Over the course of the next two weeks, we will be reading most of Njal’s Saga, an Icelandic epic composed in the late thirteenth century (around 1280) which describes events that occurred 300 years earlier, between the years 960 and 1016.  Njal's Saga was extremely popular in its day; over twenty-four manuscript copies survive, the largest number for an Icelandic saga.  Before they were written down, sagas were perpetuated and transmitted orally from generation to generation, a living and very real history preserved in the collective memory and consciousness of the people of Iceland.

As you read, you may find yourself thinking that you are caught up in a soap opera of heroic proportions.  You are.  The action centers primarily around three kin groups (extended families): those of Hrut and Hoskuld, Gunnar, and Njal, the title character.  They are related by inter-marriage and friendship, and the strife and bonds among the various family members drive the events of the epic.  Below is a brief plot summary of the parts we will be reading this week.  If you become lost, I urge you to refer either to the book's introduction, esp. pp. 11-14, and to the glossary and genealogical tables at pp. 359-74 at the end of the book.

Chs. 1-9 - We meet Hrut, his half-brother Hoskuld Dala-Kollsson, and Unn, the daughter of Mord Fiddle, one of the island chieftains.  We briefly encounter the fiery Hallgerd, Hoskuld's daughter, who becomes central later in the story.  Hrut and Unn are married but divorce without children, and Hrut keeps his wife's dowry (her marriage gift).
Chs. 10-17 - The story shifts to the marriages of the aforementioned Hallgerd to two men, first Thorvald and then Glum, both of whom are killed by her tempestuous foster-father, Thjostolf.  This sets the stage for Hallgerd's third marriage to one of the saga's central characters, Gunnar (see below).
Chs. 18-25 - We return back to Unn and are introduced to her kinsman, Gunnar, and Gunnar's best friend, Njal.  Unn wants her dowry back from Hrut (see above), and asks Gunnar to take up her claim against her former husband.  Gunnar agrees, takes Njal's advice, and manages to win back Unn's dowry at the annual legislative assembly, the Althing.  In the last chapter here (ch. 25), we meet Mord Valgardson, the son of Unn and her second husband, Valgard the Grey.  Mord has it in for Gunnar from the get-go, and is the saga's main antagonist.
[Chs. 26-32 - You are not required to read these.  Gunnar travels abroad, has various adventures, and returns to Iceland a hero.]
Chs. 33-46 - Here, we really get to the heart of things.  Gunnar marries the twice-widowed Hallgerd, whom he meets at the Althing, despite both Njal's and Hrut's understandable concerns.  Njal predicts the marriage will bring nothing but trouble, and sure enough, he is quickly proved right.  Hallgerd quickly picks a fight with Bergthora, Njal's wife (ch. 35), and soon they are locked in a vicious and destructive feud, with best friends Njal and Gunnar caught in the middle.  The feud involves kin from both families, including Njal's four sons, Skarp-Hedin, Grim, Helgi, and Hoskuld, and produces seven dead bodies.  In ch. 46 we once again encounter, briefly, Mord Valgardson, Gunnar's sworn enemy.
[Chs. 47-66 - You are not required to read these.  Gunnar's troubles increase.  He is caught up in feuds plotted by various enemies, with Hallgerd generally involved somewhere, which result in his (justifiably, under Icelandic law) killing a number of prominent men, one of whom is named Otkel of Kirkby.  Otkel's son, Thorgeir, vows vengeance on Gunnar.]
Chs. 67-78 - Thorgeir, Otkel's son (see above), plots vengeance on Gunnar for the death of his father, and is goaded by another Thorgeir (Starkadarson) into planning an attack.  (Starkadarson had in the meantime consulted Mord Valgardson, Gunnar's enemy, about a course of action.)  Gunnar thus becomes a marked man, but easily kills Thorgeir Otkelsson (ch. 72).  This is significant, because earlier Njal had prophesied that Gunnar would be doomed should he ever kill two men from the same family.  In killing Thorgeir he does precisely that, and is banished from Iceland.  Gunnar refuses to obey the punishment, thus giving his archenemy Mord a chance to attack him without penalty.  Gunnar is tracked to his home, and killed there by a group of his enemies.

Reading tips and some things to keep in mind

• The saga has a huge cast of characters.  Do not try to remember all of them. Keep track of the principals: Hrut, Unn, Hallgerd, Gunnar, Njal, and Mord.  Use the tables in the back of the book and the summary above and on pp. 11-14 to help.
• Try to keep focused on the character traits of the main actors, and particularly on their actions and thoughts.  What events drive the story?  Where does the action primarily take place?  What particular roles do the characters seem to have?
• Remember that prior to the year 1000, when all of the above events take place, Iceland was still a polytheistic (pagan) society.

Study questions (to assist your reading only)

(1) Based on your reading, what character traits (in men and women) do you think Icelandic society valued?  In other words, what makes a good warrior, a good husband, a good wife, and so forth?
(2) How would you describe Icelandic attitudes toward violence?  Toward the law?  What is the relationship between the feud and the law?  Are they incompatible?
(3) What roles do the female characters (Unn, Hallgerd, Bergthora) play?  In other words, how are they significant to the action?