The Outlaws by Selma Lagerlöf
"The Outlaws" is a short story by Selma Lagerlöf that explores themes of morality, friendship, and the complexities of human nature. The narrative centers around two outlaws, Berg and Tord, who take refuge in the wilderness after committing grave offenses. Berg, a physically imposing man from a respected Christian family, kills a monk in a fit of jealousy over a beautiful woman named Unn. In contrast, Tord is a young boy from a troubled background, with a witch for a mother and a thief for a father. Initially, Tord idolizes Berg, but as they survive together in the forest, their relationship evolves.
The story delves into their experiences of isolation and their interactions with the natural world, punctuated by visions and dreams that challenge their understanding of right and wrong. Tord grapples with the weight of sin and justice, ultimately making a harrowing decision that culminates in a tragic ending. Lagerlöf's tale invites readers to reflect on the nature of guilt, redemption, and the societal implications of one's actions, leaving a lasting impression on the complexities of human morality.
On this Page
The Outlaws by Selma Lagerlöf
First published: "De fågelfrie," 1894 (English translation, 1899)
Type of plot: Fable
Time of work: The Middle Ages
Locale: Sweden
Principal Characters:
Berg , an outlaw wanted for killing a monkTord , a young outlaw accused of stealing a fishing netUnn , a beautiful woman for whom Berg has killed the monk
The Story
Berg, a handsome well-built man, the strongest and tallest man in the country, kills a monk and flees to the woods. Living in the forest so increases his strength that he is eventually called a giant by the villagers, who cannot capture and punish him for the murder. Another outlaw, Tord—accused of stealing a fishing net—escapes to the forest, where he and Berg share a cave. Berg, the giant, comes from a respected Christian family, the wealthiest peasant family in the area, but Tord, a slight boy of sixteen, has a pagan thief for a father. Tord's mother is a witch who eats parts of human bodies that she finds in the sea. When the outlaws first meet, Tord serves and honors Berg as a god, but Berg merely ignores Tord, considering him a weak, petty thief.
Each man survives in the wilderness by fishing, hunting, and gathering. After Berg learns that Tord's father, not Tord himself, stole the fishing net, he begins to appreciate Tord's services. When Tord falls ill, Berg nurses him to health; afterward, they become friends. On a fishing expedition, they travel to a swampy lake high in the mountains, where steep walls of rock encircle the water, from whose surface pine roots emerge like snakes. On an island in this lake, the men fish, but they show no interest in their catch; instead, they daydream. A green light enters their brains, allowing them to imagine a Nixie, a half-human, half-fish creature sleeping in the water. While the men are lost in reverie, Unn, a beautiful young woman, rows past—her skin is white like water lilies, her eyes and hair are dark, and her skirt is blue with a wide red hem.
That night Tord dreams of Unn, the beautiful woman, and of a drowned man. The following day Berg tells him that Unn was the woman for whom he killed the monk. Berg explains that his wife became jealous of the attention that he paid to Unn, a rich and unconventional woman. Berg's wife invited a monk to their Christmas feast, hoping that his spiritual advice would end Berg's affair with Unn. Instead, Unn's anger at the monk's speech caused Berg to kill the man. When Tord congratulates Berg for performing such a heroic deed in the service of a beautiful woman, Berg explains Christianity and the concept of sin. This conversation affects Tord powerfully, causing him to realize that Berg has actually committed a grievous sin, an act for which he must atone, or for which he will be damned.
Later, as Tord walks through the woods alone during a storm, he thinks that he hears an elf, then he imagines that the fallen, blowing leaves are sinners following him. This vision intensifies until Tord convinces himself that a monk is trailing him, a dead monk with a bleeding gash caused by an ax blow. As the storm persists, Tord is certain that God is talking to him, commanding that Berg must surrender and be punished. This experience causes Tord to run to the valley, where he reveals Berg's hiding place to the villagers. When he returns to the cave, Tord begs Berg to confess his sins and to surrender to a priest. When Berg refuses, Tord admits that he has revealed Berg's cave. As Berg reaches for his ax, Tord throws his own at Berg, killing him with a wound to the head, leaving a gash like that which Tord envisioned on the monk. Somberly, Tord announces to the villagers that whereas Berg killed a monk for Unn, he has killed Berg for justice; he asks that they communicate this news to Unn.