard, priest of Hamar who visits FrettasteinGudrid, elderly neighbor of Olav Audunsson at Hestviken. Björn Egilsson, husband of Gudrid; he becomes Olav's steward and squire.Gunnar, Björn's neighbor whom he kills in angerTore of Hvitastein, Björn's former employerTorhild Björnsdatter, daughter of Björn and stepdaughter of Gudrid. She becomes a servant at Hestviken and is the mother of Olav Audunsson's son Björn.Ketil, foreman at Torhild's farm, later Torhild's husbandArnketil, or Anki, Olav's servant at HestvikenStein, Olav's neighbor at HestvikenLeif, steward at Hestviken after BjörnClaus Wiephart, Olav Audunsson's German trading partner and skilled physicianRichard Platemaster, English armourer who married a Norwegian girl and settled in OsloTorodd and Galfrid Richardson, the two sons of Richard PlatemasterEirik's family
Eirik Olavsson, Son of Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter by Teit Hallson, presumed to be son of Olav AudunssonTeit Hallsson the Icelander, clerk to the sheriff's officer and father of Ingunn's illegitimate son EirikSira Hall Sigurdsson, priest and father of TeitHallveig, Eirik's foster-motherTorgal, Hallveig's husbandThe Bersessons
Eldrid Bersesdatter, Wife of Eirik OlavssonBerse of Eiken, Father of EldridKaare Bersesson, Eldrid's younger brotherGunhild Bersesdatter, Eldrid's sisterVeterans and rulers from the war with Denmark
Asger Magnusson, distant kin of Olav Audunsson and his commander in the war Duke Haakon, father of Tore Haakonsson and brother of King Eirik of NorwayKing Eirik of NorwayKing Eirik Valdemarsson, grandfather of King Eirik and Duke HaakonConstable Stig Andersson, a Danish lord and enemy in the WarCount Jacob, Danish lord and enemy in the warPeople from conflicts in 12th century Norway
Sverre Prest, also known as Sverre of Norway. He was King of Norway and enemy of the men of HestvikenKing Magnus Erlingsson of Norway, friend of the men of Hestviken.- The followers of Sverre were called Birchlegs or Birkebeinere. They killed Olav Torgilsson at the Battle of Oslo and burned Hestviken. It had not yet been restored when Olav Audunsson took up residence there.
- The Bagler party opposed Sverre and allied with the church and "old nobility" of NorwayThe Ribbungs were loyal to the Church party and opposed Sverre and the BirchlegsKing Skule of Norway fought against the Ribbungs. There were Hestviken men on both sides of the battle. In the end, however, Olav Ribbung and his sons supported King Skule.