Anonymous, Búkolla

Romina Werth (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Nicole Kennedy (University of Newcastle), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1862 - 1864

Places

Iceland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Fairy Tale

Resources

The Icelandic wonder tale about a magic cow named Búkolla, who understands and speaks human language, is one of the most popular folktales in Iceland. The tale is classified as ATU 313 The Magic Flight in the international tale-type index (Uther, 194-97). In Einar Ól. Sveinsson’s Icelandic tale-type index, the tale of Búkolla is given the reference number EÓS 313 (Sveinsson 1929, 15). The tale was first printed in Jón Árnason’s collection of legends and folktales, Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og ævintýri, published in two volumes between 1862 and 1864 in Leipzig, Germany (Árnason, II, 445-46). In Árnason’s collection, the tale is titled Búkolla og strákurinn [Bukolla and the Boy]. It was contributed by Árnason’s friend and colleague, Magnús Grímsson (1825–1860), who recorded the tale from a woman in Seltjarnarnes, Iceland (Árnason, II, 580).

The wonder tale...

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2112 words

Citation: Werth, Romina. "Búkolla". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 June 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41014, accessed 13 December 2025.]

Anonymous, Búkolla

Dates

Places

Genres and Modes

Resources

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