Miller, William Ian. Conversion and the Genius of the Law: Chapters 100–6

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Conversion and the Genius of the Law: Chapters 100–6
• Published in: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
• Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2014
• Pages: 178-93
• 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 the importance of the chapter beginning the story of the conversion being number 100, suggesting this was intentional authorial design. Miller does a close reading of the conversion story, stressing its ambiguity and agnosticism. It is not Þangbrandr’s ambiguous miracles that converted Iceland, Miller argues, but rather the Icelanders’ respect for the law, represented by Þorgeirr Ljósvetningagoði. He then moves on to argue that in this saga, rather than bring with it peace, Christianity complicated legal matters for Icelanders, forcing more rather than less violent action, though it does give those who choose peace a convenient ideal to stand behind. This would have reflected the turmoil and violence of the Sturlungaöld, which the author would have, according to Miller, experienced as a child or a young man.

Lýsing

Miller telur að höfundur hafi viljandi látið kristnitökuna lenda á 100. kafla sögunnar og ræðir mikilvægi þess. Miller beitir nákvæmum lestri á kristnitökuna og bendir á margræðnina og efasemdahyggjuna sem býr í atriðinu. Hann heldur því fram að það séu ekki tvíræð kraftaverk Þangbrands sem snúa Íslandi til kristni, heldur virðing Íslendinga fyrir lögum landsins sem birtast í ímynd Þorgeirs Ljósvetningagoða. Hann heldur því einnig fram að í stað þess að hafa í för með sér aukin frið hafi kristnin þvert á móti flækt lögin á Íslandi og aukið ofbeldið, þó hafi trúin gefið friðarmönnum góða hugsjón til að skýla sér bak við. Miller telur að þetta hafi átt að endurspegla umrót og ofbeldi Sturlungaaldarinnar sem höfundurinn hefur upplifað á barns- eða unglingsaldri.

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. 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 106: Lofaður sé drottinn. Sé eg nú hvað hann vill.: “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. “ (s. 189).

Links

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