Gísla saga
Encyclopedia
Gísla saga Súrssonar (ˈcisl̥a ˈsaːɣa ˈsur̥sɔnar̥, the saga of Gísli Súrsson) is one of the Sagas of Icelanders. It tells the story of Gisli, a tragic hero who must kill one of his brothers-in-law to avenge another brother-in-law. Gisli is outlawed and forced to stay on the run for thirteen years before he is finally hunted down and killed. The saga was likely written in the 13th century, it describes events taking place in the period 940-980. In 1981, Gísla saga was made into a film titled Útlaginn (The Outlaw).
, in particular by referring to Guðrún Gjúkadóttir to represent old ways of vengeance and family honor.
s and signify their loyalty to one another. The ceremony is not completed because Thorgrim retracts his obligation to Vestein, which in turn causes Gisli to negate his bond with Thorgrim. From this moment on the characters’ actions seem to be controlled completely by fate as they head down a tragic path.
A chain of dreadful events is set into motion when Thorkel catches his wife, Asgerd, and Aud, Gisli's wife, gossiping about loves they had before they were married. When Asgerd reveals that her previous lover was Aud's brother, Vestein, Thorkel is infuriated and decides to move away from the farm that he and Gisli shared. Thorkel and Asgerd move onto a nearby farm that is owned by Thorgrim. Upon his arrival, Thorkel joins with Thorgrim to discuss various things, perhaps even planning Vestein's murder, however nothing is certain. Soon after Thorkel moves in with Thorgrim, Vestein comes back to Gisli's farm to visit with the family. Aud explains to Gisli what she and Asgerd were gossiping about and how Thorkel overheard their conversation. Gisli attempts to warn Vestein not to come back into the village because it is not safe for him. Unfortunately, Vestein is not warned in time and arrives in the village. Soon after, he is murdered one night while sleeping at Gisli's house. Gisli rushes into the house and grabs the spear out of Vestein’s chest, signifying that he will take vengeance for Vestein's murder. Although the identity of the intruder is never revealed, Gisli is haunted by dreams which convince him that Thorgrim is the murderer. In these dreams there are two women, symbolizing good and evil and representing the choice Gisli must eventually make.
In order to avenge the death of Vestein, a man to whom he is bound, Gisli murders Thorgrim and escapes into the night without being discovered. However, Thordis, Gisli’s widowed sister, suspects that Gisli must have murdered her husband, therefore, he must be outlawed. Once Gisli is outlawed he constantly runs from a group of men who wish to find and murder him. This task proves to be more difficult than perceived, as they are unable to locate Gisli in his various hiding places. While Gisli is on the run, Vestein's two sons decide to seek their own vengeance for their father's murder. The two boys murder Thorkel, but Gisli chooses not to hunt them down because they are Aud's relatives.
Aud, Gisli’s wife, remains loyal throughout the saga and refuses to divulge the location of her husband, even when offered three hundred silver pieces for her knowledge. Gisli's dreams continue to plague him, and eventually he is not able to run from his problems or the people who are hunting him. After Gisli is discovered, Aud fights side-by-side with her husband until he is killed in a final, strenuous battle. Even after Gisli is dead, he is still honoured and respected for being a loyal and honest man. The saga notes that his final blow was just as strong as his first. Once Gisli faces his death, Thordis experiences remorse for his murder and stabs Eyjolf in the leg. After Bork wrenches the sword out of her hand and attempts to calm the group, Thordis declares herself divorced from Bork and leaves the house. Aud converts to the Christian faith and takes a pilgrimage to Rome, never to return to Iceland.
Themes
Gísla saga is a classic outlaw saga that is centered on the internal struggles of Gísli. As Gisli's fate unfolds, he experiences conflicting passions of love, hate, and complex emotional bonds. Differing from the typical family saga, it uses the common theme of vengeance to divide loyalties within family instead of strengthening familial bonds. More than most sagas, Gísla saga makes use of motifs from the Eddaic poemsPoetic Edda
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...
, in particular by referring to Guðrún Gjúkadóttir to represent old ways of vengeance and family honor.
Synopsis
Around 950 Gísli Súrsson and his family decide to leave Norway and move to Iceland. The two brothers, Gisli and Thorkel, and their brothers-in-law, Vestein and Thorgrim are joining together in a ceremony that will make them blood brotherBlood brother
Blood brother can refer to one of two things: two males related by birth, or two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where the blood of each man is mingled together...
s and signify their loyalty to one another. The ceremony is not completed because Thorgrim retracts his obligation to Vestein, which in turn causes Gisli to negate his bond with Thorgrim. From this moment on the characters’ actions seem to be controlled completely by fate as they head down a tragic path.
A chain of dreadful events is set into motion when Thorkel catches his wife, Asgerd, and Aud, Gisli's wife, gossiping about loves they had before they were married. When Asgerd reveals that her previous lover was Aud's brother, Vestein, Thorkel is infuriated and decides to move away from the farm that he and Gisli shared. Thorkel and Asgerd move onto a nearby farm that is owned by Thorgrim. Upon his arrival, Thorkel joins with Thorgrim to discuss various things, perhaps even planning Vestein's murder, however nothing is certain. Soon after Thorkel moves in with Thorgrim, Vestein comes back to Gisli's farm to visit with the family. Aud explains to Gisli what she and Asgerd were gossiping about and how Thorkel overheard their conversation. Gisli attempts to warn Vestein not to come back into the village because it is not safe for him. Unfortunately, Vestein is not warned in time and arrives in the village. Soon after, he is murdered one night while sleeping at Gisli's house. Gisli rushes into the house and grabs the spear out of Vestein’s chest, signifying that he will take vengeance for Vestein's murder. Although the identity of the intruder is never revealed, Gisli is haunted by dreams which convince him that Thorgrim is the murderer. In these dreams there are two women, symbolizing good and evil and representing the choice Gisli must eventually make.
In order to avenge the death of Vestein, a man to whom he is bound, Gisli murders Thorgrim and escapes into the night without being discovered. However, Thordis, Gisli’s widowed sister, suspects that Gisli must have murdered her husband, therefore, he must be outlawed. Once Gisli is outlawed he constantly runs from a group of men who wish to find and murder him. This task proves to be more difficult than perceived, as they are unable to locate Gisli in his various hiding places. While Gisli is on the run, Vestein's two sons decide to seek their own vengeance for their father's murder. The two boys murder Thorkel, but Gisli chooses not to hunt them down because they are Aud's relatives.
Aud, Gisli’s wife, remains loyal throughout the saga and refuses to divulge the location of her husband, even when offered three hundred silver pieces for her knowledge. Gisli's dreams continue to plague him, and eventually he is not able to run from his problems or the people who are hunting him. After Gisli is discovered, Aud fights side-by-side with her husband until he is killed in a final, strenuous battle. Even after Gisli is dead, he is still honoured and respected for being a loyal and honest man. The saga notes that his final blow was just as strong as his first. Once Gisli faces his death, Thordis experiences remorse for his murder and stabs Eyjolf in the leg. After Bork wrenches the sword out of her hand and attempts to calm the group, Thordis declares herself divorced from Bork and leaves the house. Aud converts to the Christian faith and takes a pilgrimage to Rome, never to return to Iceland.
Characters
| Character | Information |
|---|---|
| Gisli (Gísli) | The main character of the saga who decides to seek out vengeance for the murder of Vestein. He kills Thorgrim because he believes he is the murderer. Gísli is outlawed by his own sister. |
| Aud (Auður) | Gísli's wife and Vestein's sister. She stays loyal to her husband even when faced with her own death. |
| Thorgrim (Þorgrímur) | Thordis's husband and the suspected murderer of Vestein. Refused to make the oath with Vestein because he felt it would cause him more trouble and stress. |
| Thorkel (Þorkell) | Gisli’s brother who lives on a farm with Thorgrim. Thorkel chooses to help Gisli but only to a certain extent. The two sons of Vestein, in search of vengeance, kill Thorkel. |
| Asgerd (Ásgerður) | Wife of Thorkel. She starts a long chain of tragic events when Thorkel overhears her confessing her love for Vestein. |
| Vestein (Vésteinn) | Gísli's brother-in-law and best friend who is murdered in his sleep. |
| Eyjolf (Eyjólfur) | Leader of the group of men who hunt after Gísli. |
| Thordis (Þórdís) | Wife to Thorgrim and sister to Gisli. After Thorgrim's murder she remarries Bork and urges him to avenge the death of his brother Thorgrim by killing Gisli. |
| Bork (Börkur) | Thordis's second husband and Thorgrim's brother. He decides to chase after Gisli in pursuit of vengeance for Thorgrim's death. |
External links
- Gisli the Outlaw English translation of Gísli Saga by George Webbe DasentGeorge Webbe DasentSir George Webbe Dasent was a translator of folk tales and contributor to The Times.Dasent was born 22 May 1817 at St. Vincent, West Indies, the son of the attorney general, John Roche Dasent...
- Gísla saga Súrssonar Text with normalized Icelandic spelling
- Gisli Saga English translation
- Full text and English translation at the Icelandic Saga Database
- Proverbs in Gísla saga