SIRI PETTERSEN’S THE RAVEN RINGS. TRANSLATION OF THE REALITIES OF THE FANTASY WORLD

Abstract

The article describes some practical issues of translating the realities and concepts of a fantasy world based on the translation of the trilogy The Raven Rings by the Norwegian writer Siri Pettersen into Russian. The first book in the trilogy came out in 2013, the final one — in 2015. The novel Odin’s Child opens the trilogy and introduces the fantasy world of Ymland and its inhabitants. The second novel, The Rot, brings the readers to the human world. The third book, The Might, describes a new fantasy world, inhabited by the Blinds, who are considered to be the main threat to the existence of Ymland. Even though there are no direct references to Scandinavian mythology in the novels, according to the author, they represent a kind of the Scandinavian cultural code. The author compiled detailed instructions for translators on how to translate and not translate the realities of the world she invented, and actively assisted in the translation work. The article describes several specific examples of translation with a description of the approach to understanding realities and concepts of a fantasy world.