Burial Rites Characters

Pétur is a servant and one of Fridrik's murder victims. Before his death, Pétur was known for being strange. He enjoyed killing animals and was convicted of illegally slaughtering sheep.

Kristín is a servant at Kornsá. She helps with every aspect of day-to-day farmlife. Margrét often jokes about how Kristín is not especially good at her work.

Snaebjörn is Jón and Margrét’s neighbor and Róslín’s husband. He sometimes accompanies Róslín on her visits to Kornsá.

Páll is Lauga, Steina, Jón, and Margrét’s neighbor and Snaebjörn and Róslín’s son. Páll sometimes helps with farm work at Kornsá.

Róslín is Margrét and Jón's neighbor and Snaebjörn's wife. Róslín has so many children that it seems like she’s perpetually pregnant. Róslín is dramatic and gossipy, and Margrét doesn’t like her very much. When Róslín goes into labor, Agnes helps her deliver the baby.

Haukur Jónsson is Dagga’s husband and a farmer who lives near Reverend Pétur Bjarnason. Tóti goes to his house to find Reverend Pétur, and Haukur invites him in to wait while Haukur seeks out the Reverend.

Reverend Pétur is the priest of the parish that Agnes grew up in, although he wasn’t working there when Agnes was a child. Reverend Pétur shows Tóti the ministerial records about Agnes and later appears at Kornsá to account for everyone in that year’s record.

Dagga is Haukur’s wife. Tóti meets her while he is waiting for Haukur to fetch Reverend Pétur. Dagga and Gudrún tell Tóti about the rumored Satanic origins of Natan’s name. Dagga is skeptical about the veracity of these stories.

Gudrún is an elderly woman who lives with Dagga and Haukur. Tóti meets her while he is waiting for Haukur to fetch Reverend Pétur. Gudrún and Dagga tell Tóti about the rumors surrounding Natan’s supposedly Satanic name. Gudrún doesn’t like Natan and believes the stories are true.

Gudmundur and Bjarni are temporary farmhands on the Kornsá farm, hired to help with the hay harvest.

Gudmundur Ketilsson is Natan’s brother. He is chosen by Blöndal and the District Officers to be Agnes and Fridrik’s executioner.

Ingveldur’s lover and supposedly Agnes's father. Agnes believes Magnús isn’t actually her father, but that Ingveldur said so to avoid admitting an affair with Jón of Brekkukot. When Agnes goes to see Magnús, he’s furious at the mention of Ingveldur’s name, but when Agnes leaves, Magnús gives her money.

Jón of Brekkukot is a married farmer and, according to Agnes, her real father. Agnes believes her mother lied about who Agnes’s father was to save Jón and herself from disgrace.

Ingibjörg is Margrét and Jón’s neighbor and Margrét’s close friend. Ingibjörg is sweet and kind, and she often visits Margrét at Kornsá. Ingibjörg is also nice to Agnes, especially after Agnes saves Róslín’s pregnancy.

Helga is Ingveldur’s daughter and Agnes and Jóas’s half-sister. Agnes never met Helga, who died as an adolescent.

Illugi the Black is Ingveldur’s lover and Jóas’s father. Ingveldur and Agnes live with him while Ingveldur is a servant on his farm before Illugi’s death.

Kjartan is Agnes’s foster brother when she lives with Björn and Inga. Agnes takes care of Kjartan while Björn attends to Inga as she dies in childbirth.

Gudbjörh is Aunt Rosá’s servant. She helps the family clean up from Inga’s childbirth and death and then comforts Agnes.

Aunt Rosá is Uncle Ragnar’s wife and the sister-in-law of Agnes’s foster father, Björn. Aunt Rosá comforts Agnes after Inga’s death. When Björn leaves for Reykjavik, Aunt Rosá and Ragnar take in Kjartan but not Agnes.

A servant on Blöndal’s farm and Natan’s former housekeeper. Karitas, who left the post as Natan’s housekeeper just before Agnes arrived, sympathizes with Agnes because she knows how manipulative Natan can be. Karitas pulls Tóti aside during his visit to Blöndal to tell him about Natan’s abusive behavior.

Thórunn is Fridrik’s lover before Fridrik decides to marry Sigga.

Thóranna is Natan and Rósa’s daughter, who lives with Natan during part of the time that Agnes is staying with him.

Bjarni is Fridrik’s brother. His testimony is solicited for the trial, during which Bjarni says that Fridrik had killed two of Natan’s sheep the year before.

Thórbjörg is Fridrik’s mother. Thórbjörg kindly takes Agnes in after Natan throws her out in the cold. Agnes also suspects that Thórbjörg had a hand in plotting Natan’s murder.

Gudrún is a character in the Laxdoela Saga, from which Kent quotes at the beginning of Chapter Twelve. She is Ospak’s sister, and it is Gudrún who encourages Ospak to seek revenge on Kjartan.

Ospak is a character in the Laxdoela Saga, from which Kent quotes at the beginning of Chapter twelve. He is (saga) Gudrún’s brother. At Gudrún’s encouragement, Ospak leaves to seek revenge on Kjartan.

Kjartan is a character in the Laxdoela Saga, from which Kent quotes in the beginning of Chapter twelve. Ospak leaves to seek revenge on Kjartan at (saga) Gudrún’s encouragement.