Feud in the Icelandic Saga

by Jesse L. Byock

Feud stands at the core of the Old Icelandic sagas. Jesse Byock shows how the dominant concern of medieval Icelandic society―the channeling of violence into accepted patterns of feud and the regulation of conflict―is reflected in the narrative of the family sagas and the Sturlunga saga compilation. This comprehensive study of narrative structure demonstrates that the sagas are complex expressions of medieval social thought.

Genres: History, Medieval

293 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1982

About the author

Jesse L. Byock is Professor of Old Norse and Medieval Scandinavian at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of Feud in the Icelandic Saga (1982) Medieval Iceland (1990), The Saga of King Kraki (1998), and Viking Age Iceland (2001).

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no author in the English-speaking world with such a firm grasp on the subject of Icelandic saga and its background than UCLA Professor Jesse L. Byock. Feud in the Icelandic Saga is the first volume of his Icelandic "trilogy," the other volumes being Medieval Iceland and Viking Age Iceland. All are authoritative, informative, and well written.

Feud in the Icelandic Saga is perhaps the most academic of the three, but at the same time, it is perhaps the most useful as a guide to analyzing what makes the individual sagas tick. Particularly interesting is that Byock does not stop at the Sagas of Icelanders, but also shows examples from later developments of the genre, namely the Sturlung, Bishop's, and King's sagas as well.

In its essence, the sagas -- according to this book -- are divided into episodes of Conflict, Advocacy, and Resolution. Sometimes, there is a single set of such episodes; more often, there are complex chains of interactions -- sometimes leading to Resolution, sometimes breaking out into further conflict -- such as in Njals Saga, perhaps the greatest of them all. This is a particularly useful structure for analyzing the uniqueness of Icelandic sagas, which are largely stories of feuds in the early days of settlement and how they are resolved, if they are resolved.

Byock shows that some sagas are outside this scheme, either because they are about outlaws (Grettir's Saga and Gisli Sursson's Saga; or they are set outside of Iceland and its particular legal problems (the King's Sagas such as Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla Saga); or they are about poets who are more interested in fame than issues of property (Kormak's Saga or The Saga of Hallfred Troublesome-Poet).

Although I have read many of the sagas, this book is a keeper. My only complaint is that, being published in the 1970s, it uses a somewhat outmoded system of transcription from Icelandic to English, making some saga names hard to recognize.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a work of literary criticism. However, using the Icelandic Sagas the author develops an idea of what Early Icelandic society and government was like. Iceland was the first trans-marine from Europe and its location allowed it to develop its own governing system differing from those in Europe. There were no wars with external enemies nor regional wars on the island. However, there were feuds between individuals and families. The Sagas provide a glimpse of the means of resolving conflicts in such a way as to maintain a balance of power within the society. Conflicts occurred over land, material goods, honor among other things. Parties to a dispute used social networks, bribes, etc. to obtain allies at the annual allthing where disputes were settled. It wasn't necessarily justice that was striven for but a balance in the society.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing argument for the way that feuds, and the laws governing them, in the saga tales of Free State Iceland were indicative if not mirror-reflective of the way that that society worked at the time. Well-written and interesting, with a lot of useful information about the time period in general.