Miller, William Ian. Justifying Skarpheðinn: Difference between revisions

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* '''Author''': Miller, William Ian
* '''Author''': Miller, William Ian
* '''Title''': Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud
* '''Title''': Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud
* '''Place, Publisher''': Champaign, Illinois, University of Illinois Press
* '''Published in''': 'Scandinavian Studies'' 55/4
* '''Year''': 1983
* '''Year''': 1983
* '''Pages''': 316-344
* '''Pages''': 316-344
* '''E-text''':  
* '''E-text''':  
* '''Reference''': Miller, William Ian. "Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud." Scandinavian Studies 55 (1983): 316-44.
* '''Reference''': Miller, William Ian. "Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud." ''Scandinavian Studies'' 55 (1983): 316-44.
----
----
* '''Key words''':  
* '''Key words''': social reality, law (samfélagsmynd, lög)


==Annotation==  
==Annotation==  


In this article, Millier refutes the idea that that Skarpheiðinn´s killing of Höskuldr in the narrative was a bloodthirsty act of senseless violence, unilaterally condemned by society, or that it was the result of Skarpheiðinn being tricked by Mörðr into committing such an act. Instead, Miller argues that the killing of Höskuldr was politically motivated and consistent with the dynamic of the feud as it is depicted within the saga. He also argues that in ''Njáls saga'', both parties manipulate the social rules which determine liability within feud structure to justify their violence as rightful retribution.
In this article, Miller refutes the idea that Skarphedinn's killing of Hoskuld in the narrative was a bloodthirsty act of senseless violence, unilaterally condemned by society, or that it was the result of Skarphedinn being tricked by Mord into committing such an act. Instead, Miller argues that the killing of Hoskuld was politically motivated and consistent with the dynamic of the feud as it is depicted within the saga. He also argues that in Njáls saga, both parties manipulate the social rules which determine liability within feud structure to justify their violence as rightful retribution.


==Lýsing==
==Lýsing==
Í greininni hrekur Miller þá hugmynd að víg Höskuldar Hvítanessgoða sé í frásögninni sýnt sem miskunnarlaust ofbeldisverk sem allir fordæmi, eða að Skarphéðinn hafi verið tældur til verknaðarins af Merði Valgarðssyni. Miller heldur því þess í stað fram að víg Höskuldar hafi átt sér pólitískar rætur og rími við gangverk fæðardeilnanna innan sögunnar. Hann færir einnig rök fyrir því að í Njálu sveigi báðir aðilar þær reglur sem gilda um skaðabætur í fæðardeilunum svo þeir megi réttlæta ofbeldið með því að það sé sanngjörn hefnd.




==See also==
==See also==
 
[[Miller, William Ian. The central feud in Njáls saga]]


==References==  
==References==  


[[Njála,_043|Chapter 43]]: '''Skarpheiðinn´s reaction to the killing of Þórðr indicates that the feud killings have become personal:''' "Hvar skál þá komit, er ver skulum handa hefja?"
[[Njála,_043|Chapter 43]]: '''Hvar skal þá komit :''' "When Skarpheðinn hears of Þórðr´s death he is no longer amused" (p. 321).  
 
[[Njála,_098|Chapter 98]]: B'''ergþora´s words to her sons, intended to incite them in killing Höskuldr, imply that letting Höskuldr live is dishonorable, for the other man has a powerful goðorð and is extremely popular in comparison to the Njálssons:''' "Undarlinga er yðr fait: Þér vegið vig þau, er yðr rekr litit til, en meltið slikt ok sjóðið fyrir yðr, svá at ekki verðr af; mun hér, þegar er spyrsk, koma Höskuldr Hvitanessgoði ok biðja yðr sætta, ok munuð þér veita honum þat, ok er nú til at ráða, ef þér vilið."
 
[[Njála,_112|Chapter 112]]:''' Höskuldr´s murder is often described as senseless and brutal by scholars, a view which seems to be shared by the community in Njála:''' "Vig Höskulds spurdisk um allar sveitir ok mæltisk illa fyrir."


[[Njála,_119|Chapter 119]]: '''Skarpheiðinn´s own justification for the killing of his foster-brother (which vary depending on who he is speaking to):''' "...Ok er eigi einn veg farit ógæfu okkari. Ek hefi ámæli af vigi Höskulds Hvítanessgoða, sem várkunn er. En þeir gerðu illmæli um þik Þorkell ok Þórir Helgason, ok hefir þú af þvi ámæli."
[[Njála,_098|Chapter 98]]: '''er nú til at ráða, ef þér viljið:''' "From Bergþóra´s egging of her sons to avenge their brother we get a small but sure hint that Höskuldr´s power has very much to do with their brother´s death" (p. 337).


==Links==
==Links==


* ''Written by:Beth Rogers   
* ''Written by:'' Beth Rogers   
* ''Icelandic/English translation:''  
* ''Icelandic translation:'' Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir


[[Category:Njáls saga]][[Category:Njáls saga:_Articles]][[Category:Authors]][[Category:All entries]]
[[Category:Njáls saga]][[Category:Njáls saga:_Articles]]
[[Category:Social reality]][[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Authors]][[Category:All entries]]

Latest revision as of 13:46, 8 November 2016

  • Author: Miller, William Ian
  • Title: Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud
  • Published in: 'Scandinavian Studies 55/4
  • Year: 1983
  • Pages: 316-344
  • E-text:
  • Reference: Miller, William Ian. "Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud." Scandinavian Studies 55 (1983): 316-44.

  • Key words: social reality, law (samfélagsmynd, lög)

Annotation

In this article, Miller refutes the idea that Skarphedinn's killing of Hoskuld in the narrative was a bloodthirsty act of senseless violence, unilaterally condemned by society, or that it was the result of Skarphedinn being tricked by Mord into committing such an act. Instead, Miller argues that the killing of Hoskuld was politically motivated and consistent with the dynamic of the feud as it is depicted within the saga. He also argues that in Njáls saga, both parties manipulate the social rules which determine liability within feud structure to justify their violence as rightful retribution.

Lýsing

Í greininni hrekur Miller þá hugmynd að víg Höskuldar Hvítanessgoða sé í frásögninni sýnt sem miskunnarlaust ofbeldisverk sem allir fordæmi, eða að Skarphéðinn hafi verið tældur til verknaðarins af Merði Valgarðssyni. Miller heldur því þess í stað fram að víg Höskuldar hafi átt sér pólitískar rætur og rími við gangverk fæðardeilnanna innan sögunnar. Hann færir einnig rök fyrir því að í Njálu sveigi báðir aðilar þær reglur sem gilda um skaðabætur í fæðardeilunum svo þeir megi réttlæta ofbeldið með því að það sé sanngjörn hefnd.


See also

Miller, William Ian. The central feud in Njáls saga

References

Chapter 43: Hvar skal þá komit : "When Skarpheðinn hears of Þórðr´s death he is no longer amused" (p. 321).

Chapter 98: er nú til at ráða, ef þér viljið: "From Bergþóra´s egging of her sons to avenge their brother we get a small but sure hint that Höskuldr´s power has very much to do with their brother´s death" (p. 337).

Links

  • Written by: Beth Rogers
  • Icelandic translation: Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir