Miller, William Ian. Looking Forward: Njal’s Prescience: Chapters 22–3

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Looking Forward: Njal’s Prescience: Chapters 22–3
• Published in: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
• Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2014
• Pages: 62-72
• 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 chapter Miller questions the possibility of Njáll being prescient, treating him more as a ‘script-writer’ than a true prophet. His skills in understanding people are important for his role as a lawyer, and thus most of the advice he gives, argues Miller, is commonsensical. Miller dispels most of the acts of prophecy in the saga along similar lines, as well as remains skeptical of Svanr’s true paranormal attributes, and stresses the ambiguity of the author’s treatment of the paranormal.

Lýsing

Í kaflanum dregur Miller í efa að Njáll hafi verið forspár og telur hann frekar vera „handritahöfund“ heldur en spámann. Miller heldur því fram að mannskilningur Njáls sé mikilvægur fyrir hann sem lögfræðing og þess vegna séu flest ráðabrugg hans byggð á almennri skynsemi. Miller heldur áfram og hrekur flestar spásagnir Njáls innan sögunnar á svipaðan hátt. Auk þess er hann tortryggur í garð yfirskilvitlega eiginleika Svans og undirstrikar að hið dulræna fá mjög óljósa meðferð í höndum höfundarins.

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. 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. 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 22: Nú skalt þú ríða heiman við þriðja mann.: „ If the author wanted us to understand Njal’s prescience as some seamless uncanny ability to see the future, he would have given us less mundane examples of its range and accuracy. “ (p. 72).

Links

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