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List of The Master of Hestviken characters

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 18, 2026
Entity authorityQ6599812 ↗
Source-derived summary

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 Hestviken

Audun Ingolfsson, father of Olav

Cecilia Björnsdatter, Danish wife of Audun and mother of Olav

Queen Ingebjörg of Norway, friend of Cecilia

Ingolf Olavsson, Olav's grandfather

Ragna Hallkelsdatter, Ingolf's wife and Olav's grandmother

Elk, Olav's horse at Frettastein

Apalhvit, Olav's horse at Hestviken

Kinfetch, 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 Olav

Olav 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 Ribbung

Ingolf of Hestviken, father of Tora who died without a male heir

Torgils Fivil of Dyfrin, father of Olav Torgilsson

Astrid 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 Steinfinnsdatter

Ivar Staal, son-in-law of Olav Ribbung

Halldis, wife of Ivar Staal and daughter of Olav Ribbung and Astrid

Borgny the Nun, daughter of Olav Ribbung and Astrid

Ingolf Alavsson, priest and twin brother of Olav Ribbung

Nikulaus Arnesson, bishop who ordained Ingolf

Olav Ingolfsson "Half-Priest", son of Ingolf Alavsson

Bergljot of Tveit, Olav Half-Priest's mother

Kaare of Tveit, brother of Olav Half-Priest

Erlend of Aasheim, brother of Olav Half-priest

Torgils Foulbeard, son of Olav Ribbung and Astrid

Aasa, Torgils mistress who cares for the child Olav Audunsson

Herdis Karlsdatter, another mistress of Torgils

Jon of Stein, Herdis's husband

Earl Alf Erlingsson of Tornberg, patron of young Olav Audunsson

Arne's family

Sira Benedikt Bessesson, parish priest at Hestviken

Astrid, Sira Benedikt's sister and mother of Torgils' illegitimate son Arne

Arne Torgilsson of Hestbaek, illegitimate son of Astrid and Torgils

Signe, Una, and Torgunn, daughters of Arne

Baard Paalsson, husband of Signe Andresdatter

Paal of Skikkjustad, father of Baard

Kaare Jonsson of Roaldstad, Astrid's husband and good stepfather to Arne

The Steinfinnsons

Steinfinn Toresson of Frettastein, foster-father of Olav

Ingebjörg Jonsdatter, wife of Steinfinn

Mattias Haraldsson, originally betrothed to Ingebjörg

Jon Paalsson, father of Ingebjörg

Ingunn Steinfinnsdatter, oldest daughter of Steinfinn and Ingebjörg and wife of Olav, the Master of Hestviken

Tora Steinfinnsdatter, younger daughter of Steinfinn and Ingebjörg

Hallvard Steinfinnsson, oldest son of Steinfinn and Ingebjörg

Jon Steinfinnsson, younger son of Steinfinn and Ingebjörg

Tore Steinfinnsson of Hov, grandfather of Steinfinn Toresson

Tore Toresson of Hov, father of Steinfinn Toresson

Kolbein Toresson, illegitimate son of Tore Toresson, and Steinfinn's half-brother

Ivar Toresson, full brother of Steinfinn

Einar Kolbeinsson, son of Kolbein and cousin of Ingunn

Haftor Kolbeinsson, brother of Einar

Hallvard, cousin of Einar and Haftor

Borghild, sister of Hallvard

Sir Gaut's family

Sir Gaut Torvardsson, friend of Kolbein and kinsman of Andres Plytt

Lord Andres Plytt, member of the council that governs Norway while the King is underage

Helga Gautsdatter, Sir Gaut's daughter

Haakon Gautsson, son of Sir Gaut.

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This entry incorporates text from “List of The Master of Hestviken characters” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.