questões sobre Islândia

1. Icelandic Saga: “Thorstein the Staff-Struck”
• Written down in 13th C, but from oral
tradition dating back to 9th C
• Both prose and poetic sagas survive
– poetic sagas in alliterative verse like Beowulf
• Although later in time than Roland,best
compared to Beowulf because Iceland so
isolated that it loses its pagan Germanic
warrior culture later than does mainland.
• Emphasis on warrior virtue of prowess in
battle and feudal virtue of lord/vassal loyalty.

2. Icelandic Saga: “Thorstein the Staff-Struck”
• Thorstein: only son of aging father; breeder of
horses
• Thorarin: father of Thorstein
• Bjarni: local chieftain, Thord, Thorhall and
Thorvald are all his men
• Thord: strikes Thorstein with his staff, won’t
give compensation, is killed by Thorstein
• Thorhall and Thorvald: gossipers who criticize
Bjarni for not revenging the death of Thord
• Ranneveig: wife of Bjarni, who also criticizes
him for failing to avenge the three killed men

3. Icelandic Saga: “Thorstein the Staff-Struck”
• What are the obligations of a chief to his men?
• How important is reputation? What causes a
man to gain/lose a good reputation?
• When Thorhall and Thovald allow Bjarni to
overhear them criticizing him, he sends them to
their deaths. When Rannveig criticizes Bjarni,
he acts on her wishes. Why the difference?
• What values of the Icelandic warrior culture
do you see revealed in the interactions among
Thorstein, Thorarin, and Bjarni?