The Story Archive

Njal's Saga

Anonymous · c. 1280 CE · Novel · Norse / Germanic · Medieval

A beardless farmer with a gift for law and foresight spends fifty years settling the killings that gather around his friend Gunnar of Hlidarendi and, later, around his own sons, arranging compensation at the Althing while the wives of two households keep the quarrel warm. Every settlement holds for a season. The longest of the family sagas and the most admired, set down by an unknown Icelander around 1280.

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Attributes

Genre
HistoricalTragedy
Theme
Justice & RevengeDuty & HonorLoyaltyBetrayalIndividual vs Society
Archetype (Jung / Campbell)
MentorHeroAvengerVillain / Tyrant
Plot structure
Revenge CycleChronicleTrialTragic Reversal
Symbol / motif
BloodThe HouseThe Oath / BargainThe Sword
Conflict
vs Personvs Society
Mode / tone
TragicRealist
Culture / tradition
Norse / Germanic

Closest analogues