Ulrikke (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Ulrikke" is a short story by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges
, collected in the anthology The Book of Sand
. It is notable because it is one of the few of Borges' stories in which women and sex play a central role. The story begins with an epigraph quoting a verse of Chapter 27 of Volsunga saga
, "Hann tekr sverðit Gram ok leggr i meðal þeira bert", which means: "He takes the sword Gram and lays it bare between them". The short story is about a meeting between Ulrica, a Norwegian woman, and a Colombian teacher, Javier Otálora (who tells the story), in York
. In this meeting, the couple falls in love each other and takes possession of the names of the heroes of the legendary saga
contained in the epigraph: Brynhild and Sigurd, respectively.
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
, collected in the anthology The Book of Sand
The Book of Sand (book)
The Book of Sand is a short story collection by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, published in 1975. According to the author's opinion, the collection, written in his last days , is his best book, an opinion not shared by most critics, who prefer his other works such as Ficciones.Referring to...
. It is notable because it is one of the few of Borges' stories in which women and sex play a central role. The story begins with an epigraph quoting a verse of Chapter 27 of Volsunga saga
Volsunga saga
The Völsungasaga is a legendary saga, a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan . It is largely based on epic poetry...
, "Hann tekr sverðit Gram ok leggr i meðal þeira bert", which means: "He takes the sword Gram and lays it bare between them". The short story is about a meeting between Ulrica, a Norwegian woman, and a Colombian teacher, Javier Otálora (who tells the story), in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. In this meeting, the couple falls in love each other and takes possession of the names of the heroes of the legendary saga
Legendary saga
A Legendary saga or Fornaldarsaga is a Norse saga that, unlike the Icelanders' sagas, takes place before the colonization of Iceland. There are some exceptions, such as Yngvars saga víðförla, which takes place in the 11th century...
contained in the epigraph: Brynhild and Sigurd, respectively.