Miller, William Ian. Justifying Skarpheðinn

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud
• Place, Publisher: Champaign, Illinois, University of Illinois Press
• 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.

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• Key words:

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.

References

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?"

Chapter 98: Bergþora´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."

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."

Chapter 119: Skarpheiðinn´s own comment on 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."

Links

• Written by:Beth Rogers
• Icelandic/English translation: