This scene from the 2007 feature film Beowulf!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Icelandic Saga
In reading the Laxdaela, an Icelandic Saga, I have come to the realization that the Vikings were just humans who like to eat and have farms like everyone else. My understanding is that there is a great romancit love triangle in this saga, but the first chunk of it is a people settling in Iceland. Its cool, but not quite Beowulf and Grendel!
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Yep, much of the Sagas is day to day life. In Njal's saga, untold pages are taken up by the annual legal proceedings called the Althing that take place every summer. There are judges, juries, fines levied, etc.
They had quite a robust system of law - with some very cold, calculated fines. If you killed your neighbor's slave, who happened to be aging, you might be penalized 2 horses - or 10 goats. :)
Yeah, I'm not sure I can brave many more of these! haha Though I appreciate a good law code as much as the next guy...and Njal's Saga was one I was eyeballing.
Actually, I would still highly recommend Njal's Saga. I was just being silly with the law stuff (although that does occur).
As a whole, that saga is chock full of action, drama, and spilling of blood. And it's a great revenge story.
Highly recommended and generally a page-turner.
Alright, you've sold me again! I'll read Njal's Saga. I'm a sucker for Norse material...the Vikings, when our species reached is evolutionary pinnacle. ;)
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