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 ...
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