by Katie Broberg
Throughout the course of history, the roles of men and women have been inevitably distinct. This disparity is exposed in Njal’s Saga, in which the women play very unique and influential roles as they assume the Scandinavian cultural norms. Each character contributes individual influences to the plot; however, a common thread eventually reveals itself in female actions and attitudes. In Njal’s Saga women are largely the catalysts of conflict due to their comparatively large allotment of power, their relentless desire for honor, and their devious manipulation.
Unlike many cultures which demand strict submission from women, the women in Njal’s Saga take advantage of the significant amounts of power given to them. First of all, marriage is prioritized in the lives of men and women are valued highly. Once married, the woman is given the opportunity to take “charge of the household.” This turns out to be a considerably large domain and bestows upon the woman a rather vast sphere of influence as she claims authority over household issues. Bergthora, Njal’s wife, speaks freely of the extent of her power: “‘I am Njal’s wife,’ replied Bergthora, ‘and I have as much say in hiring servants as he’” (101). Because of this power, women can make or break a household. This is a driving force in the saga as women repeatedly, though not always, squander much of their goods. For example, the first woman appearing in the saga is Unn who wastes her inheritance after divorcing her husband, Hrut. The author describes her as “…extravagant and improvident in her management of the estate, and her wealth frittered away in her hands; until finally she had nothing left except her land and some personal possessions” (72). This allowance of power and Unn’s subsequent exploitation of it trigger the events of the saga as she pleads with her kinsman Gunnar to seize back her dowry from Hrut. Without this power, women would not be nearly as efficacious in instigating conflict among the men. Another indication of feminine power is the way in which the men react to their wives’ actions. In the conflict between Bergthora and Hallgerd, Gunnar’s wife, very little is mentioned regarding any effort to halt the women from perpetuating their “killing match.” Seven men die before the feud ends, suggesting that Gunnar and Njal have little power to stop their wives even though their friendship and family suffer severely. The only time that the saga specifies any confrontation is a mention of the women simply being “reproached” (100). The women then respond with sharp retorts and no promise of repentance.
Women with considerable power often harbor a heightened level of self-worth and honor. Honor remains important to the women in Njal’s Saga because it offers guidelines and customs needed to sustain their power. For example, the demand for honor appears in the ultimatum that Queen Gunnhild gives to Ozur and Hrut regarding her invitation. Ozur, as he approaches Norway, says, “The moment we refuse her invitation, she will hound us out of the country and seize all we own; but if we accept, she will treat us as handsomely as she has promised” (43). Gunnhild’s awareness of her noble position causes her to reject anything that falls short of her expectations. This alone causes Hrut and Gunnhild’s affair and the subsequent curse that ruins Hrut and Unn’s marriage. Honor often proves more unyielding and important to women than men and works to propel the plot. When Bergthora injures Hallgerd’s sense of honor she asks her husband, Gunnar, to avenge her. After he refuses she takes it into her own hands, initiating a bloody feud with Bergthora. Revenge in the saga is often borne from a fervent need to preserve honor. To most of these women, honor cannot survive without a willingness to seek revenge. Hallgerd’s vengeance and blatant mercilessness become apparent when she refuses to give Gunnar her hair for his bow to ultimately save his life. She says, “I shall now remind you of the slap you once gave me. I do not care in the least whether you hold out a long time or not” (171). She believes the cost of a slap is death.
An underlying deviousness dwells in most of the women’s endeavors. Women are depicted as conniving and manipulative, instigative rather than defensive. Women accomplish their schemes by manipulating others. A recurring example of this appears as multiple women feign affection towards their husbands to await more favorable conditions for abandoning them. Unn falsifies her affection towards Hrut and then fakes illness in the winter so she can escape with little or no consequence. Hallgerd performs a similar scheme in order to leave Thorvald. After their machinations are executed the women often elude blame and punishment, heaping their burdens on the men. Their lack of foresight and responsibility causes continual conflicts in the plot. Gunnar summarizes: “Gunnar said that she might decide her own actions, ‘but I shall decide how to deal with their consequences’” (100). Compared to the image of a woman in Njal’s time, women today are viewed as having much more composure, sensitivity, and aversion to violence. However, the tendency of women to be bitter and resentful towards adversaries is quite a timeless attribute and remains prevalent today.
As much as women are depicted negatively in the novel, they are not void of a capacity for love. Hallgerd seems to be truly in love with Glum: “She loved Glum so deeply that she could not restrain her tears, and wept bitterly” (69). She then cries, “This I forbid you to avenge. You are not to take a hand in our affairs, however they may go” (70). Also, Bergthora’s willingness to burn with Njal displays the gentleness and loyalty that exist in her Norse womanhood. Though these rare occurrences are compelling, they are very much outweighed by negative actions in the saga.
by Katie Broberg
Major: English
Expected Graduation: May 2008
Hometown: Wenatchee, WA
In this paper I explored the roles women played in Njal’s Saga and how they were perceived by the rest of society. I also focused on the tendencies of women that were unique to that time period, and contrastingly, those that have proved timeless. I found the endeavors and motives of women very thought-provoking, as they are shed almost exclusively in a negative light.