Miller, William Ian. Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part I. The Theory: Chapters 35–45

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part I. The Theory: Chapters 35–45
• Published in: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
• Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2014
• Pages: 73-87
• 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 chapter Miller examines the logic behind the killings initiated by Hallgerðr and Bergþóra, offering his balanced-exchange model, which he initially introduced in Bloodtaking and Peacemaking. He argues that the feud process was meant to achieve balance between both sides, and that payment for an injury could be done through money and through blood, but the latter was a more trustworthy form of ‘currency’. Miller argues that the balance-exchange model was hardly perfect and criticized by the author of Njáls saga, since ‘getting even’ usually implies overcoming your enemies rather than achieving a true balance with them. Miller also looks at the killing of Sigmundr by Skarphéðinn in relation to the feud.

See also

• Miller, William Ian. Bloodtaking and peacemaking: Feud, law, and society in Saga Iceland

Links

• Written by: Yoav Tirosh
• Icelandic/English translation: