Njals Saga

Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir is Gunnar of Hlidarendi’s troublesome, ill-tempered, and vengeful wife. Her feud with Bergthora, Njal’s wife, sparks ongoing violence as the two women order the slayings of various servants from their respective households. Hallgerd enters the saga early on as the daughter of a secondary protagonist, Hoskuld Dalla-Kollson. She orchestrates her first husband’s murder and inadvertently contributes to her second husband’s killing. She is described as being tall and beautiful, but her uncle, Hrut predicts that her machinations will generate much trouble, which proves true. Gunnar and Hallgerd have two sons: Hogni and Grani. Hogni is much like his even-tempered and noble father while Grani takes after his mother and is wily and quarrelsome; he goes on to take part in Njal’s burning.

Hallgerd and Gunnar meet at the Althing, where she agrees to the marriage arrangement he negotiates with her father. They have a tempestuous relationship and Hallgerd often disregards Gunnar’s wishes. She also tests the bonds of his friendship with Njal during her feud with Bergthora. However, much to her displeasure, she finds that they are unbreakable. She contributes to her husband’s slaying when she refuses to provide him with a lock of hair so that he can restring his bow when he is besieged at home. Afterward, she leaves Hlidarendi in shame with her troublesome son Grani.

Njal Thorgeirsson—a 10th-century Icelandic lawyer and farmer who lived at Bergthorshvol in southern Iceland—is one of the central protagonists and the titular character of Njal’s Saga. Njal enjoys a strong and lifelong friendship with his neighbor, Gunnar of Hlidarendi. Njal is known for his even temper, wisdom, and prophetic insight. He is also well-known for his inability to grow a beard, which is something his detractors—like Gunnar’s troublesome wife, Hallgerd—mock him about to emasculate him. Njal, however, takes such insults in stride.

Most people around Njal, including Gunnar, respect him and frequently seek his advice, especially in legal matters. For example, he often negotiates settlements for Gunnar related to ongoing blood feuds. Nevertheless, Njal functions much like Cassandra in Greek mythology because, despite his recognized gift of second sight, his warnings go unheeded. In an example of this, Gunnar promises to follow Njal’s instructions not to kill twice within the same bloodline, but he is tricked into doing so; also, he inexplicably ignores Njal’s warning to observe the resulting settlement. These actions lead to Gunnar’s tragic slaying. His death causes a series of power struggles that send Iceland into a wave of chaotic violence with friends turning into enemies. As a result, Njal and most of his family members die in a burning at his home at Bergthorshvol. Njal chooses to remain inside his burning home despite his attackers offering him the opportunity to escape. The burning occurs after Iceland’s conversion to Christianity, which Njal encouraged. He thus becomes a saint-like martyr figure; the saga describes his body as being untouched by the flames. This scene mirrors accounts of the exhumations of the bodies of medieval saints, which were uncorrupted even in death, indicating that the saga’s anonymous author was familiar with the trope.

At the burning, many mourn Njal’s death alongside his wife, sons, and grandson. Retaliatory slayings occur in the aftermath, including at the Battle of the Althing. Njal’s son-in-law, Kari, seeks vengeance, leading him abroad and resulting in further killings, before he and his surviving enemies are finally reconciled.