Full Description
Finalist for the 2017 Washington State Book Award in General Nonfiction / History
The plaque said this was the winter fishing hut of Thurídur Einarsdóttir, one of Iceland's greatest fishing captains, and that she lived from 1777 to 1863.
"Wait," anthropologist and former seawoman Margaret Willson said. "She??"
So began a quest. Were there more Icelandic seawomen? Most Icelanders said no, and, after all, in most parts of the world fishing is considered a male profession. What could she expect in Iceland?
She found a surprise. This book is a glimpse into the lives of vibrant women who have braved the sea for centuries. Their accounts include the excitement, accidents, trials, and tribulations of fishing in Iceland from the historic times of small open rowboats to today's high-tech fisheries. Based on extensive historical and field research, Seawomen of Iceland allows the seawomen's voices to speak directly with strength, intelligence, and - above all - a knowledge of how to survive.
This engaging ethnographic narrative will intrigue both general and academic readers interested in maritime culture, the anthropology of work, Nordic life, and gender studies.
Contents
Acknowledgments
A Note on Icelandic Language, Names, and Landscape
Maps
Introduction: Fishing Expeditions
1. Survival on the Edge: A Hidden History
2. In Our Blood: A Lineage of Sea Knowledge
3. The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Seawomen and the Rise of Hags, Trolls, and Whores
4. Endurance: Why Do These Women Still Go to Sea?
5. The Sea's Siren Call: And the Jobs Seawomen Take in Reply
6. A Balance of Being: Ship Society
7. Paying to See the Stars: A New Kind of Survival
Appendix A Historical Seawomen
Appendix B Age of Women Registered as Seafarers, 2007-11
Appendix C Number of Female Fishermen, 1998-2011
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Illustrations follow page
