Synopsis Laxdæla_saga

1 synopsis

1.1 prelude
1.2 love triangle
1.3 death , vengeance
1.4 aftermath

synopsis
prelude

laxdæla saga begins in norway in late ninth century ketill flatnose , children leave norway escape tyranny of harald fairhair. saga focuses in particular on ketill s daughter unnr deep-minded. unnr leaves norway travel family iceland. later in saga when hears father , son dead, has ship built can take of surviving kinsmen great deal of wealth safety. unnr goes on travel scotland , orkney , faroe islands before claiming lands in breiðafjörður in western iceland. later in life, unnr decides leave wealth olaf, youngest of thorstein s children. decided leave inheritance him because looking , likable. saga describes unnr s dignified death , ship burial.

the next principal character höskuldr dala-kollsson, great-grandson of unnr. travels norway acquire wood house-building. while abroad, purchases mute beautiful , expensive slave-girl. meets king hákon good, gives him wood, ring , sword. höskuldr travels iceland. höskuldr , slave-girl have child named olaf, later nicknamed olaf peacock. 1 day, when olaf 2 years old, höskuldr finds olaf , mother talking stream. höskuldr tells slave-girl can no longer pretend mute , asks name. reveals melkorka, daughter of king mýrkjartan of ireland, , taken captive @ age of fifteen. höskuldr fights reanimated hrappr.

olaf peacock grows handsome , well-mannered man. when eighteen years old travels abroad. first goes norway pays respects king harald greycloak , befriends mother, gunnhildr. when gunnhildr learns olaf wants travel ireland seek grandfather, orders ship made ready him , gives him crew of sixty men. olaf sails ireland ends ship stranded in unfavorable area, far port. local irishmen lay claim property on ship, according irish law on ship strandings. olaf, fluent in irish, refuses give ship. irish attempt take ship force olaf , men resist.

king mýrkjartan happens nearby , arrives @ scene. olaf tells king son of melkorka, daughter, , offers him gold ring melkorka proof. mýrkjartan had given daughter ring teething present. king examines ring, face grows red , acknowledges olaf kinsman. olaf , men spend winter king, fighting him against raiders. mýrkjartan offers olaf inherit crown rejects offer , travels home.

olaf s journey abroad has brought him great renown , settles in iceland. marries Þorgerðr, daughter of egill skallagrímsson. olaf , Þorgerðr have number of children, including promising kjartan. höskuldr dies, gives olaf, illegitimate son, ring , sword king hákon had given him. olaf s half-brother, Þorleikr, takes offence @ this. in order make peace brother, olaf offers foster Þorleikr s son, bolli, raises child of considered lesser of 2 .

love triangle

kjartan sees hrefna headdress , decides might own both together, bonnet , bonnie lass .

guðrún Ósvífursdóttir introduced beautiful woman ever have grown in iceland, , no less clever good-looking . guðrún has dreams cause concern. wise kinsman interprets dreams mean guðrún have 4 husbands; divorce first one, other 3 die. , indeed, guðrún marries first husband (Þorvaldr halldórsson) @ age of 15 , turns out man cares little for. makes him shirt low-cut neck , divorces him on grounds wears women s clothes. guðrún s second marriage (to Þórðr ingunarsson) happy short; husband drowns through witchcraft of hebridean family, kotkell wife gríma, , sons hallbjörn slíkisteinsauga , stígandi.

kjartan , bolli grow close friends, affection between them such both of them felt missing in other s absence . kjartan , guðrún start spending time , considered match. kjartan , bolli decide travel abroad. guðrún displeased , asks kjartan take him. kjartan refuses, reminding guðrún has responsibilities @ home. asks wait him 3 years. guðrún refuses , part in disagreement.

kjartan , bolli arrive in norway @ nidaros , learn there has been change of rulers. arch-pagan earl hákon has been killed , olaf tryggvason has ascended throne, eager spread christianity possible. number of prominent icelanders docked @ nidaros, forbidden put sea because refuse adopt new religion. kjartan , bolli resolve not convert , kjartan suggests burning down king s quarters king inside. kjartan warms king , relents , icelanders @ nidaros baptized.

king olaf makes repeated attempts @ converting iceland christianity meets resistance. decides hold kjartan , several other sons of prominent icelanders hostages in norway force conversion. bolli however, allowed go , sails home iceland. tells guðrún kjartan held in high favor king olaf , shouldn t expect him in iceland in coming years. tells her, correctly, kjartan has become friendly king s sister, ingibjörg. bolli asks guðrún s hand in marriage , although reluctant marriage goes through.

news reaches norway iceland has converted , king olaf grants kjartan leave. kjartan visits ingibjörg last time , gives him embroidered head-dress, saying hopes guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir enjoy winding head , kjartan give wedding present. when kjartan arrives in iceland discovers guðrún married bolli. when kjartan, coincidence, finds beautiful woman named hrefna trying on headdress tells her, don t think bad idea if owned both together, bonnet , bonnie lass . kjartan gives hrefna headdress , marries her.

bolli attempts mend relationship kjartan , offers him fine horses gift. kjartan flatly refuses , hard feelings remain. in subsequent feast, kjartan insists hrefna sit in high-seat. guðrún, used having honor, turns red. later in feast, kjartan discovers sword has been stolen. discovered in swamp without scabbard , guðrún s brother suspected of theft. kjartan rankled event father, olaf, persuades him matter trivial quarrel about. @ next feast, hrefna s headdress disappears. when kjartan calls bolli out on matter, guðrún tells him: , if true here involved in disappearance of head-dress, in opinion ve done nothing take rightfully belonged them.

kjartan no longer able withstand insults. gathers men , goes bolli s farm, stationing guards @ doors of farmhouse. prevents exiting 3 days , forces them relieve indoors. later, further humiliates bolli , guðrún preventing sale of land had intended buy.

death , vengeance

guðrún smiles @ helgi harðbeinsson, right after killed third husband bolli.



guðrún encounters ghost after fourth , last husband Þorkell eyjólfsson drowned @ sea.

guðrún goads brothers attacking kjartan , start laying plans waylay him. guðrún asks bolli go along them. bolli refuses, reminding guðrún olaf peacock had brought him kindly , kjartan kinsman. guðrún tells him divorce him if not go , relents.

guðrún s brothers find kjartan 1 companion , attack him while bolli stands aside. seeing that, despite superior numbers, cannot overpower kjartan, urge bolli join them, pointing out there dire consequences of them if kjartan escapes. bolli draws sword , turns toward kjartan. seeing kinsman attack him, kjartan throws away weapon , bolli deals him death blow. filled regret, bolli holds kjartan in arms while dies.

kjartan s killers prosecuted @ local assembly , guðrún s brothers exiled iceland. out of affection bolli, olaf peacock asks him pay fine rather outlawed. kjartan s brothers outraged father s lenience , find difficult live in same district bolli.

olaf dies 3 years after kjartan s death. widow, Þorgerðr, starts inciting sons avenge brother. reminds them of great ancestors , says grandfather egill not have failed avenge man kjartan. unable resist mother s taunts, brothers start planning attack. riding out party of ten, including mother, find bolli , guðrún in shieling. man named helgi harðbeinsson deals bolli heavy blow spear , 1 of kjartan s brothers severs head. helgi wipes spear clean on guðrún s shawl , guðrún smiles. helgi remarks own death lies under end of shawl .

guðrún gives birth son , names him bolli dead father. when bolli 12 years old, guðrún shows him , older brother bloody garments father wearing when killed , own bloody shawl. start planning vengeance , time later bolli, wielding father s sword, kills helgi. cycle of killing , vengeance peters out , bolli , brother make peace kjartan s brothers.

aftermath

bolli bollason travels abroad , makes impression on king olaf haraldsson in norway. travels constantinople gains renown member of varangian guard. guðrún marries fourth time husband drowns. in old age becomes nun , anchorite. last chapter of saga relates conversation between bolli , guðrún. bolli wants know mother loved most. guðrún responds listing 4 husbands , different qualities. bolli says doesn t answer question , presses mother on point. guðrún says, him worst whom loved most.