Ármann Jakobsson. The impetuousness of Þráinn Sigfússon

• Author: Ármann Jakobsson
• Title: The impetuousness of Þráinn Sigfússon : leadership, virtue and villainy in Njáls saga
• Published in: Arkiv för nordisk filologi 124
• Year: 2009
• Pages: 52-67
• E-text: journals.lub.lu.se
• Reference: Ármann Jakobsson. "The impetuousness of Þráinn Sigfússon : leadership, virtue and villainy in Njáls saga." Arkiv för nordisk filologi 124 (2009): 52-67.

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Annotation

In this article, Jakobsson discusses the character of Þráinn Sigfússon in Njáls Saga. He emphasize how Þráinn fails in his ambition to become a valued leader of his tribe due to his hasty and impetuous nature. Jakobsson points out that from the moment Þráinn is introduced in the story he showcases his hastiness by divorcing his wife on his nephew‘s wedding day and then turning it into a double wedding by marrying the bride‘s 14-year-old daughter. Jakobsson suggests Þráinn‘s inability to balance his ambitious nature with his hasty temperament results in him not being a real chieftain like his nephew Gunnar was and instead merely a figurehead. Ármann argues that because Þráinn is governed by impulse it is this that leads to his failure as a leader and ultimately to his death.

Lýsing

Í þessari grein fjallar Ármann Jakobsson um Þráin Sigfússon í Njáls sögu. Hann leggur áherslu á að sýna hvernig Þráni mistekst í þeim metnaði sínum að verða góður leiðtogi vegna þess hve hann er mikill ákafamaður og fljótfær. Ármann bendir á að að strax þegar Þráinn er kynntur til sögunnar sýnir hann hve fljótfær hann er með því að skilja við konu sína á brúðkaupsdegi frænda síns og breytir veislunni þar með í tvöfalt brúðkaup með því að giftast fjórtán ára dóttur brúðarinnar. Ármann spyr hvort vanhæfni Þráins til að ná jafnvægi á milli metnaðar síns og fljótfærni leiði til að hann verður ekki raunverulegur leiðtogi eins og Gunnar frændi hans, heldur bara strengjabrúða annarra. Ármann bendir á að þessi skapgerðarbrestur leiði að lokum til dauða hans.

References

Chapter 34: viltu gifta mér Þorgerði: „Þráinn actually seems to be governed more by lust than by prudence in this instance: there is no real reason for him to marry Hallgerðr‘s daughter when the two families are already united and this second marriage only complicates things“ (pp. 56-57).

Chapter 88: tók Þráinn við Hrappi: „As Þráinn is beholden to the Earl in a way that the sons of Njáll are not, this is an impulsive decision, to say the least. He is, effectively, betraying his overlord (as Hrappr has already done), a serious crime in the feudal ideology dominant in 13th century Europe“ (p. 62).

Chapter 91: þekkti menn af orðum: „Even if it must be acknowledged that Þráinn is by far the cleverest person in his own gang, he is not its actual leader; the other gang members do not care whether he tries to shut them up or not. He is held as a chieftain, but is not really a leader. The role he has claimed requires him to be in control but he is not“ (p. 64).

Links

• Written by: Lesley-anne Chung
• English translation: Lesley-anne Chung