The Saga of the People of Laxardal

The Saga of the People of Laxardal featured more genealogies and excessive characters than any other saga we have read so far. However, it was actually an engaging tale that captures a key moment in Iceland's history through the entwined families of the Laxardal area. One is immediately struck by the prominent women whose will and character determine the course of the various marriages, feuds, duels, and conflicts across several generations. Women, especially Gudrun (or even the Irish slave) assert themselves against fathers and godis, but without upending dominant gender roles. After all, the saga pokes fun at the idea of women wearing breeches. 

One is also reminded of how vast the world was to the people of Iceland. References to Ireland, Russia, Constantinople, Rome, and other parts of Europe occur throughout the text. This serves as a useful reminder that the rural civilization of medieval Iceland was never disconnected from the rest of the world, and absorbed traders, slaves, migrants, Christians, and travelers. Of course, as the text was written sometime in the 13th century and by Christian authors, the saga quickly passes over the Christianization of Iceland, only mentioning a few initial forms of local resistance. Yet the saga undoubtedly draws on pre-Christian folk belief, ritual, and fears of sorcery and supernatural phenomena to add suspense and show the other sources of conflict in Iceland. Moreover, regardless of Christian conversion, clearly kinship, honor and local concepts of compensation continued.

That brings us to the main theme of the story, or one of them. Kinship and feud. Since these families were quite large and conflicts arose over land, goods, power, or women (Gudrun instigates the central feud after the meandering early chapters), sometimes feuding clans or kinship groups continued to fight over generations, harboring new resentments and more feuds as different kinship groups and their respective dependents threw more salt into festering wounds. Feuds between kinsmen can never lead to any good, as it deprived the community of its best leaders (such as Bolli). Peace could only last as long as any level-headed charismatic male authority figure was around to demand it. This is why we think there may be a pro-Christian sentiment underlying the saga, emphasizing forgiveness as a virtue. Of course, it didn't always work, but Gudrun's transformation into a devout Christian woman may symbolize the transformation wrought by the new faith.