Pilgrim Reindeer in Pisa, 1348
a free multimedia novel by
Thomas A. DuBois, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Pilgrim Reindeer in Pisa, 1348 a free multimedia novel by Thomas A. DuBois, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
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1. Part I Setting Out 1. Sállejávri [July 1, 1347]
Let me begin by noting that, although the name Sálle- figures in a great many placenames in the region where this opening of the novel is set, the Sálle depicted in this work is a fictional character, who does not bear any direct relation to the figure for whom these places were originally named. Nor is Sálle's grandfather an actual historical figure, as far as I can tell. At the same time, many Sámi placenames include the name of a person or being with whom the place is associated in oral tradition, and I like to think that there was someone like old man Sálle in the past of this region.
My chief interest in this chapter was to depict Sálle in the stream of his normal life in its most glorious season. A novel should take off fast, people told me, but this is a story of someone unaccustomed to hurrying, and his narrative proceeds at its own pace. I wanted to give the reader a feel for the world that Sálle knows, the competence he has in this environment, and the life he will soon be leaving behind as he heads off on his adventure. One has to understand the sacrifice that Sálle is making, the possibilities his choices preclude as well as those they create. I chose to focus on fishing and boat building as activities, because these are common to all Sámi peoples and have always played a central role in Sámi livelihoods and subsistence practices. The interest in boats in particular also reflects my own fascination with boats and boat construction, and my daily habit of rowing, at least when the lake is not frozen. This is Wisconsin, after all.
