Miller, William Ian. Gunnar vs. the Thrihyrning People: Chapters 57–66

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Gunnar vs. the Thrihyrning People: Chapters 57–66
• Published in: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
• Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2014
• Pages: 123-33
• 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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Annotation

Miller describes the dispute between Gunnar and the people of Þríhyrningr mountain and its escalation. He stresses Gunnar’s eagerness to do battle, in contradiction to his words in chapter 54. He responds to Karl Lehmann’s legal analysis of Njáls saga, and offers that more credit should be given to the author’s legal understanding. He suggests that by not following Grágás to the letter, the author is distinguishing between written and practiced law. Miller discusses Njáll‘s function as a banker of sorts, collecting debts to be distributed later in time of legal need. Finally, he explains the social and economical logic behind having Gunnar pay compensation for men whom he had the legal right to kill in self-defense. He sees this as a type of ‘life-insurance’ system, meant to prevent the survivors from becoming dependants, and looks at the compensation’s function in postponing or ending a dispute.

Lýsing

Miller lýsir deilunni milli Gunnars og fólksins undan Þríhyrningi og hvernig sú deila stigmagnast í sögunni. Hann bendir á ákafa Gunnars til að berjast sem er í beinni mótsögn við það sem hann segir í 54. kafla sögunnar. Hann svarar lagalegri greiningu Karls Lehmann á Njálu og leggur til að höfundur sögunnar hafi haft dýpri skilning á lögum en áður hefur verið haldið. Miller segir að með því að fylgja Grágás ekki bókstaflega gerir höfundurinn greinarmun milli laga sem voru rituð og laga sem voru í notkun. Miller fjallar um stöðu Njáls sem einskonar bankastjóra sem innheimtir skuldir og dreifir auðnum aftur þegar svo liggur við. Að lokum útskýrir hann bæði efnahagslegu og félagslegu rökvísina sem liggur að baki bótagreiðslu Gunnars fyrir réttmæt dráp í sjálfsvörn. Miller lítur á þetta sem einskonar líftryggingarkerfi sem er ætlað að koma í veg fyrir að eftirlifendur verði ómagar og er þáttur í að enda eða fresta deilu.

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. Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part II: Some Facts
• Miller, William Ian. Otkel vs. Gunnar: Chapters 46–56
• 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

• Lehmann, K and H. Schnorr von Carolsfeld. Die Njálssage

References

Chapter 64: selja þér í hendur legorðssökina: "Here we see unprosecuted lawsuits used as a sort of debt instrument; that they would be so mobilized makes perfect sense, given the shortage of silver and the practical absence of coinage. These dormants claims have value. … Because of their assignability, lawsuits in fact can function as a kind of money, though mostly as a limited-use money because they can be only assigned once or reassigned to the original holder." (p. 129).

Links

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