Miller, William Ian. Njála’s Unity Problem and the Very Beginning: Chapter 1

• Author: Miller, William Ian
• Title: Njála’s Unity Problem and the Very Beginning: Chapter 1
• Published in: Why Is Your Axe Bloody?: A Reading of Njáls Saga
• Place, Publisher: New York: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2014
• Pages: 15-23
• 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 issue of Njáls saga structure, and the first chapter’s importance for the saga’s narrative. He defends the saga’s unity, arguing that separating the saga into a Gunnars saga and Njáls saga does not make sense because Njáls role as advisor remains the same throughout his portrayal. What some have considered an awkward narrative shift from Mǫrðr gígja to Hǫskuldr Dala-Kollsson, Miller understands as a foreboding of things to come between the saga’s main antagonist Mǫrðr and Njáls foster-son Hǫskuldr Þráinsson Hvítanessgoði. Hallgerðr’s characterization is discussed through her unique introduction as a child playing on the floor during a feast.

Lýsing

Miller fjallar um byggingu Njáls sögu og mikilvægi 1. kaflans innan frásagnarinnar. Hann heldur á lofti hugmyndinni um heild sögunnar og segir jafnframt að skipting hennar í sögu Gunnars og sögu Njáls eigi ekki við rök að styðjast, sérstaklega í ljósi þess að ráðgjafahlutverk Njáls tekur ekki breytingum í gegnum söguna. Hann fjallar um færslu frásagnarinnar frá Merði Gígju til Höskuldar Dala-Kollsonar sem margir hafa gagnrýnt fyrir að vera klaufalega, Miller túlkar færsluna hins vegar sem fyrirboða um deiluna milli Marðar og Höskuldar Hvítanesgoð. Persónusköpun Hallgerðar er rædd í kaflanum, sérstaklega í ljósi óvenjulegrar innkomu hennar í söguna þ.e. sem barni að leik á gólfinu í miðri veislu.

See also

• Miller, William Ian. Why is Your Axe Bloody?
• 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

References

Chapter 1: Mörður hét maður er kallaður var gígja : “Right at the start he brings the names of the fomenter and his victim together—one positioned immediately above the other, so to speak—in case you forgot where this story is heading “ (p. 19).

Links

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