Martine is the elder daughter of a strict Puritan minister, named after Martin Luther. In her youth, she possessed a radiant, almost supernatural fairness that captivated local suitors. She has dedicated her life to charity, asceticism, and maintaining the spiritual purity of her father's dwindling flock. She leads her community with quiet authority and gentle modesty.

Philippa is Martine's younger sister, named after the theologian Philip Melanchthon. She is equally striking in appearance and possesses an extraordinarily lovely singing voice, which she restricts to church hymns. Following her father's strict guidance, she rejects worldly passions and the possibility of artistic fame in favor of a quiet, spiritual life.

Babette is an elderly French refugee who flees to Norway after losing her husband and son in the French civil war. She becomes the unpaid maid for Martine and Philippa, quickly learning to manage their modest, thrifty household. Though she speaks little Norwegian, she proves highly resourceful and maintains an intense, enigmatic presence that slightly unnerves her pious mistresses.

Lorens is a Prussian military officer whose indulgent youth brings him to the Norwegian countryside. Captivated by Martine's beauty, he briefly attempts to court her but feels deeply inadequate when faced with her religious purity. He eventually rises to high military ranks and achieves outward success, yet wrestles with a lingering sense of spiritual emptiness.

Achilles is a famous, middle-aged French opera singer from Paris. Seeking artistic inspiration in the countryside, he is deeply moved by Philippa's angelic voice and volunteers to instruct her. He represents the passionate, expressive world of the arts that contrasts sharply with the austere culture of Berlevaag.

The Dean is the late father of Martine and Philippa and a strict Puritan minister. He founded a pious ecclesiastical sect in Berlevaag that completely renounced worldly pleasures in pursuit of heavenly devotion. Though long dead, his spiritual authority continues to govern the lives of his daughters and his aging congregation.

Old Mrs. Loewenhielm is a resident of Fossum, a town near Berlevaag. She provides her nephew Lorens with a place to stay during his countryside exile and serves as his connection to the local community gatherings.