Chapter Text
March 2019
E. Noss, Norway's ruling queens: from Gunnhild to Anna of Arendelle (2007)
N. B. Koskinen, 'What could Elsa feel for Honeymaren? Sexual possibilities in a story of emotional intimacy' Scandinavian Studies Vol. 145 (1989) p.3-38
S. Simmons, 'Towards An Understanding Of Academic Impartiality' Scandinavian Journal of History Vol. 44 (2019) p.15-68
... The conclusions drawn in Koskinen's latest article in The Norweigan Historical Review are nothing short of absurd, indeed close to slanderous. Although searching through history for heretofore overlooked queer narratives is an admirable pursuit, I am becoming increasingly concerned that academic rigour is being sacrificed for the sake of popular and shallow progressiveness. What strikes me most in Koskinen's conclusions is the alarming ease with which confirmation bias seems to have slipped unchallenged into academia...
... Let us presume for now that the travelogues of Jakob Natvig are authentic and not, as has been compellingly argued by Nese, an entirely fictitious writing exercise by later scholars. His account of six months spent among the Northuldra people of Norway is a fascinating study of late Indigenous cultures. However what has been generally acknowledged, even by his most devoted fans, is that Natvig was no historian. While over thirty pages are devoted to the cultural significance of coffee, the geographic location of the Northuldra with whom he spent so much time is entirely unclear. He was, first and foremost, an anthropologist. Therefore confident declarations that the "pale witch", whom he names Ilzza, must be the former Queen Elsa of Arendelle are baseless...
... Now we come to the elusive figure of Honeymaren. Named only in the oral tradition of the Northuldra people, we are already toeing the line of historical accuracy. While orally transmitted songs and poetry, especially among the Northuldra, are used to record tribe and family history, they also regularly centre mythological figures. Often we find that mythology and history blur together making the oral tradition a difficult source...
... Even were we to assume that Honeymaren was a real woman and that the depiction of her close relationship with Elsa was accurate, to decide that the intimacy between the two must have been sexual in nature shows a crass and unimaginative mind. The phrase used most often in the oral tradition - "tentmates" - is commonly used for married couples, yes, but it is also used for non-sexual familial relationships...
... Most damning for Koskinen's argument is her uncritical reliance on the political rhetoric of the Southern Isles. Admittedly, the thorough and contemporary descriptions of the court of Queen Anna of Arendelle contained within Prince Elias' On Trade speeches has made them uniquely valuable sources. The interpretation, though, is famously difficult. On Trade III is indisputably a work of political invective and contains many of the associated tropes: Queen Anna is feeble minded; Prince Kristoff has an unnatural interest in reindeer; Olaf, the Queen's most-trusted adviser, is amusingly characterised as a snowman. So it is entirely unsurprising that Queen Elsa appears as a forest-dwelling water witch with predatory inclinations towards young women. Koskinen's assertion that this depiction should be taken seriously is a novice misreading of political diatribe as historical fact...
R. K. K. Smith and B. Melfi, Elsa: Girl Made Goddess (2018)
C. P. Rygg, 'Magical lesbian? Rethinking the relationship between race, sexuality and the supernatural in depictions of Queen Elsa' in V. Opper et al. (eds.), Women, Witches and Winter: Late Representations of Feminine Power in Northern Europe
forthewicked
History: elsa and honeymaren were "tentmates". elsa and honeymaren "had the greatest of intimacies". honeymaren often accompanied elsa on visits home to arendelle. elsa and honeymaren were literally buried together.
Historians: oh wow :) they were such good friends!! isnt that nice :)
eatthebooks
I totally get the frustration and you're right a lot of historians are super dumb and homophobic. But let's also not forget the hundreds of historians out there who push back against this narrative. I've read articles sometimes where I am convinced that the author is on tumblr.
Source: forthewicked #theres a lot of anti intellectualism going around #lets not add to it #btw if people want sources lmk!! #grad school has to be good for something right
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T. Ruhl, 'Acts of God: Natural Disaster Induced Trauma in the Nordic Imagination' Nineteenth-Century Studies Vol. 29 (2013) p.97-109
A. Wright, Chp 5: 'Elsa of Arendelle and the security of the unknown' in Weather And War Anxieties in 19th Century Norwegian Fiction (2015)
annasarendelle
Okay, so not to nerd out on main but. We all know about Queen Elsa of Arendelle and how she's traditionally shown as like an awesomely powerful water witch. We also know that, during her lifetime, Arendelle experienced one flash ice age, two unexplained full city evacuations and several major earthquakes.
There's this theory that links Arendelle experiencing all these awful natural disasters to depictions of Queen Elsa's powers. Either that they wanted a protector so they semi-deified her, or they wanted an explanation so they made her a monster. But either way.
This woman was so powerful and terrifying and otherworldly that people made her a natural disaster while she was still alive.
Source: eatthebooks #i would give my left arm for some semi decent sources #arendelle ladies #i just have a lot of very strong feelings
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Item #39. Queen Elsa on Nokk
On loan from Oslo City Museum until June 2020
Oil painting on canvas, painted c. 1850, artist unknown. Painting was found in the storage cellar of the Stor House, Arendelle. In the centre of the canvas is a woman, presumably Queen Elsa, dressed in thin white robes. She sits astride the Nokk, a mythical horse depicted as being formed from the water itself. Around the woman, the grey sea roils and the storm-split sky looms ominously. Queen Elsa is often painted in seascapes; the all-white robes, loose hair and Nokk steed are common elements of her iconography.
June 2019
lesbiannapoleon
anonymous asked:
maybe a stupid question but whys queen elsa of arendelle on your historic indigenous women edit??
I'm so glad you asked! I will take literally any excuse to talk about my fave royals.
It's not a stupid question at all. For various reasons (racism, nationalism, more racism) most popular versions of the queens, including the upcoming margot robbie film, have been very white but that's entirely a modern invention. Elsa and Anna's father was white Arendellian but their mother was of the Northuldra, an indigenous tribe from northern scandinavia.
Their mother was probably white-passing and Anna and Elsa certainly were but their indigenous roots were hugely important to them. When Elsa abdicated she left Arendelle to live among the Northuldra where she stayed for the rest of her life. During Anna's reign, she put a focus on building diplomatic ties and trade relations with the Northuldra. She even built a statue (still standing in Arendelle today) in the town square of a clearly Northuldra child and a white Arendellian child (possibly representing her parents) holding hands to symbolize unity.
So yeah, history's a whitewash. But both Elsa and Anna were dual heritage and extremely aware and proud of their indigenous heritage.
Source: proud-puckbunnies #anon #kat speaks #elsa of arendelle #anna of arendelle
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Anna and Elsa - Trailer #2 (Universal Pictures) HD - In Cinemas June 24
In Cinemas June 24.
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnnaAndElsaMovie/
Genre: Period Drama, Biopic
Written by: Nate Glasser
Directed by: Paul Dibb
The young Arendellian princesses Elsa (Margot Robbie) and Anna (Elle Fanning) grew up as everything to each other. Years later, Queen Elsa, hiding a terrible secret, has isolated herself from everyone - including her beloved sister. The sudden arrival of a strange prince (Ansel Elgort) may be enough to throw the whole kingdom into turmoil.
Period films
Anna and Elsa review - an emotional tale of love and loyalty between royal siblings
Anna and Elsa delivers uneven emotional and political thrills, while offering a solid showcase for the talents of its well-matched leads.
Peter Bradshaw @PeterBradshaw1
Fri 20 Jun 2019 10.00 EST
In writing the story of our legendary Norweigan queens, director Paul Dibb had a choice to make. Should his historical drama be more history or more drama? That's a tricky line to walk, especially when one of his subjects is a figure as famously elusive as Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Dibb clearly decided in the early phases of production that, rather than attempt to walk the line, he would simply set it on fire. The result is a deeply moving film with all the historical value of a picture book that will undoubtedly divide fans for years to come.
We first meet Anna and Elsa as bright-eyed children who live an isolated life in the royal palace, from which their strict and absent parents have forbidden them leaving. Rather than the lonely existence one might expect, the sisters are delighted by each other's company and the imaginative games they play, tumbling up and down long corridors. Fast forward ten years and there is a good deal less laughter in the halls. The remnants of that childish devotion is there in lingering looks and teary eyes but Elsa, struggling with the secret development of her powers and deeply ill-suited to ruling, will barely speak to her sister.
When the handsome Prince Hans (Ansel Elgort) of the Southern Isles arrives on the scene, the situation explodes. It marks the beginning of an emotionally and politically fraught duel between the sisters, both for power and for the heart of Prince Hans. The plot then stumbles along through various implausible and sometimes soap opera-esque excitements. Sadly Elsa and Anna spend little time together and when the two are separated the film seems at a loss, killing time until the pair can reunite.
This, the complicated, intimate and deeply painful relationship between the titular sisters, is the film's emotional core and this is where it shines. Robbie is magnetic as Elsa. She inhabits the persona of the enigmatic Queen so deeply that it took me a moment to remember that it was the same performer who only last year was starring in I, Tonya as a proud and punchy figure skater. Fanning has the slightly easier role, less sorrowful gazing out of windows and more political scheming, but is no less compelling. Anna's intelligence, passion and conflicted devotion is on constant show - and she delivers some truly terrible lines with impressive earnestness.
A bolder film might have trusted these talented actors to carry the film without the plot's insistence on melodrama and misunderstandings. This is not a bolder film. Nor is it a particularly clever film. Away from Robbie and Fanning's talent, the dodgy script becomes impossible to ignore. Gorgeous sets and beautiful costuming can cover only so many sins. By the time the film arrives at its final act, Dibb seems to have lost track of what he was trying to say. Is this a film about the importance of trust and communication? Is Elsa the victim in all this? Is Anna a fool for being so devoted to her secretive sister? Is anyone actually running the country? Certainly the film has no idea.
Much has been made of the controversial ending, a creative departure from the traditional historical narrative. Given that this is a period piece about fairly prominent historical figures, I feel no guilt about spoiling this ending - look away now if that will be a problem. Many will quite reasonably feel that it is a tone deaf decision to have Elsa and Hans run away together. Within the film, the romance is sweet and handled competently enough - Elgort is blandly likable and Robbie can create chemistry with anyone - but Queen Elsa's status as one of history's most famous ambiguously-homosexual women makes this another lazy choice.
Anna and Elsa is released in the UK on 24 June, Australia on 1 July and the US on 2 July.
bonnyannebonny
i am literally begging y'all not to go see anna and elsa. i know we're all starved for mainstream arendelle content but it is literally The Worst Case Scenario.
1. it is super super white with no mention of elsa and anna's northuldra heritage at all. you wouldnt even know that the northuldra existed
2. its actually all over super white. i dont think i saw a single poc despite arendelle being close to the fairly major trading ports of the southern isles. its racism plain and simple
3. maybe worst of all. elsa and some random prince run off into the sunset together. yes, elsa. elsa who spent her life with her indigenous gf. elsa who was buried with her gf. they give her a white boyfriend.
lesbiannapoleon
please say this isn't true
dogeared
I'm so furious and devastated about this. I didn't think it would be good but fucking hell this is horrendous.
Source: bonnyannebonny #why do i do this to myself #hollywood is a permanent disappointment
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knocknokk
I so appreciate how the Arendelle fandom has collectively decided to cannibalise a&e for gifs/edits and then pretend it never happened
Source: knocknokk
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July 2019
dogeared
There's a rumor circulating on the twittersphere and I don't want to freak anyone out. But some kid in Norway found a collection of personal letters which were apparently written by Queen Anna of Arendelle herself. The letters are currently being examined for authenticity but if they're real (and that is a big if, okay) then we are on the verge of maybe something awesome.
Source: dogeared #gotta keep hopes in check #even if theyre authentic #could be boring #just gotta chill #chill chill chill
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