Miller, William Ian. Valgard ‘the Wise’ and Hoskuld’s Blood: Chapters 107–16

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Valgard ‘the Wise’ and Hoskuld’s Blood: Chapters 107–16
• Published in: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
• Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2014
• Pages: 194-206
• 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 discusses Valgarðr’s idea that Mörðr manipulate the Njálssynir against Höskuldr, and suggests that this relationship had already been quite strained before. Valgarðr also sees that it will be the people of Bergþórshvoll rather than his son Mörðr who will be targetted following Höskuldr‘s death because the former are considered violently powerful upstarts, while the latter is more predictable and thus less dangerous. Miller than discusses the killing itself, its construction as martyrdom, and the Njálssynir‘s motives behind killing their father’s favorite of the Sigfússynir clan. He then moves on to discuss the political logic behind Flosi being chosen as the avenger, and then discusses Hildigunnr´s blood-token ritual and connects it with other similar scenes in Njála and the bible.

Lýsing

Miller fjallar um hugmynd Valgarðs að Mörður snú Njálssonum gegn Höskuldi, Miller gefur til kynna að sambandið milli þeirra hafi þá þegar staðið völtum fótum. Valgarður sér fyrir að mönnum að Bergþórshvoli mun verða kennt um víg Höskuldar, frekar en Merði, þar sem þeir fyrrnefndu eru taldir vera ofbeldisfullir forvígismenn á meðan sá síðarnefndi er talinn fyrirsjáanlegur og því hættuminni. Miller fjallar síðan um morðið sjálft, píslavættisyfirbragð þess og hvatir Njálssona fyrir því að drepa eftirlæti föður síns. Í framhaldinu ræðir hann um pólitíska rökvísi þess að Flosi hefni fyrir vígið, að lokum tengir hann saman blóð-tákn Hildigunnar við sambærileg atriði bæði úr Njálu og Biblíunni.

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. 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. 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 116: Tók hún þá upp skikkjuna er Flosi hafði gefið Höskuldi: “Hildigunn is arguing that the gift of the cloak imposes more than an obligation on the recipient to make a proper return; it also continually obliges the giver to warrant his gift, to ratify it, to defend the possessor of it in his right to wear it, especially a gift that bears his name. “ (p. 204).

Links

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