The Story of Burnt Njal: From the Icelandic of the Njals Saga
1861
The Story of Burnt Njal: From the Icelandic of the Njals Saga
1861
Translated by George Webbe, Sir Dasent
The greatest saga from medieval Iceland chronicles fifty years of blood feud with the cold, relentless beauty of a northern winter. At its heart stands Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a warrior so skilled yet so allergic to killing that he refuses to draw his sword against a man kneeling in a hayloft, a hesitation that will haunt everyone he loves. Alongside him stands Njal, the sage whose foresight cannot save him from the flames, and the women who watch the men they love drive toward destruction. This is storytelling stripped to its bones: no supernatural scaffolding, no fantasy veneer, just people trapped in systems of honor and revenge that consume them. The saga pulses with prophetic dreams and fragile truces that shatter into slaughter, tracking how decent people get swept into violence beyond their control and how the law fails to contain what passion unleashes. Six centuries before Shakespeare, the Icelanders wrote tragedies just as devastating. For readers who crave morally complex characters, blood feuds that unfold with terrible inevitability, and prose that achieves the stark grandeur of the northern sagas.
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“She was endowed with great beauty for all those attributes that were outside her control, but it was said that in all characteristics for which she herself was responsible, she was utterly wicked””
— Unknown
“Those we murder with our mouths often live longest””
— Unknown
“Few people are spoken of in the way they would choose””
— Unknown
“When Thorhall heard this he was so shocked that he could not speak a word. He sprang out of bed, snatched with both hands the spear that Skarp-Hedin had given him, and drove it deep into his own leg. The flesh and core of the boil clung to the blade as he gouged it out of his leg, and a torrent of blood and matter gushed across the floor like a stream. Then he strode from the booth without a limp, walking so fast that the messenger could not keep pace with him.””
— Unknown
“He will give you a friendly greeting in return and ask if you are a northerner. You reply that you are from Eyjafjord. He will then ask you whether there are a lot of good men up there, to which you reply, "a lot of perverts, that's about all””
— Unknown
“He snatched the cloak away and tossed a pair of blue trousers at Flosi, saying he would have greater need of them than a cloak. Why should I need them more? said Flosi. Skarp-Hedin replied, you certainly will if you are, as I have heard, the mistress of the Svinafell Troll, who uses you as a woman every ninth night””
— Unknown
“Let me have two locks of your hair, and help my mother plait them into a bow-string for me. "Does anything depend on it asked Hallgerd". "My life depends on it replied Gunnar.””
— Unknown
“Cold is the counsel of women.””
— Unknown
“Bad things will be your only reward for this.’ ‘Things will go as they must,’ said Gunnar.””
— Unknown
About The Story of Burnt Njal: From the Icelandic of the Njals Saga
Chapter Summaries
- 1
- Mord Fiddle, a powerful lawyer, has a beautiful daughter, Unna. His brother Hauskuld has a daughter, Hallgerda, whom Hrut describes as having 'thief's eyes,' causing a rift between the brothers.
- 2
- Hrut, at Hauskuld's urging, woos Unna at the Althing. Mord agrees to the match, but Hrut must travel to Norway to claim an inheritance, postponing the wedding for three years.
- 3
- In Norway, Hrut is invited by Queen Gunnhillda to stay with her. She helps him secure his inheritance and they become lovers, but she places a spell on him before he leaves.
Key Themes
- Revenge and Blood-Feud
- The saga is fundamentally structured around the concept of revenge, where every injury or slaying demands retribution, often leading to escalating cycles of violence. Characters are bound by duty to avenge their kinsmen, and failure to do so brings shame, highlighting the societal norms of the time.
- Law and Justice
- Njal, as a master lawyer, constantly attempts to resolve conflicts through legal means and atonement, showcasing the intricate legal system of Iceland. However, the limitations of law in controlling deep-seated personal honor and the desire for blood-vengeance are frequently demonstrated, leading to violence when legal solutions fail or are rejected.
- Fate and Foresight
- The concept of an inescapable fate (doom) is pervasive, particularly through Njal's foresight and prophetic dreams. Characters often know their tragic ends but are powerless to avert them, emphasizing the stoic acceptance of destiny in Norse culture.
Characters
- Njal Thorgeirsson(protagonist)
- A wise, foresighted lawyer and peacemaker, Njal is the patriarch of Bergthorsknoll, known for his counsel and inability to grow a beard.
- Gunnar Hámundarson of Lithend(protagonist)
- A peerless warrior, handsome, courteous, and honorable, Gunnar is often drawn into feuds by the actions of his wife, Hallgerda.
- Hallgerda Höskuldsdóttir Longcoat(antagonist)
- A beautiful, tall, and fair-haired woman, but proud, hard-hearted, and manipulative, whose actions instigate many of the saga's conflicts.
- Skarphedinn Njálsson(supporting)
- Njal's eldest son, a fierce, quick-witted, and dauntless warrior, skilled with an axe, and fiercely loyal to his family.
- Kari Sölmundarson(supporting)
- Njal's son-in-law, a brave and gallant warrior known for his loyalty and relentless pursuit of vengeance for the Burning.
- Flosi Thórðarson(antagonist)
- A mighty chief from Swinefell, proud and bold, who leads the burning of Njal's homestead in vengeance for his kinsman Hauskuld Whiteness-priest.
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