Gisli's Saga: An Observation of the Scandinavian Justice System and Christianity
Gisli’s Saga: An Observation of the Scandinavian Justice System and Christianity
Gisli’s Saga is not only a great historical work of its time period, but it is also very well known for the psychological impact of its main character. Several shifts occurred in the ninth century that changed early Scandinavian worldviews, including the influence of Christianity and resistance to nationalism. For example, the old ways insisted that vengeance on behalf of one’s kin was expected and power was measured by the ability to gain supporters. Christian thought, however, opposed revenge, uprooting traditional codes about kinship and honor. Although attributing the end of the Viking Age to the Christianization of the Scandinavian countries is almost certainly an exaggeration, there is no doubt that it did bring radical changes to many areas. In Gisli’s Saga, Gisli’s banditry and pursuit is a classic example of the societal tensions present in Medieval Scandinavian culture’s political and justice system and even suggests the barbarism and violence led people, and entire communities, to adopt Christianity.
The author of Gisli’s Saga is very assertive in his support for the new society, including Christianization and a unified national identity, but remains openly sympathetic to the old ways, as well. This same contradiction, a desire to end the vengeance system, while maintaining nostalgia for it, is played out in the lengthy pursuit of Gisli. The hunt for Gisli is drawn-out, and results in multiple senseless deaths. As years pass and many people die, the saga’s author seems to be saying that this method of resolving conflict is ineffective and immoral. “Gisli said to Eyjolf: ‘By my will, you will never earn anything more than the sixty ounces of silver you have taken on my head...you will be disgraced for losing so many men’” (Johnston and Foote 58). Nonetheless, the author also admires Gisli, showing how craftily he avoids capture. His ingenuity, ranging from switching capes
Gisli’s Saga is not only a great historical work of its time period, but it is also very well known for the psychological impact of its main character. Several shifts occurred in the ninth century that changed early Scandinavian worldviews, including the influence of Christianity and resistance to nationalism. For example, the old ways insisted that vengeance on behalf of one’s kin was expected and power was measured by the ability to gain supporters. Christian thought, however, opposed revenge, uprooting traditional codes about kinship and honor. Although attributing the end of the Viking Age to the Christianization of the Scandinavian countries is almost certainly an exaggeration, there is no doubt that it did bring radical changes to many areas. In Gisli’s Saga, Gisli’s banditry and pursuit is a classic example of the societal tensions present in Medieval Scandinavian culture’s political and justice system and even suggests the barbarism and violence led people, and entire communities, to adopt Christianity.
The author of Gisli’s Saga is very assertive in his support for the new society, including Christianization and a unified national identity, but remains openly sympathetic to the old ways, as well. This same contradiction, a desire to end the vengeance system, while maintaining nostalgia for it, is played out in the lengthy pursuit of Gisli. The hunt for Gisli is drawn-out, and results in multiple senseless deaths. As years pass and many people die, the saga’s author seems to be saying that this method of resolving conflict is ineffective and immoral. “Gisli said to Eyjolf: ‘By my will, you will never earn anything more than the sixty ounces of silver you have taken on my head...you will be disgraced for losing so many men’” (Johnston and Foote 58). Nonetheless, the author also admires Gisli, showing how craftily he avoids capture. His ingenuity, ranging from switching capes
Cited: Derry, TK. “A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.” The American Historical Review 85.2 (1980): 409 Pennsylvania Press, 1999. 30-31. Print. “Icelandic Saga Database.” Icelandic Saga Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.sagadb.org/>. Johnston, George, and Peter Godfrey Foote. The Saga of Gisli. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1963 “Olaf Tryggvason.” Sir Thomas Browne. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/anglo- “The Saga of Erik the Red.” Icelandic Saga Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. < http://www.sagadb.org/eiriks_saga_rauda.en/>. “Welcome to the Icelandic Saga Database.” Icelandic Saga Database. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2010