Miller, William Ian. Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part I. The Theory: Chapters 35–45
From WikiSaga
- 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 Njals 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 Njals Saga. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014, pp. 73-87.
- 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.
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- Written by: Yoav Tirosh
- Icelandic/English translation:
