Short Fiction · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Jonas Lie.
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Chapter 1
Short Fiction
A collection of short stories exploring themes of folklore, human nature, and the supernatural in coastal Norwegian communities.
Chapter 2
The Grey
The chapter introduces the farms of Strömshagen and Evjen, divided by a ravine and a history of land disputes. Gjermund Strömshagen, a poor but proud young man, and Sigrid Evjen, a beautiful and capable woman, have a childhood bond that has grown into a secret affection. After a lawsuit impoverishes Strömshagen, Gjermund's beloved grey horse is sold at auction to the wealthy Oesten Störsat as an act of revenge. Gjermund falls into despair, but his mother intervenes by fetching Sigrid to say goodbye to the horse. Later, Gjermund recovers the horse and returns home, but his long absence and silence have wounded Sigrid's pride. His mother mediates, and the rift is healed, leading Gjermund to finally go to Evjen himself.
Chapter 3
The Fisherman and the Draug
Elias, a poor fisherman on Kvalholm, spears a monstrous seal that is later revealed to be a Draug. After buying a mysterious Fembøring built by a boat-master instructed by the Draug, Elias takes his family on a voyage. The boat races a phantom vessel, capsizes in a storm, and Elias drowns after confessing the Draug's revenge. His son Bernt survives, rescued by the Finn girl, and later marries her.
Chapter 4
Jack of Sjöholm and the Gan-Finn
Jack of Sjöholm, a young fisherman, leads his crew northward in search of fish, only to be caught in a storm that sinks their boat and drowns all but Jack. He washes ashore and is taken in by the Gan-Finn and his granddaughter Seimke. Jack becomes obsessed with outwitting the Finn to return south. Despite Seimke's warnings, he attempts to build a boat, but the Finn's magic sabotages his efforts. A mysterious stranger offers him a boat, and Seimke desperately tries to keep him. Later, Jack becomes a successful boat-builder, but after his family drowns in one of his boats, he is haunted by guilt and supernatural visitations.
Chapter 5
Tug of War
After a storm, a fishing crew attempts to launch a Fembøring but finds it immovable. A man with second sight warns it is too heavy for human strength. A skeptical fourteen-year-old boy throws a stone into the boat, provoking a Draug to emerge and flee into the sea, allowing the boat to launch. That night, the Draug returns and drags the boy toward the door. The crew struggles to hold him, but after a fierce tug-of-war, the Draug releases the boy, who is found dead.
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