Miller, William Ian. Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part II: Some Facts

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part II: Some Facts
• Published in: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
• Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2014
• Pages: 88-108
• E-text:
• Reference: Miller, William Ian. Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.

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• Key words:

Annotation

In this close-reading of chapters 35-45, Miller analyses the inner-household dynamics that drive the feud between Bergþóra and Hallgerðr, as well as the legal logic behind the women‘s choices for avengers. In addition, he argues that while significant financial gaps obviously existed at the time the saga was written, it still gives the people of the lower classes much more attention than is allotted to them elsewhere. Finally, Miller suggests that the real insult behind the nickname “dung-beardlings” lies in its sexual implications.

Lýsing

Í nákvæmum lestri sínum á 35.-45. kafla Njálu greinir Miller þau innan stokks öfl sem drífa deiluna milli Bergþóru og Hallgerðar áfram, einnig varpar hann ljósi á lagalega rökvísi í vali þeirra á hefnendum. Auk þess heldur hann því fram að þó svo að efnahagslegt bil hafi augljóslega verið til staðar á þeim tíma sem Njáls saga var rituð sé fólki af lægri stéttum gefin töluvert meiri athygli í sögunni heldur en annars staðar. Að lokum leiðir Miller líkum að því að móðgunin í taðskegglingar liggi í kynferðislegum ályktunum sem draga má af uppnefninu.

See also

• Miller, William Ian. Why is Your Axe Bloody?
• Miller, William Ian. Njála’s Unity Problem and the Very Beginning: Chapter 1
• Miller, William Ian. Marriage Formation and Dissolution: Chapters 2–34
• Miller, William Ian. Making a Scene: Chapters 34–5, 48
• Miller, William Ian. Looking Forward: Njal’s Prescience: Chapters 22–3
• Miller, William Ian. Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part I. The Theory: Chapters 35–45
• Miller, William Ian. Otkel vs. Gunnar: Chapters 46–56
• Miller, William Ian. Gunnar vs. the Thrihyrning People: Chapters 57–66
• Miller, William Ian. The Two Thorgeirs and Death of Gunnar: Chapters 67–77
• Miller, William Ian. Revenge for Gunnar: Chapters 77–81
• Miller, William Ian. The Atlantic Interlude and Hrapp: Chapters 82–9
• Miller, William Ian. Setting up Thrain: Chapters 90–2
• Miller, William Ian. A Tale of Two Hoskulds: Chapters 93–9
• Miller, William Ian. Conversion and the Genius of the Law: Chapters 100–6
• Miller, William Ian. Valgard ‘the Wise’ and Hoskuld’s Blood: Chapters 107–16
• Miller, William Ian. Skarphedin Ascendans, Flosi’s Ninth Nights: Chapters 117–23
• Miller, William Ian. The Burning: Chapters 124–32
• Miller, William Ian. Preparation for the Next Althing: Chapters 132–7
• Miller, William Ian. The Trial of Flosi and the Battle: Chapters 135, 141–5
• Miller, William Ian. Kari and Friends: Chapters 145–55
• Miller, William Ian. How Not to End a Saga, Unless...: Chapters 146–59
• Miller, William Ian. A Conclusion: Justice and Exits

References

Chapter 44: en sonu hans taðskegglinga: „ How do you get dung on your face? You engage in sloppily performed coprophagy, the sterilized Greek term for shit-eating. Or you can come by coprophagy and the facesmearing incidentically, as an inevitable side-effect of engaging in oral–anal sex with farm animals. “ (p. 105).

Links

• Written by: Yoav Tirosh
• Icelandic translation: Andri M. Kristjánsson