Ronia the Robber's Daughter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
For the 1984 film, see Ronia, the Robber's Daughter (film).
Ronia the Robber's Daughter  
Ronia Robbers Daughter.png
Trina Schart Hyman's cover for Ronia the Robber's Daughter (1985 Puffin Books edition)
Author Astrid Lindgren
Original title Ronja Rövardotter
Country Sweden
Language Swedish
Publisher Rabén & Sjögren
Publication date 1981
Pages 235 pp
ISBN 91-29-54877-2
OCLC Number 9462379
LC Classification MLCS 82/9917

Ronia the Robber's Daughter (Swedish: Ronja Rövardotter) is the children's fantasy book by the noted Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, first published in 1981. In the film based on the story, Ronia was played by Hanna Zetterberg Struwe.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Ronia, its main character, is a girl growing up in a castle in the wood in a clan of robbers. As she is the only child of Mattis, the chief, she is expected to become the leader of the clan someday. Their castle, Matt's Fort, is split in two parts by a lightning bolt on the day of her birth. Soon afterwards, a different clan of robbers, the 'Borkas', settles the other side of the mountain, resulting in much strife between the two clans. Ronia grows up with Matt's clan of robbers as her only company. One day, Ronia sees Birk Borkason, the only son of the enemy chieftain, Borka, idling by the chasm that splits the two parts of the castle. He is the only other child she has ever met, and so she is sorry that he is a Borka. He engages her in a game of jumping across, which does not end until Birk almost falls down. Ronia saves him and they become friends.

The next winter is long and cold and although Matt's robbers are well fed, their counterparts are suffering on the other side of the chasm. Ronia brings food through a secret passageway to Birk. They get very close but both know that they cannot tell it to their families. Later that year Birk saves Ronia from being captured by the faeries only to be captured himself by Ronia's father. Ronia gives herself to the Borkas so she must be exchanged, but as a result her father disowns her and refuses to let her be his daughter. Birk and Ronia run away to the woods. Ultimately their families repent of their feuding, and everyone is reunited.

[edit] Adaptations

[edit] Film

see Ronia, the Robber's Daughter (film)

In 1984, the book was made into a Swedish fantasy film. It was directed by the Swedish film director Tage Danielsson and adapted for screenplay by Astrid Lindgren herself. It was a major success, becoming the highest-grossing 1984 film in Sweden,[1] and winning a Silver Bear at the 1985 Berlin International Film Festival.[2] More than 1.5 million people attended its screenings in Sweden.[3] (www.ronjarovardotter.wb4.de info and Movihompage)

[edit] Musical

In 1994 the book was made into a German musical called "Ronja Räubertochter". The musical was made by Axel Bergstedt only in the German language.[4][5][6]

[edit] Stage

A production in the Balver Höhle was performed in 1993 and 2004 with its musical director Ralf Linke, Oberkirch (Baden) in 2006. The German adaptation was written by Barbara Hass.

[edit] Translations

Two English translations exist which provide different translations of the Swedish names.

Swedish, Ronja Rövardotter English, 1983, Methuen Children's Books, The Robber's Daughter English, 1985, Puffin Books, Ronia, the Robber's Daughter
Ronja Kirsty Ronia
Mattis Matt Matt
Lovis Lena Lovis
Borka Ranulf Borka
Undis Hanna Undis
Birk Burl Birk
Skalle-Per Skinny-Pete Noddle-Pete
Tjegge Shaggy Shaggy
Pelje Proudfoot Pelle
Fjosok Fulke Foolok
Jutis Jolly Jutto
Joen Jip Jep
Labbas Knuckles Knuckles
Knotas Knott Knott
Turre Tapper Tapper
Tjorm Tobbit Torm
Sturkas Bumper Bumper
Lill-Klippen Snip Little Snip

[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Holmlund, Christine (2003). "Pippi and Her Pals". Cinema Journal 42.2 (Winter 2003): 4. 
  2. ^ "Awards for Ronja Rövardotter (1984)". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088015/awards. Retrieved 2008-07-07. 
  3. ^ "Box office / business for Ronja Rövardotter (1984)". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088015/business. Retrieved 2008-07-08. 
  4. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EACm1pqXFYk
  5. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEnX-W4WZPE
  6. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcrmrI-QNa4
  7. ^ Edström, Vivi (2000) [1992]. Astrid Lindgren: A Critical Study. Eivor Cormack, trans.. Rabén & Sjögren. pp. 271–293.