A Son of the Rock

Polygon, 1994, 458 p.

In retrospect – I have now read seven of her novels – it is striking how many of Elphinstone’s novels are set on islands – Light, Hy Brasil – or small communities, The Incomer, A Sparrow’s Flight, Voyageurs.

Only The Sea Road and The Gathering Night are drawn on a larger canvas but the former is supposedly written in a very circumscribed place indeed and an argument could be made for the latter belonging to a closed society.

The attractions for the novelist of a restricted setting are obvious: not so many characters to juggle, not many scenes to describe. It is also likely that the relationships between the characters will be more intense. Of her books set in the past it could be said that most people did live within tight boundaries but the voyages of Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir in The Sea Road give the lie to that as far as Vikings were concerned.

Islanders is set in that Norse universe: to be specific on the Twelfth Century northern islands of the Shetland archipelago, but mostly on Fair Isle. The text is prefaced by a map showing Northern Europe from the Norse point of view, with Noreg (Norway,) Island (Iceland) and Groenland (Greenland) at the bottom and Normandi (Normandy) and Englaland (England) to the top. This is how the Norsemen (and women) viewed the world.

We start with thirteen-year-old Astrid accompanying her father in fleeing from a Dyflin (Dublin) invaded by the troops of Henry II of England and heading for Hjaltland (Shetland) when their ship encounters a storm and is wrecked on Fridarey (Fair Isle.) Astrid is the only survivor. She is found all but dead on a rocky geo by Einar Thorvaldson who takes her in to become a member of his family.

The island is a poor place, with little in the way of good land, no decent harbour and only one seagoing boat, Sula, to its name. Astrid wishes not to be there yet is slowly drawn into its way of life. Still, when the opportunity to leave for Hjaltland and seek the shelter of one of her father’s business acquaintances comes she leaps at it, only to find she has jumped from one form of constraint to another.

Fridarey’s isolation highlights the importance of sea travel to this society. It is the only to avenue to adventure, the only escape from the circumscribed possibilities for sexual relationships on a small island. Nominally Christian, the islanders’ beliefs are on the cusp of the new religion and paganism. Almost as an aside the island’s fortune in lacking a priest is highlighted when one finally arrives and immediately sniffs witchcraft and dæmonry.

The problems of inheritance provide Astrid the opportunity to expand her horizons but also resolve the pickle she could have been in had she remained on Hjaltland.

Elphinstone is good at making the reader believe that this is how life was in those times. Her characters behave in absolutely the ways we know humans do. But the problems of people are the same in any era. This is excellent stuff.

Pedant’s corner:- Keri (elsewhere this character is named Kari,) focussed (focused,) unfocussed (unfocused.)