Gisli Sursson’s Saga
As translated by Martin S. Regal
Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................1
sagas..................................................................................................................................................1
gisli sursson’s saga.........................................................................................................................1
comic relief....................................................................................................................................2
Gisli Sursson’s Saga................................................................................................................................3
Introduction
sagas
This saga takes place in the last decades of the 10 th century, but it was composed in the 13 th century.
Gisli, the main character, symbolises the individualistic heroic morality of the Viking Age.
The sagas can be seen as an attempt by the Icelandic writers of the 13 th and 14th centuries of making
sense of their past and present. Iceland was settled in the Viking Age, but in around 1300 Iceland
was gradually adapted into the Norwegian regime. This meant abandoning the laws previously
established during the yearly Thing. When the sagas were written down, the Icelanders seemed to
have been engaged in a process of creating a semi-legendary and heroic past from their collective
memory of the past, turning oral tradition into literary texts. They depict the old society from an
increasing distance, acknowledge the limitations of the heroic ideals and nostalgically portray the
downfall of heroes. There are two significant events in the sagas: the settlement in Iceland between
roughly 870-930, and the conversion of Christianity around 1000.
Many of the main characters of the sagas belong to well-known settlers’ families, their descendants
at the time the sagas were written were people of importance.
gisli sursson’s saga
The central themes of this sagas is forbidden love leading to violence and death. it starts with the
deaths of two of Gisli’s uncles, which results in a cursed sword. This also leads to a quest of honour
and vengeance, but this is always bound to hurt the avenger himself. Gisli does wat the family
honour demands and becomes a murderer, having o walk the very thin balance between ‘doing the
right thing to restore honour’ and ‘only kill as a last resort’. Even though Gisli kills someone in secret
and is outlawed for it, there is no indication in the text that he regrets his actions or that he is
considered to have behaved improperly.
This saga is very individual-based. No attempts are made to pay compensation for the various
killings, Gisli is sentenced to outlawry in his absence, his thoughts as an outlaw are more to do with
fate’s than with society’s judgement. The modern reader can easily find him dislikeable, because on
the surface-level Gisli feels uncaring. The poetry, however, does show that he is deeply moved and
anxious.
SISTER
The two women Gisli sees in his dream symbolise the conflicting forces of fate and the roles his wife
and sister play in his life. Gisli’s sister, although her true responsibility for her brother killing her
, suitors is unclear, endorses the archaic revenge ethic Gisli subscribes to as well. Gisli compares het
to the Gudrun from the Prose Edda, but without her steely strength. 1 He expects her to put her
duties to her brothers above those to her husband, but she is, in fact, torn between the two.
WIFE
Aud is the ideal of the loyal and worthy wife, completely and wholly supportive of her husband. Her
actions are limited due to the patriarchal society she lives in, but within those constraints and
standards she behaves blamelessly.
comic relief
There is also some Shakespearean comic relief in the saga, where Gisli keeps dressing up and
disguising himself to escape notice. Other forms of humour are characters not living up to the heroic
ideal and the opposition between Gisli and Thorkel.
1
Gudrun kills her second husband & the children they have after discovering he killed her brother, etc. You can
find my summary here.
As translated by Martin S. Regal
Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................1
sagas..................................................................................................................................................1
gisli sursson’s saga.........................................................................................................................1
comic relief....................................................................................................................................2
Gisli Sursson’s Saga................................................................................................................................3
Introduction
sagas
This saga takes place in the last decades of the 10 th century, but it was composed in the 13 th century.
Gisli, the main character, symbolises the individualistic heroic morality of the Viking Age.
The sagas can be seen as an attempt by the Icelandic writers of the 13 th and 14th centuries of making
sense of their past and present. Iceland was settled in the Viking Age, but in around 1300 Iceland
was gradually adapted into the Norwegian regime. This meant abandoning the laws previously
established during the yearly Thing. When the sagas were written down, the Icelanders seemed to
have been engaged in a process of creating a semi-legendary and heroic past from their collective
memory of the past, turning oral tradition into literary texts. They depict the old society from an
increasing distance, acknowledge the limitations of the heroic ideals and nostalgically portray the
downfall of heroes. There are two significant events in the sagas: the settlement in Iceland between
roughly 870-930, and the conversion of Christianity around 1000.
Many of the main characters of the sagas belong to well-known settlers’ families, their descendants
at the time the sagas were written were people of importance.
gisli sursson’s saga
The central themes of this sagas is forbidden love leading to violence and death. it starts with the
deaths of two of Gisli’s uncles, which results in a cursed sword. This also leads to a quest of honour
and vengeance, but this is always bound to hurt the avenger himself. Gisli does wat the family
honour demands and becomes a murderer, having o walk the very thin balance between ‘doing the
right thing to restore honour’ and ‘only kill as a last resort’. Even though Gisli kills someone in secret
and is outlawed for it, there is no indication in the text that he regrets his actions or that he is
considered to have behaved improperly.
This saga is very individual-based. No attempts are made to pay compensation for the various
killings, Gisli is sentenced to outlawry in his absence, his thoughts as an outlaw are more to do with
fate’s than with society’s judgement. The modern reader can easily find him dislikeable, because on
the surface-level Gisli feels uncaring. The poetry, however, does show that he is deeply moved and
anxious.
SISTER
The two women Gisli sees in his dream symbolise the conflicting forces of fate and the roles his wife
and sister play in his life. Gisli’s sister, although her true responsibility for her brother killing her
, suitors is unclear, endorses the archaic revenge ethic Gisli subscribes to as well. Gisli compares het
to the Gudrun from the Prose Edda, but without her steely strength. 1 He expects her to put her
duties to her brothers above those to her husband, but she is, in fact, torn between the two.
WIFE
Aud is the ideal of the loyal and worthy wife, completely and wholly supportive of her husband. Her
actions are limited due to the patriarchal society she lives in, but within those constraints and
standards she behaves blamelessly.
comic relief
There is also some Shakespearean comic relief in the saga, where Gisli keeps dressing up and
disguising himself to escape notice. Other forms of humour are characters not living up to the heroic
ideal and the opposition between Gisli and Thorkel.
1
Gudrun kills her second husband & the children they have after discovering he killed her brother, etc. You can
find my summary here.
