Miller, William Ian. Gift, Sale, Payment, Raid.
- Author: Miller, William Ian
- Title: Gift, Sale, Payment, Raid: Case Studies in the Negotiation and Classification of Exchange in Medieval Iceland
- Published in: Speculum 61, 1
- Year: 1986
- Pages: 18-50
- E-text: JSTOR
- Reference: Miller, William Ian. "Gift, Sale, Payment, Raid: Case Studies in the Negotiation and Classification of Exchange in Medieval Iceland." Speculum 61, 1 (1986): 18-50.
- Key words:
Annotation
In this paper, Miller investigates how farmers interact with each other when exchanging goods. Miller does this by examining passages from Njáls saga, Hœnsa-Þóris saga and Laxdæla saga. The economic system of medieval Iceland was based on gift-giving, trade, payment as compensation for a claim, purchase, or raid. The failure of a transaction created humiliation that had to be repaid with legal action, arbitration, or killing, since prestige was more valuable than money. The exchange outcome was thus related to social relations and status and the participants had to influence the transaction to increase their honour. The sagas show that Icelanders were more inclined to exchange goods by compensation (payment or gift) rather than by sale and purchase.
Lýsing
Texta vantar
See also
References
Chapter 47: „ en hvortgi mun eg þér selja : “Gunnar construes Otkel‘s remark as a hint to ask for a gift rather than as the statement of defiance it soon proves itself to be, that is, an indication of hostility to selling rather than hostility to him.” (p. 28)
Links
- Written by: Luna Polinelli
- Icelandic/English translation:
