'Why Is Your Axe Bloody?': A Reading of Njáls Saga

Cover
‘Why is your axe bloody?’
Copyright
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
Abbreviations
Note to Readers
Introduction
	Some Social Background
	The Story in a Nutshell
	Saga Narrative and the Motives of Characters
1
Njála’s Unity Problem and the Very Beginning: Chapter 1
2
Marriage Formation and Dissolution: Chapters 2–34
	Case 1: Hrut and Unn
	Case 2: Hallgerd and Thorvald, with Cameos by Skarphedin and Thorhild, Grim and Astrid, and Helgi and Thorhalla
	Case 3: Hallgerd and Glum (­chapters 13–17)
3
Making a Scene: Chapters 34–5, 48
	Thrain
	Seating Arrangements
	Wife-beating in Company
4
Looking Forward: Njal’s Prescience: Chapters 22–3
	Disenchantment
	Das Monstrum and the Future Tense
	Prescient Coda
5
Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part I. The Theory: Chapters 35–45
	The Balanced-Exchange Model and its Contradictions
	Compensation and its Contradictions
	The Model’s Simplifications
6
Bergthora vs. Hallgerd, Part II: Some Facts
	Atli’s Story (­chapters 36–8)
	Njála and Independent People
	Thord Freedmansson (­chapters 39–43)
	The Lethal Insults (­chapters 44–5)
7
Otkel vs. Gunnar: Chapters 46–56
	The ‘Theft’
	Gunnar’s Lament
8
Gunnar vs. the Thrihyrning People: Chapters 57–66
	Njal as Banker and Lawyer
	Paying for Those You Have a Right to Kill
9
The Two Thorgeirs and Death of Gunnar: Chapters 67–77
	The Two Prongs of the ‘Prophecy’
	Death of Gunnar
10
Revenge for Gunnar: Chapters 77–81
	Gunnar and Envy Mismanagement
11
The Atlantic Interlude and Hrapp: Chapters 82–9
12
Setting up Thrain: Chapters 90–2
	Dining with Runolf
13
A Tale of Two Hoskulds: Chapters 93–9
	Amending the Constitution
	Lyting and the Breach of Father and Sons
14
Conversion and the Genius of the Law: Chapters 100–6
	Concerning Signs and Wonders
	‘St.’ Thorgeir the Lawspeaker
	Before and After Conversion: Compare and Contrast
15
Valgard ‘the Wise’ and Hoskuld’s Blood: Chapters 107–16
	Hoskuld Martyr
	The Cloak and Holy Relics
16
Skarphedin Ascendans, Flosi’s Ninth Nights: Chapters 117–23
	Reintroducing Skarphedin
	Backing Down Thorkel Hake
	The Struggle for Settlement
	Flosi Furioso
17
The Burning: Chapters 124–32
	The Decision to Go Inside
	Njal’s Virtuoso Going to Bed for the Last Time
	Skarphedin’s Miracle
	Flosi’s Flinch
	Thorhall Asgrimsson Hears of Njal’s Death
	Cleaning Up Some Leftovers
	Coda: Exit Skarphedin and his Grins, Obit Njal
18
Preparation for the Next Althing: Chapters 132–7
	Flosi and Support-mustering
	Flosi Visits Asgrim, Chapter 136
19
The Trial of Flosi and the Battle: Chapters 135, 141–5
	Law and its Limits
	Some Procedural Matters, Chapters 135, 142
	Three Lawmen
20
Kari and Friends: Chapters 145–55
	Kari and Thorgeir
	Bjorn of Mork and Kari
	Kari vs. Gunnar
	Flosi and Kari
	Kari and the Author
21 How Not to End a Saga, Unless . . . : Chapters 146–59
22
A Conclusion: Justice and Exits
Works Cited
Maps
Genealogies
Index