When the King Came

What better cover for a murder than a royal visit? Helgi Ingólfsson's award-winning mystery novel Þegar kóngur kom / When the King Came is set against the backdrop of a spectacular point in Icelandic history: the height of the country's 19th century struggle for sovereignty.

The book received the 2010 Blóðdropinn (Blood Drop) crime fiction award and enjoyed universal critical acclaim. “The season's most original thriller”, was the verdict of Fréttablaðið's Páll Baldvin Baldvinsson, who lauded its meticulous reconstruction of a bygone era. Author Hallgrímur Helgason counted Ingólfsson's work among the best novels of recent years: “An enthralling work of fiction which transports readers into the 19th century, and keeps them there, spellbound [...] The Reykjavík of 1874 springs to life, complete with colorful personalities from all walks of life – each and everyone awaiting the king's arrival. For the reader, it's like stepping into a time-machine, impossible to abandon without profound regret.”

The story opens with a girl sitting in a meadow, nursing her newborn child. Suddenly, a shadow falls across mother and child and the girl is murdered with two blows to the skull. In the distance, cannons rumble and crowds cheer: Icelanders are celebrating the thousandth anniversary of the country's settlement, and the Danish King Christian IX has made the festivities an occasion for a royal visit, as Iceland is still a Danish colony. While the novel's murder plot is fictional, its background is rooted firmly in documented history. Actual historical characters from all walks of society – beggars, politicians, commoners – appear throughout the plot, resulting in a broad and faithful description of the era's zeitgeist.

“....and my imagination takes it from there”

“Christian IX's arrival was perfect for covering up a murder mystery,” says Ingólfsson to Sagenhaftes Island. “The murder has to be hushed up, precisely because its timing coincides with the momentous occasion. And the inquiry must neccessarily be discreet to avoid a scandal.”

Sagenhaftes Island:You are a historian and a college teacher of history, and plainly, a huge amount of research has gone into the work. How historically “true” is the story?

“When the King Came is as historically accurate as I could make it without abandoning the framework of a novel. When I began working on it, I decided not to include any historical details that couldn't be verified. All of the historical characters' eye colors, for example, are accurate. All of them are also recorded to have been at the places where the story finds them at each point in time. The party mentioned in the final chapter really did take place, and college students really did perform the song mentioned. After that, the historical records are silent – and my imagination takes it from there.”

“What should I have expected? A torrent of eggs?”

Sagenhaftes Island: Did you find it difficult to strike a balance between fact and fiction? Can the reader distinguish between the two?

“It was easy to arrive at an equilibrium of fiction and historical fact – the division is obvious to anyone who knows the background of the work. Those who haven't studied these things as closely as I have might get confused – but I have faith that readers can tell the difference between fact and fancy.”

Sagenhaftes Island: Various luminaries of Iceland's fight for independence are described – not always entirely favorably. Were you apprehensive of any hostile reaction?

“The time is ripe for another look at Iceland's fight for independence. Placing the national heroes on some sort of saintly pedestal is no good to anyone. In my opinion, it's healthy to be reminded that they were human. I was never apprehensive of a hostile reaction. What should I have expected? A torrent of eggs? Of those who have approached me about the book, nine out of ten tell me they're happy with it. Then there's maybe ten percent who have a problem with the conclusion – but still praise other parts of it.”

Sagenhaftes Island: You have previously released two historical novels that take place in ancient Rome. For a longtime teacher of history, it must be exhilarating and liberating to fill in the historical blanks, to put words in the mouths of historical figures.

“More than anything else, basing a novel on documented history is fiendishly difficult. It's a lot trickier than you might imagine. The parts that seem effortless are often those that demanded the most attention. The biggest pleasure for an old history teacher probably stems from having countless readers – young and old – approach me to tell me how 19th century Reykjavík came to life for them, how they saw famous historical figures appear in their mind's eye. That's what I find exhilarating and liberating. It's also fun to dream up solutions to historical conundrums related to the royal visit: Why did the Danish sailors have an accident when they fired the honorary cannon rounds on August 2, 1874? Why was the MP Halldór Kr. Friðriksson tongue-tied during his address to the king on August 6, 1874? Sadly, these “discoveries” of mine will never find their way into any history books.”