The little Scandinavian hero

Nordic children’s literature is undoubtedly one of the most significant in the world in terms of its history, scope and originality. Through this literature, this issue (No. 38) explores the figures of the Scandinavian ‘little hero’, drawing on the proceedings of a conference organised on this theme in 2019 at the University of Haute-Alsace in Mulhouse by Alessandra Ballotti and Frédérique Toudoire-Surlapierre. Seven articles analyse different facets of this rich heritage, the place it occupies in Northern literature, and the ways in which a whole gallery of childlike characters is portrayed, from the Swedish Pippi to the Danish Bibi, via Finland. They show how these heroes and heroines of youth subvert the codes and norms, not only of the literary genre to which they are assigned, but also, very often, of the societies they are supposed to best represent. From this perspective, we are dealing with much more than simply children’s literature, even though that is its core audience, and its considerable success relative to the size of the countries of origin is a further indication of its universal appeal.

Publisher’s website : http://revue-nordiques.com/fr/71-n38le-petit-heros-scandinave