Norwegian Saga

I have one more essay to write and then I have officially completed the coursework component of my degree. The only thing remaining is my actual thesis.

As I may have mentioned the essay topic is: “a new analysis of the status of woman in the institution of marriage in three sagas.” I plan to analyze Njal’s Saga, Gisli Sursson’s Saga, and Laxdala Saga to show how female characters were both more developed and independent than perhaps previous scholars have been willing to admit. The prevailing sentiment is that female characters in the sagas were dependent on males. I hope to at least meaningfully challenge that assumption.

The thesis of course isn’t going to be any such thing. My work is about social change in Iceland during the fall of what is called the “free state.” Iceland fell under the Norwegian crown in c.1264 and the preceding decades were a tumultuous time. Through the analysis of seven contemporary sagas I hope to chart the changes over this period.

Unfortunately these few writings are the only historical documents that remain of this time for this area. We don’t call them the dark ages for nothing. For this reason the work will be limited. No one can do anything about a lack of sources. Thankfully, the contemporary sagas, as they’re known, are largely accepted as historical. The family sagas for instance, like those I’m working with in my marriage essay are not believed to be historical.

My marriage essay has to be completed by Wednesday. I had planned to work a great deal on it over Christmas but that didn’t happen .

Anyway, that’s the update.

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