Gripla - 01.01.1977, Qupperneq 14

10
GRIPLA
Gunnar’s house is hidden; though whether the ground would reveal it,
or anything else that could be identified as from Gunnar’s time, we
cannot tell.
Another place I might mention is ‘Sámsreitur’ where, according to
popular tradition, Gunnar’s dog Sámr is buried. Excavation has in fact
produced the bones of a dog, but underneath these were the remains of
a smithy, so the bones are probably from later times.
The church of Hlíðarendi was what was known as a ‘half-church’, i.e.
services were held there only on alternate Sundays. From this it can be
assumed that the farm was no longer the residence of a chieftain at the
time when the churches of the districts were organized.
From all this some might conclude that what can be known of
Gunnar is rather meagre. But it should be remembered that he is men-
tioned by many written authorities apart from Njála, the most out-
standing of these being Landnámabók.
Finally we come to point three: the saga writer’s knowledge, or lack
of knowledge, of local features.
Here one may mention the ‘geilar’ used by Gunnar’s enemies when
they approached the homestead. The word ‘geil’ is cognate with ‘gil’,
and the reference is most likely to the little gorge or ravine to the east
of the farm. This would argue in favour of the author having visited
Hlíðarendi at some time or other. I also like to think that the descrip-
tion of Fljótshlíð in the story of Gunnar’s turning back was based on a
personal experience of the saga-writer. The same applies to what he has
to say about Þingvellir, Lómagnúpur (in Flosi’s dream), and probably
also Kringlumýri in Meðalland. As we move further away from Fljóts-
hlíð, into Þórsmörk or on the coastal plain between the rivers Affall and
Þjórsá, his knowledge seems to become less accurate. But east of Selja-
landsmúli, and far to the eastern part of the country, what he has to say
about local features seems to be correct. In Rangárþing, however, it is
as if there were a strip of country with which he is familiar, and an
examination of this shows it to lie to either side of the route to the
Alþingi. It is evident, moreover, that he knows this route west of
Þjórsá as well. Of course, one should not think of this strip as being
too narrow: for example, the author is aware that there are tuff flag-
stones in the ford at Hof. He may also have visited Oddi at one time or
other, though this is not so certain.