The Aleph of the Golden Stone

Stories and tales from the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are a small country halfway between Norway and Iceland. They are historically and politically related to Denmark, but have retained their own language and distinctive culture. Until the 19th century, there was virtually no written literature, but a rich oral tradition developed - tales, fairy tales and long dance ballads. The stories record the history of individual families and places and tell heroic and humorous stories from the lives of important figures in local history. The harsh Nordic nature and the sea play a significant role in them, as well as the creatures that inhabited the landscape in the Fae imagination: goblins, elves, trolls, giants and sea monsters. For today's readers, Faerie tales and fairy tales open the door to a world distant in time and space. Despite this distance, however, they manage to make us laugh with their immediate humour and charm us with the ease with which they combine everyday incidents with mysterious and supernatural elements. This book is the first to introduce them to Czech readers and offers a varied and diverse selection of texts ranging from small anecdotes to narratives reminiscent of short Old Norse sagas.