Miller, William Ian. Justifying Skarpheðinn

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud
• Place, Publisher: Champaign, Illinois, University of Illinois Press
• Year: 1983
• Pages: 316-344
• E-text:
• Reference: Miller, William Ian. "Justifying Skarpheðinn: Of Pretext and Politics in the Icelandic Bloodfeud." Scandinavian Studies 55 (1983): 316-44.

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• Key words:

Annotation

In this article, Millier refutes the idea that that Skarpheiðinn´s killing of Höskuldr in the narrative was a bloodthirsty act of senseless violence, unilaterally condemned by society, or that it was the result of Skarpheiðinn being tricked by Mörðr into committing such an act. Instead, Miller argues that the killing of Höskuldr was politically motivated and consistent with the dynamic of the feud as it is depicted within the saga. He also argues that in Njáls saga, both parties manipulate the social rules which determine liability within feud structure to justify their violence as rightful retribution.

References

Chapter 43: Hvar skál þá komit : "When Skarpheðinn hears of Þórðr´s death he is no longer amused" (p. 321).

Chapter 98: From Bergþóra´s egging of her sons to avenge their brother we get a small but sure hint that Höskuldr´s power has very much to do with their brother´s death (337): "Undarlinga er yðr fait: Þér vegið vig þau, er yðr rekr litit til, en meltið slikt ok sjóðið fyrir yðr, svá at ekki verðr af; mun hér, þegar er spyrsk, koma Höskuldr Hvitanessgoði ok biðja yðr sætta, ok munuð þér veita honum þat, ok er nú til at ráða, ef þér vilið."

Chapter 112:The [killing] is invariably characterized as brutal and senseless. The critics´ response, for the most part, is shared by the community in Njála (316): "Vig Höskulds spurdisk um allar sveitir ok mæltisk illa fyrir."

Chapter 119: Skarpheðinn´s own remarks regarding [the killing] are not to be taken uncritically either. There is substantial ambiguity in his statement to Guðmundr (318): "...Ok er eigi einn veg farit ógæfu okkari. Ek hefi ámæli af vigi Höskulds Hvítanessgoða, sem várkunn er. En þeir gerðu illmæli um þik Þorkell ok Þórir Helgason, ok hefir þú af þvi ámæli."

Links

• Written by:Beth Rogers
• Icelandic/English translation: