How sagas fill the need of the Icelanders’ self-perception after settling down

... As regards mental activity the farm was the centre of the Icelander. History and stories were repeated orally by strolling scalds. The self-perception, which over the years was edified, was formulated and retold by means of sagas. In the sagas the heroes express and live through the conflicts that several generations had experienced. The sagas often included insoluble and miserable situations, where a killing could be the only solution in order to preserve the honour of the family ... If another chieftain challenged a chieftain, he couldn’t decline a single combat, where one part would usually kill the other. Court orders were ignored in case of a single combat ...