Keisarin av Portugáliu

Keisarin av Portugáliu (1914) er ein hjartanemandi søga um fátæka smámannin Jann Andersson í Skróbyrgi og hansara markleysa kærleika til dóttrina Kláru Fínu Gullborg.

Jann er fátækur maður og hevur ikki ráð at fáa ein munn afturat í húsið at metta. Men tá ið Jann á fyrsta sinni fær dóttrina í føvningin broytist lív hansara. Hann kennir fyri fyrstu ferð í lívi sínum kærleika, og kærleiki hansara til dóttrina fer út um øll mørk.

Tá ið dóttirin er hálvvaksin kvettir hon sambandið við foreldrini og fer til Stokkhólms.

Seinni fær Jann frænir av, at hon ger annað enn tað, hann hevði ynskt skuldi gerast hennara lutur. Men kærleiki hansara til hennara dragnar ikki, hon er framvegis eygnasteinur hansara. Sjálvur tolir hann kortini ikki tann sálarágang tað voldir honum, at dóttirin ikki kemur aftur, og hann fer av vitinum og fer at liva ta lívslygn, at hann heldur dóttrina verða vorðna keisarinnu, og hann útnevnir seg sjálvan til keisara í sjaldsama ríkinum Portugáliu.

Myndin av Jann er vøkur og hugvekjandi. Selma Lagerlöf setur serligan ljóma um henda faðirkærleika, sum gongur út um alt mark,og tá ið Jann samstundis mennir evnini at síggja inn í framtíðina, fær myndin eitt dult og frumsagnaligt brá.

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The Emperor of Portugallia (1914) is a heart-warming story of a poor man of humble means, Jann in Skrolycka, and his limitless love for his daughter Glory Goldie Sunnycastle.

Jann is a poor man and cannot afford to have an extra mouth to feed. But when Jann first holds his daughter in his arms, his entire life changes. For the first time in his life he feels love, and the love he has for his daughter has no limits.

When Glory Goldie comes of age she cuts off her relationship with her parents and moves to Stockholm.

Later Jann suspects that she is doing other things than that which he had hoped for. But his love for her doesn’t fade. She is still the apple of his eye. But he can’t stand the psychological pain of his daughter not returning home and becomes beside himself. He begins to live in a dream world where he believes his daughter to be an empress and he therefore can make himself emperor of the rare kingdom of Portugallia.

The image of Jann is beautiful and thought provoking. Selma Lagerlöf puts a special emphasis on the fatherly love that goes beyond all boundaries. And when Jann simultaneously acquires the ability to see into the future, this image takes on a hidden and mythical quality.