Miller, William Ian. Why is Your Axe Bloody?
- Author: Miller, William Ian
- Title: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
- Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
- Year: 2014
- E-text:
- Reference: Miller, William Ian. Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Key words:
Annotation
In this extensive close reading on Njáls saga, William Ian Miller looks to concile the different parts of the saga into a united whole, tying the plot together through a literary analysis that takes into account what Miller sees as the author’s genius. In many ways continuing his work in Bloodtaking and Peacemaking, Miller puts in the forefront of his analysis regional politics and the laws of feud. Miller somewhat absolves Hallgerður and Mǫrðr from their alleged villainy, while argues that the final decision to burn inside was made by Njáll who was disturbed by his sons’ single act of rebellion manifested in the killing of Hǫskuldr Hvítanessgoði. Miller attempts at explaining the end of the saga, which he considers disappointing, and decides that the author simply did not know how to conclude his masterpiece.
See also annotation for individual chapters:
- 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. 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
Lýsing
Í víðfeðmum nákvæmum lestri Williams Ian Miller á Njáls sögu leitast hann við að sameina ólíka hluta sögunnar í eina heild, Miller bindur frásögnina saman í gegnum bókmenntarýni sem hverfist að mörgu leyti um snilligáfu Njáluhöfundar. Upp að vissu marki vinnur Miller áfram með þær hugmyndir sem koma fram í bókinni Boodtaking and Peacemaking, í forgrunni greiningarinnar unnið með hugmyndir um svæðisbundna pólitík og lög Íslands á söguöld. Miller veitir Hallgerði og Merði aflausn illmennsku og heldur því fram að endanleg ákvöðum um að brenna inni hafi verið í höndum Njáls sem hafi verið í trufluðu ástandi eftir uppreisn sona sinna þegar þeir drápu Höskuld Hvítanesgoða. Endir sögunnar veldur Miller vonbrigðum og hann telur að ástæðan fyrir því sé að höfundur Njálu hafi ekki vitað hvernig hann ætti að enda söguna.
Sjá einnig lýsingu á einstökum köflum:
- 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. 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
See also
References
Chapter 105: Það er upphaf laga vorra: „ If you want a quick conclusion, it can somewhat unfairly be boiled down to this: things went from bad, but bearable, before Christianity, to worse and barely bearable after. Some people change their style of dying, but most importantly, it becomes harder to maintain the peace. The rules governing violence seem more under stress afterwards. In both post and pre-Christian Njáls saga revenge thrives, but in the earlier period it adhered better to norms of proportionality than after the Conversion.“ (p. 189).
Chapter 128: vil eg að menn gangi inn: „The interpretive problem is that for every fact we can allege for Njal having lost it, we can show one that cuts the other way. That means we have hardly disposed of the niggling suspicion that he knows his advice to go inside is bad and that he desires the results that obtain.“ (p. 229).
Links
- Written by: Yoav Tirosh
- Icelandic translation: Andri M. Kristjánsson
