The Viking World
Excerpts from Norse Literature
Introduction:
Excerpts from Old-Norse literature describing central aspects of life, belief and attitudes in the Viking world.
These texts are used in our article about the Viking Women.
Skallagrim kills his thrallwoman (female slave)
Skallagrim Kveldulvson was a powerful man in Iceland. His son was named Egil Skallagrimson.
This excerpt is from "Egil Skallagrimssons saga", translated by Hallvard Lie, Aschehoug, ISBN 82-03-18651-3
Translated into English by VGSkole.no
"When Egil was twelve years old, he had grown so big that there were but few men so large and strong that he could not overcome in games. In his twelfth winter he was often at games. Thord Grani's son was then twenty years old; he was very strong. As the winter wore on, if often chanced that the two, Egil and Thord, were matched against Skallagrim. And once in the winter it so befell that there was ball-play at Borg, southwards in Sandvik. Thord and Egil were set against Skallagrim in the game; and he became weary before them, so that they had the best of it. But in the evening after sunset it began to go worse with Egil and his partner. Skallagrim then became so strong and he caught up Thord and dashed him down so violently that he was all bruised and at once got his
bane. Then he seized Egil. Now there was a handmaid of Skallagrim's named Thorgerdr Brak, who had nursed Egil when a child; she was a big woman, strong as a man, and of magic cunning. Brak said:
'Do you let the evil out, now, Skallagrim,' she said. 'against your own son?'
Skallagrim then let Egil loose, but clutched at her. She broke away and took to her heels with Skallagrim coming after her. So they ran to the utmost point of Digraness. Then she leapt out from the rock into the water. Skallagrim hurled a great stone after her, which struck her between her shoulders, and neither ever came up again. The water there is now called Brakar-strait. But afterwards, in the evening, when they came home to Borg, Egil was very angry. Skallagrim and everybody else sat around the table, but Egil had not yet come to his place. He went into the fire-hall to the man who there had the supervision of work and the management of money for Skallagrim and was very valuable for him. Egil gave him his death blow, then went to his seat. Skallagrim spoke not a word about it then, and thenceforward the matter was never mentioned. But father and son exchanged no word, neither good nor bad, and in this manner that winter passed."
Source: Sagadb.org, Egil's Saga (chapt. 40)
Tema:
The social status of the thralls (slaves)
Blood vengeance
Comment:
Skallagrim kills the slave woman without anyone intervening. He could do this because she was his property and he could do whatever he wanted with her.
Egil, his son, however, is seriously affected by the murder of his former nurse, the slave woman who had raised him.
In order to take revenge on his father, and thus restore the balance in the relationship between them, Egil kills a man who his father greatly appreciates.
After the murders are carried out, no one mentions the case anymore.
The balance between father and son is restored!
Aud disgraces Øyolv
Aud Vesteinsdatter is married to Gisle Sursson, who has become an outlaw. Øyolv is looking for Gisle, and tries to get Aud to tell where he is hiding by bribing her with silver.
She hits him in his face with the silver purse and he tells his men to kill her
This extract is taken from "Gisle Sursson's saga" (p. 40), translated by Jon Gunnar Jørgensen, Islendingesagaene, Saga forlag, ISBN 978-9935-9198-6-1 and translated into English by VGSkole.no
"Then Aud collected the silver in a large purse, rose from her seat and threw the purse with the silver at Øyolv's nose so that the blood splashed all over him, and said: 'This is what you get by being so easily fooled, and all kinds of misery, too. I never considered to betray my husband to a brute like you, and both shame and dishonor shall be upon you. And you shall remember that, you miserable wretch, as long as you live, that a woman has beaten you. You will not get what you are searching for either. [her husband]'
Then Øyolv said: 'Seize the dog and kill it, even if it is a bitch.'
Then Håvard stood up and said: 'Our journey is shameful enough without such a deed, so come on guys, don't let this happen.'
Øyolv said: 'It is true as the saying goes: It is from one's own that one should have it.'
Håvard was respected by the men, and there were many who wanted to support him in this, and at the same time shield Øyolv from misfortune and dishonor, so Øyolv had to give in, and then he went away."
Comment:
The man who injured or killed a woman became a "niding", that is, dishonorable [which was probably the worst any Viking could experience]
If a man had done the same as Aud, he would have been killed immediately. As Håvard said, it was a crime to kill free a free woman, and nobody wanted to lose their honor by doing that.
Theme:
Killing free women is taboo.
Vestein blir drept
This is an extract from "Gisle Sursson's saga" where Vestein goes to bed and falls asleep. An enemy sneaks into the house to the bed where Vestein has woken up, but without seeing anything. The stranger drives his spear right through Vestein, who coldly reacts with an appreciation of the perfect blow:
"Just before it gets light, someone comes in, quietly, and walks over to where Vestein is lying. He had woken up by then. He doesn't notice anything until he gets a spear through his chest right through him.
'Bull's head!', Vestein said as he felt the spear.
Then the man went out.
Vestein wanted to get up, but he fell down in his bed and was dead."
Comment:
The Vikings had a great sense for the 'cool' and apt remark, preferably uttered in an extreme situation. Vedstein comes up with such a line at the very moment of death. He shows courage and excessive indifference by praising the killer for an absolutely excellent blow. This will be remembered and give him honor!
Theme:
Honor
Women to Die for
This paragraph is taken from the Wikipedia page "Sagalitteratur" (Norw.)
The examples show how women could use their influence over men to promote their own interests.
This Wikipedia article is well structured, and you should read it if you work with Norse issues. (use Google Translator or other)
"If the men failed to avenge injustice and murder, women were often behind and urged them to do so. Many of the saga women egged (encouraged) their men to revenge and murder. There are many strong women in saga literature, which definitely reflected their culture's social norms. When a free woman was married, she immediately took charge of the household and wore important keys in her belt as a sign of her authority. The women in Njål's saga, a central text in the saga literature, take advantage of this power.
Bergtora, Njål's wife, speaks freely about her position of power: "I am Njål's wife, and I have as much to say when it comes to the servants of the house as he does."
Hallgjerd, the wife of Gunnar from Lidarende, is a proud, dangerous and capricious woman. Gunnar and Njål are friends, but that does not prevent Hallgjerd and Bergtora from starting world literature's perhaps most famous neighborly quarrel. The women's unfriendliness leads to one manslaughter after another, as many as seven men must die for their women while their powerless husbands, Gunnar and Njål, pay the fine for the murders while both the friendship and the families suffer heavily.
In the Laksdøla saga, Gudrun incites her brothers to murder by accusing them of being unmanly and of not being good enough for either evil or good: "After the scorn and shame that Kjartan has inflicted on you, you lie down and sleep..."
When Hallgjerd gets a man to write a snide-poem against Njål, the beardless old man, as she mockingly calls him, Bergtora has to use harsh words towards her sons to egg them on. The son Skarphedin tries to laugh off his mother's accusations, but that same night they go out and kill the poet.
When Hildegunn shows a cloak filled with blood to Flose, the man who organized the burning of Njål's house, he cries out in despair: "You want us to go to a work that must be the worst for us all! Cold is women's advice!" It is a vain cry, for he knows exactly what is needed.
External descriptions of women are limited. The women of the sagas are mostly portrayed through colorful, vivid and nuanced action and dialogue. Although many of the women are described as both ambitious and cold, problematic and difficult, this picture of Viking-women is not unambiguous. Aud in Gisle Sursson's saga stands faithfully by her husband's side after he has become an outlaw and helps him to hide year after year until he is killed.
In Njål's saga Bergtora chooses to burn to death together with her husband when their house has been set on fire even though she is offered her freedom. By this she is described as a woman who lives according to the old patriarchal ideal of women where honor and family come first, but also as a woman who faithfully honors her marriage.
One of the saga women with a strong fighting spirit is Aud in the Laksdøla Saga. She wants revenge after her husband Tord has divorced her and thereby dishonored her. However, her family, i.e. her brothers, fail to stand up for her. Then she decides to take revenge herself. She puts on trousers and rides to her former husband's farm and kills him with several blows with her sword as he lies asleep. "She stabbed him so hard that the sword stuck in the bed. Then Aud went away, mounted her horse, and rode home."
Later, her brothers gave her credit for restoring her honor."
Another example of women's strong will and urge to get revenge is the story of Hallgerd and Gunnar from Lidarende in Njål's Saga:
Several enemies have surrounded the farm, but Gunnar is able to save his life by using his bow.
Suddenly, his bowstring snaps and Gunnar asks Hallgerd to give him some strands of hair to make a new string.
However, she reminds him about an incident some time ago when he had slapped her in her face, and she refuses to give him her hair.
Gunnar accepts this, and he is killed.
Hun minner ham da på at han en gang gav henne en lusing, og nekter å gi ham noe av håret sitt. Gunnar aksepterer dette, og dermed blir han drept.
Comment:
The Viking women had enough power and authority to be able to control their men the way they wanted.
Theme:
Woman power, honor, female revenge
Picture:
Gunnhild is egging her sons (by Christian Krogh)
oppdatert 31.12.2022
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