Where did Freyja go? Why?

November 22, 2005 8:48 AM

Scandinavian film exegetes: What's going on in the film Mávahlátur (The Seagull's Laughter)?

I would read the novel, but it's out-of-print and in Icelandic.

The film makes use of references and allusions to Norse mythology, as well as a few scenes involving Freyja's disappearance into an outcropping of large stones, to introduce the possibility that she communes with the elves. However, this possibility never seems to get cashed in as the story concludes, which I find puzzling and a bit disappointing.

While I'm kind of familiar with the Norse worldview—in a book-learned sort of way—I'm not nearly familiar enough, and I suspect that most of the subtext is just lost on me. Anyone care to explicate this film, especially as its themes pertain to Freyja and the elves? (Or is that not even a polite question?)

posted by bricoleur to media & arts (3 comments total)

Here's the IMdb link.
posted by bricoleur at 8:50 AM on November 22, 2005

I don't know, bricoleur, but I do know where you can find people who know a lot about Norse mythology and worldview. You could try The Asatru List (aka Janna's List). Webpage hasn't been updated in forever, but it is still active and there are some very knowledgable people there.
posted by QIbHom at 5:19 PM on November 22, 2005

Thanks, QIbHom. I'd given up hope of any response at all...

I'm on several Asatru lists. I don't think my shortfall is in the area of mythological knowledge. I think either the film itself is flawed—it doesn't follow through with some of its conceits—or I'm just not familiar enough with modern Icelandic culture to get the subtleties. I suspect it's the former, but ya never know. It would have been interesting to get an Icelandic perspective.
posted by bricoleur at 6:37 PM on November 22, 2005