The Icelandic Historical Period Portrayed
by Njal's Saga
The history of medieval Iceland and its society is evidenced through the sagas that were produced during that era. The history of the Icelandic Commonwealth is founded in the history of European settlers by their self- governing through common consent instead of a king or priest. This period reveals a political structure that emphasized a personal independence and law. As revealed through Icelandic Sagas such as Njal's Saga, there was no political state to enforce the rules and obligations of a structured society. The patriarchal society pursued its ends without any interference from a common enforcement agency and they acted on their own behalf to achieve safety and legitimate rights.
In addition, there was a moral base where honor and fair dealings, along with personal connections influenced the day-to-day lives of a society. Although the Christian influence almost brought Iceland to civil war, they accepted an arbitrator who decided that all Icelanders were to convert to Christianity. This conversion however was not an easy step to take, as evidenced in the sagas; with the still Paganist ways of killing each other for revenge. Njal's Saga reveals the realism concerning stories about individuals and families during a period of settlements in the late ninth and tenth centuries stretching to just after the conversion to Christianity around 1000 A.D. However, they are not actual histories since they were written long after the events occurred.
These sagas reveal the contentions that can arise between men in a stateless society, and follow a deliberate sequence of injuries; then cases of revenge and then settlement. They also valued heroic qualities like courage, loyalty, physical ability, and over-zealous defense of rights and honor.
However, it is very evident that quieter virtues such as wisdom and the ability to give good advice were important as well. This wisdom and advice is revealed through the character of Njal. Humankind's frailty is so thoroughly revealed through the virtues and vices that are unveiled in the characters, and sometimes they acted commendably and sometimes rather badly.
It is quite evident that the necessity for an executive government authority made it extremely difficult to organize any form of violence on a large scale. However, the code of law embraced by the assembly called the Althing, aided in resolving conflicts between individuals or clansmen.
In The Saga of the Volsungs, a paradoxical notion of the value of life emerges from almost every action that the characters perform. One’s corporeal death is almost of no concern in the sometimes harsh and cruel society of the saga. The importance of honor over almost anything else can explain many of the seemingly contradictory and nonsensical actions of characters in the saga. This obsession with honor constitutes the basis for an honor society—a culture where pain, death, and other earthly concerns fall short in significance to one’s good name and honor. Many of the actions inspired by this fixation with honor seem foolish, but considered within the context of how the culture in the saga views reputations and honor make perfect sense.
...and characteristic behavior, or creates a hero by letting his Nature triumph over the Fortune that has determined his previous actions. These interactions could, perhaps, be viewed merely as clever use of what we moderns would call "character" and "plot." Yet viewing them in terms of Fortune and Nature puts us more firmly in the medieval mind-view that characterizes so much of the Tales and lends them so much of their charm.
...ry characteristics which ultimately shaped the outcome of their campaigns. Although they utilized different morals and approaches in some instances, they were successful in their strife. Moreover, their attitudes also highlighted the characteristics of their cultures. Achilles mutiny as well as Sundiata and Rama’s humility points to what constituted the code of ethics in each culture. However, the trio are each a heroic representation of their respective cultures, thus inducing the conclusion that heroes are born relative to the situation they face.
All the characters are products of their own society, Veronese society. Status is everything, money buys anything. Woman must marry well and produce many offspring. Men believe strongly in defending their honor by any means available especially violence.
In his translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: the Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer, Jesse L. Byock compiles many versions of this famous Norse epic and creates a very important scholarly work. Of special importance is the introduction, which provides a central working background to base readings upon. There are several themes echoed throughout the translation that reflect accurately on this portion of history. Byock does a superb job of illustrating these important aspects in his work. While the tale Byock tells is a fairy-tale handed down by generations of families, within the reader can find tell-tale signs of important aspects of Norse culture. For instance, important aspects of family life and the role of men and women surface. Likewise, the importance of wealth and material possessions on the power and prestige of a king is also evident.
...Hagen committed a disgraceful murder and perished in a way unbecoming of knight: at the hands of a woman. In contrast, Njal’s death was a sacrifice, for the good of others. He welcomed his death and surrendered his family in order to prevent an endless civil war in Iceland. Njal went against Icelandic custom of avenging one’s kin. Instead, he adopted a new Christian principle of absolution, accepting insult and assault by his enemies. He proclaimed before he laid down to die, “Bear this bravely and don’t express any fear for its only a brief storm... Have faith that God is merciful, and that he will not let us burn both in this world and in the next” (Cook 220). Njal trusted in God that his martyrdom was for the good all people and would end the blood feud. His acceptance of death and ultimate sacrifice liberated Iceland from self-destruction and damnation.
Gunnar and Siegfried are represented in such a way that readers view them in a positive light. In these stories, we assume that characters are heroic when they are portrayed through physical characteristics or interactions within their community. Truth be told, they are far from the definition of what a hero should be. Beneath the pretentious appearance lies a selfish character whose flaw is shielded solely through violent acts. Fighting in combat is one of the many ways to exhibit masculinity. These novels illustrate heroes as extraordinary, but in retrospect, they force readers to reconsider what a hero truly entails.
The wars, the victories, the defeats and deaths arose from the warrior’s duty to the Buddhist Law. These warriors lived their duty and this is reflected through the tales that illustrate actions that include loyalty and respect towards other warriors.
The bulk of the praise a hero receives tends to be in response to his or her actions. People look up to the heroes who can perform the most miraculous feats. However, there is an element of heroism beyond the superficial element of a hero’s actions: the hero’s character. Both heroes and antiheroes might do great things; however, the similarities end where motivations are considered, and these differences in motivations are rooted in the differences in the character of heroes and the antiheroes. An antihero’s character is flawed, leading to actions based on selfish and impure motivations. In contrast, a hero is characterized by his or her selflessness; this can be defined as putting the interests of others above the interests of oneself, and
Within these tribes the young men go through a process to become men. With this the young men go out with other warriors of the tribe to fight. Each man of the tribe has to show that they have individual merit (11). When a young man receives his...
Icelandic culture has its roots in North Germanic traditions. The Icelandic culture is popular, the sagas and eddas, which was a very familiar aspect of Icelandic literature, written in medieval Iceland, most popular in the 13th and 14th centuries. In like manner, centuries of isolation have helped to protect the country's Nordic culture from external influence; a prominent example is the preservation of the Icelandic language, which remains the closest to Old Norse of all modern Nordic languages.
The modern hero seeks survival. Unlike the medieval hero, the modern hero does not have a code of ethics but instead have a code of behavior. The modern hero has internal and external struggles. His internal struggles are with addiction to liquor, money, and drugs. The hero’s external struggles are with corruption within the government and formal organizations (Norman).
Everything has an origin or a meaning behind it, right? Nothing is just thought of out the blue, as one might say. People stop everything, and become nervous when they “jinx” themselves. They will then knock on the nearest piece of wood to chase the evil spirits away. It is thought in superstition that these “spirits” will cause irony and make bad luck happen. For example, if one would boast about their good fortune, then the evil spirits would cause horrible things to happen and the persons luck to completely change.
Throughout history, men have constantly been at war with something. Whether that something was nature, other men, or a supernatural force, men have historically loved battle. War stories have always been a way for authors to express their concerns about issues in society. Through these stories, authors depict honor not seen in real life, problems that face the world now, and closure so often exempt from our world. There are defined enemies, a clear line drawn between good and bad, and we may be powerful and violent for the sake of righteous ideas. "The war story is a way to exemplify good angels and bad, to exercise our fears, and find some comfort in the inevitable triumph of right over wrong," (strangewords.com). There are three main areas that come to mind under the heading "Men as they are portrayed in war". These topics are: typical attire, enemies, and weapons. We will be comparing and contrasting the four issues as they have been presented to us in science fiction, and also how they have been portrayed throughout history.
Throughout history, normal-everyday people rise to power, only to coerce or ruin a society and its morals. There are also some who rise and fight back. In stories and in real life, these “heroes” who fight back usually end up dead. Even today, a martyr’s sacrifice is essential in most of society’s changes.