11 Quotes & Sayings By Sigrid Undset

Sigrid Undset (1882–1949) is one of the most popular authors in Norway with over thirty titles written in Norwegian, many of which have been translated to English. Undset's works have been adapted for the screen several times, including a performance of the novel Kristin Lavransdatter in 1948 by Ingmar Bergman and a film version of Kristin Lavransdatter in 1973 by Liv Ullmann. Her father was a well-known liberal politician, and she married Christian Michelsen, a scholar and former minister in the Norwegian government. Their son, Sverre Michelsen, became a prominent member of the Norwegian resistance movement during World War II Read more

In 1934 she will be awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University for her contribution to literature.

God grant ... that he may learn to understand in...
1
God grant ... that he may learn to understand in time, that whoso is minded to do as he himself wills will soon enough see the day when he will find he has done that which he had never willed. Sigrid Undset
2
Her heart felt as if it were breaking in her breast, bleeding and bleeding, young and fierce. From grief over the warm and ardent love which she had lost and still secretly mourned; from anguished joy over the pale, luminous love which drew her to the farthest boundaries of life on this earth. Through the great darkness that would come, she saw the gleam of another, gentler sun, and she sensed the fragrance of the herbs in the garden at world's end. Sigrid Undset
3
All those wasted and squandered years when I did nothing but go around looking inside myself until I ended up alone even though I was surrounded by people. But I paid attention only to what was happenstance about them - not their true selves. Sigrid Undset
4
It seems to her [Saint Catherine of Siena] that the devil has this world in his power, not by his own will, for he is powerless, but through our help because we obey him. The evil aroma rising from the .. wars which are waged by Christians against Christians, are the same as war against God.. Peace, peace, for the sake of the love of the crucified Christ, and not war; that is the only solution. . Sigrid Undset
5
She [Catherine of Siena] found a place of refuge in a lonely wood, where some hermits lived. It is generally thought that this brotherhood was the community of hermits in Vallombrosa, founded by St. John Gualbert, the man who had spared the life of his deadly enemy because it was Good Friday, and later rushed into the nearest church and fell before the feet of the crucified Christ, as though drunk with this adventure - the adventure of forgiveness. And the Saviour leaned down from the cross and kissed the boy. . Sigrid Undset
6
I've done many things that I thought I would never dare to do because they were sins. But I didn't realize then that the consequence of sin is that you have to trample on other people. Sigrid Undset
7
Do you know who 'twas that first knew our Lord had caused Himself to be born? 'Twas the cock; he saw the star, and so he said—all the beasts could talk Latin in those days; he cried: 'Christus natus est! ' " He crowed these words so like a cock that Kristin fell to laughing heartily. And it did her good to laugh, for all the strange things Brother Edvin had just been saying had laid a burden of awe on her heart. The monk laughed himself: "Ay, and when the ox heard that, he began to low: 'Ubi, ubi, ubi.' "But the goat bleated, and said: 'Betlem, Betlem, Betlem.' "And the sheep so longed to see Our Lady and her Son that she baa-ed out at once: 'Eamus, eamus! ' "And the new-born calf that lay in the straw, raised itself and stood upon its feet. 'Volo, volo, volo! ' it said. . Sigrid Undset
8
You tug and strain like a young horse when it's first tied up at the stake, whenever you are tied by your heartstrings. Sigrid Undset
9
And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused--and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself. Sigrid Undset
10
No doing without some ruing. Sigrid Undset