Njals Saga

“Hallgerd was bountiful and high-spirited and demanded to have whatever the neighbors had and squandered everything.”

Hallgerd, who eventually marries the heroic Gunnar of Hlidarendi, is a troublesome woman who is introduced as being arrogant, vain, and greedy. These personality traits contribute to her feud with Njal’s wife, Bergthora, and the deaths of many people, including Gunnar. Moreover, Gunnar’s death leaves a power vacuum in southern Iceland and contributes to the breakdown of relationships between once-friendly families and eventually leads to Njal’s death by burning. Hallgerd is thus a notoriously evil figure.

“Njal lived at Bergthorshvol in Landeyjar. He had a second farm at Thorolfsfell. He was well off for property and handsome to look at, but there was one thing about him: no beard grew on him. He was so well versed in the law that he had no equal, and he was wise and prophetic, sound of advice and well-intentioned, and whatever course he counselled turned out well. He was modest and noble-spirited, able to see far into the future and remember far into the past, and he solved the problems of whoever turned to him.”

The saga’s narrator introduces Njal, a central protagonist whose strength of character and intelligence is unmatched by anyone else, though his foster son, Hoskuld, and Hall of Sida come close. Njal possesses second sight and many respect his wisdom and legal acumen. Yet, his foresight and advice often goes ignored, leading those closest to him to their demise and causing his own death at the burning.

“Hallgerd was very cross with Gunnar for having settled the slaying peacefully. Gunnar said that he would never turn against Njal or his sons, and she went on raging. Gunnar paid no attention.”

Gunnar’s wife, Hallgerd, consistently meddles in his friendship with Njal through her feud with Njal’s wife. She prefers violence to peace, and this ultimately brings about Gunnar’s death. Hallgerd’s unyielding personality is juxtaposed with Njal and Gunnar, who are even-tempered and generous.

“Bergthora said that she would not strike back at Hallgerd with harsh language: that, she said, would be no revenge for so great a matter.”

Njal’s wife, Bergthora, feuds with Hallgerd, causing many deaths and forcing her husband to use his legal skills to negotiate settlements on behalf of the deaths. Bergthora represents another powerful woman in the saga—like Gunnhild—who manipulates her male servants, sons, and husband to carry out her wishes.

“Gunnar was very angry and said to Sigmund, ‘You are foolish and unable to follow good advice if you are willing to slander Njal’s sons, and even worse, Njal himself, on top of what you have already done to them, and this will lead to your death.’”

Gunnar reprimands his naïve kinsman, Sigmund, for reciting a verse that mocks Njal and his sons’ manliness, illustrating the way that hegemonic masculinity was weaponized in medieval Icelandic society. Sigmund recites these lines after being goaded to do so by Gunnar’s wife, Hallgerd, who has an ongoing feud with Njal’s wife, Bergthora.

“‘What I don’t know,’ said Gunnar, ‘is whether I am less manly than other men because killing troubles me more than it does them.’”

Questions of masculinity often arise in Njal’s Saga, with men critiquing one another’s courage and strength. Here, Gunnar questions his own manliness because he is not blood thirsty like Njal’s son, Skarphedin, and other men who appear in the saga. Gunnar stands out for this quality, which makes his brutal slaying especially tragic.

“I can tell you something else: Njal made a prophecy to Gunnar about the course of his life and told him that if he killed more than once within the same bloodline, his death would follow swiftly—if it also happened that he broke a settlement made for that killing. This is the reason you must get Thorgeir involved, since Gunnar has already killed his father.”

The villainous Mord Valgardsson is the root of much trouble in Njal’s Saga. His desire to trick Gunnar into fulfilling Njal’s prophecy, thus leading to Gunnar’s death, stems from Mord’s longstanding jealousy of Gunnar, despite their kinship. Gunnar is an even-tempered, well-liked, and generous figure, while Mord is greedy and foul-natured. Though many distrust him, they nevertheless fall for his deceit, leading to tragic outcomes.

“Gunnar seemed to them to be in high spirits and reciting verses in the mound.”

After Gunnar is slain, he is heard reciting verses celebrating his heroism and encouraging vengeance. His apparition encourages his son and Skarphedin to avenge his death. This supernatural occurrence is one of many that occur throughout the saga.

“Hoskuld lived for a long time at Ossabaer, and he and the Njalssons added to each other’s prestige, and they went with him on his journeys. So fervent was their friendship that they invited each other to a feast every autumn and exchanged generous gifts. This went on for a long time.”

Njal arranged a godard for his beloved foster son, Hoskuld Thorgeirsson, and purchased land for him at Ossabear. Hoskuld and Njal’s biological sons shared a strong friendship, expressed via their hospitality for each other, in keeping with Scandinavian tradition. However, Mord Valgardsson’s machinations destroyed this bond so that the Njalssons ended up killing the virtuous Hoskuld. His slaying ushered in much strife and retribution, and it turned friends into enemies.

“He had also fostered Thorhall, the son of Asgrim Ellida-Grimsson. Thorhall was a vigorous man, and resolute in everything. He had learned the law from Njal so well that he was one of the three greatest lawyers in Iceland.”

Thorhall’s description highlights the theme of Medieval Icelandic Legalism, emphasizing that legal acumen was a treasured skill in medieval Iceland. His legal skills are put to the test after Njal’s death, when he provides critical advice in the prosecutions of the burners at the Althing. He avenges Njal’s death by both exercising his legal acumen and taking part in the Battle of the Althing which Njal prophesizes shortly before his death.

“This was the only thing that ever touched Njal so deeply that he could never speak of it without being moved.”

Several of the saga’s characters comment on the unmanliness of expressing grief. Njal, however, does not hold back from his sorrow over Hoskuld’s death. He mourns him for the remainder of his life and even speaks publicly about his grief at the Althing, challenging extant norms of hegemonic masculinity.

“And now I’ll tell you the rest of my plan—when we’re all together we’ll ride to Bergthorshvol in full force and attack the Njalssons with fire and iron, and not leave until they’re all dead.”

Flosi resorts to violence when the justice system breaks down at the Althing, and Flosi refuses Njal’s settlement for Hoskuld’s slaying. While blood feuds were common in medieval Iceland, per the saga, to attack another with fire was considered extreme and monstrous. Nevertheless, Flosi and his supporters persist with their plans with no one contesting the method of attack.

“Hjalti spoke, ‘You’ve seen a witch-ride; it always occurs before great events.’”

Hjalti’s son sees a demonic apparition that prophesizes the burning at Bergthorshvol later that evening. The “witch ride,” also known as the “Wild Ride” or “Wild Hunt” in Germanic and Norse tradition, has pagan roots; the belief held that bands of demons, led by the goddess Holda or the god Odin, rampaged through the night, signifying doom (“The Wild Hunt.” Norse Mythology). However, in this case, it can also be interpreted as a Christian vision of the devil, which is a condemnation of Flosi’s sinful actions for which he later atones.

“Flosi spoke: ‘You have told us things which bode no peace for us, for the man who has escaped comes closest to Gunnar of Hlidarendi in all respects.’”

Kari escapes the burning. He promises Skarphedin as he secretly exits the flaming longhouse that he will avenge their deaths—this is a promise he fulfills over the course of the saga’s conclusion. Flosi comments that he and his men should be worried about Kari’s escape since Kari is the only surviving man who comes close to Gunnar in valor, intelligence, and disposition.

“They lifted it off and underneath lay the two of them, unburned. They all praised God for this and thought it a great miracle.”

The survivors recover Njal and Bergthora’s bodies from the wreckage of the burning. They died on their bed under an ox skin, leaving their corpses untouched by the flames. The narrator describes this finding as miraculous. In keeping with medieval Christian tradition, Njal’s unharmed body is proof of his merit and strong character.

“Flosi said to Hall, ‘I want to ask, father-in-law, that you and all your thingmen ride to the Thing with me.’ Hall said, ‘It’s turned out just as the saying goes, that the hand’s joy in the blow is brief.’”

The saga introduces Hall of Sida as an admirable man and one of the first Icelanders to convert to Christianity. He takes on a more prominent role in the saga’s later chapters, filling the gap that Njal’s death left. Hall is measured in his advice, humble, and wise, much like Njal. He tells Flosi that he will support him but disapproves of the violence to which he resorted. He uses a metaphor to compare himself to a hand that strikes another person, saying that the hand takes no pleasure in the violence and will in fact hurt from it, too.

“The crush of the men was great. Though a few of the things that happened are told here, there were many more for which no stories have come down.”

This passage indicates that the saga’s author drew on an Icelandic oral storytelling tradition when he composed his text. Njal’s Saga is therefore a work of history, which draws on generational memory and legend.

“Flosi was to stay abroad for three years. Gunnar Lambason, Grani Gunnarsson, Glum Hildisson, and Kol Thorsteinsson were never to have the right of return.”

The saga repeatedly references the Scandinavian legal tradition of outlawry and exile. Depending on the crime, one’s exile could be temporary or permanent. Scholars speculate that this tradition contributed to the age of Viking raids since some of the raiders, as the saga acknowledges, were also outlaws.

“I am going to bring evidence of what a champion and man of prowess I can be in battle.”

Kari’s companion, Bjorn of Mork, wishes to prove his masculinity through violence, in keeping with traditional medieval Icelandic views of manliness. He finds it especially important to do so because of his wife’s emasculating criticisms.

“He took passage with Kolbein the Black, a man from Orkney and a life-long friend of his, and a very bold man. He welcomed Kari with open arms and said that the same fate awaited them both.”

Kari departs Iceland in pursuit of the exiled burners, some of whom he kills abroad. This passage is evidence of the strong links between Iceland and the western islands, like the Orkneys to the north of Scotland, which Norse settlers colonized during the Viking Age, before the settlement of Iceland.

“The earl kept to the custom of powerful men and let Flosi enter his service in the place that Helgi Njalsson had filled. Thus Flosi became the follower of Earl Sigurd and he soon earned his great affection.”

Flosi and his men arrive at the court of the Norse Earl Sigurd of the Orkney Mainland. The earl at first wishes to imprison them because Flosi killed Helgi as he tried to escape the burning, and Helgi had spent time as one of the earl’s men. However, Flosi’s kinsman, present in the earl’s retinue, intervenes. This scene is another indication of the frequent and strong links between Iceland and the Orkneys. Flosi takes Helgi’s place and proves himself worthy to the earl, which is a step on his journey toward redemption and reconciliation.

“Kari had been one of the earl’s followers and was extremely well liked by everyone. No one rose, in spite of what the earl had said.”

Kari flies into a rage and kills the dishonest Gunnar Lambason as he narrates a false version of the burning during a feast that Earl Sigurd holds. The earl orders his men to seize Kari, but no one does so because Kari was once one of the earl’s men. The others know and like him; Kari is thus able to continue with his pursuit of vengeance.

“Along with the noise a rain of boiling blood came down on them.”

The Vikings planning to attack the Irish king, Brian Boru, experience a series of terrifying supernatural occurrences the night before the Battle of Clontarf. These prophesize the violent losses that will ensue, including the death of the Viking leader, Brodir. His use of sorcery predicts King Brian’s loss yet fails to protect Brodir, which the raining blood indicates.