Gripla - 01.01.1979, Page 168

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GRIPLA
Surr is heard as a basso ostinato throughout the whole Saga.’1 Þorkell’s
peculiar behavior is to Franz Seewald, ‘was der Hauptteil der Saga im
GroBen abwandelt: Eigensein und Sippe geraten in Widerstreit.’2 Oddly
enough, when objections or suspicions are raised to these events, they
fall on Gísli. T. M. Andersson suspects that Gísli’s defence of his sister’s
honor, against her wishes and Þorkell’s, is a stolid knee-jerk conserva-
tism.3 Hermann Pálsson sees Gísli’s later revenge for Vésteinn on his
sister’s husband as a sign of a peculiar relationship between Gísli and
Vésteinn, and cites the wooden figures standing one behind the other
as support for this interpretation. Pálsson finds the slaying of the suitors
is indicative that ‘Gísli is incestuously in love with Þórdís,’ and the
manner of Gísli’s revenge for Vésteinn—he kills his sister’s husband
sleeping beside her—also indicates a twisted sexuality.4 Since chapter
II is distasteful in itself, and leads to distasteful interpretations of later
events, every effort should be made to avoid it. Gísli’s story is by no
means enriched if we imagine him improperly involved with his sister
and/or Vésteinn. His sister’s poor taste in men and his brother’s odd
urges are no gains in meaning, but rather a lowering of tone and a con-
founding of our nobler sentiments.
Fortunately there is another version of chapter II which provides no
opportunity for debasing the characters of Gísli, Þorkell, and Þórdís.
AM 149 fol. also begins with a rumor concerning Þórdís and her boy-
friend, who is here named Kolbeinn. The father speaks not to the boy-
friend but to Gísli, who responds with a testimonial to Kolbeinn’s inno-
cence; Gísli also rebukes his father for heeding idle rumor. Neverthe-
less, Gísli apologetically asks Kolbeinn to leave off visiting for his
father’s sake. Kolbeinn insists on his innocence, but Gísli then appeals
to the friendship between them. Kolbeinn then makes his visits less
frequent. Þorkell and Þórdís are glad of them, but the father is not.
Again the father demands that Gísli act, and again Gísli speaks to Kol-
beinn, appealing to their friendship. Kolbeinn again insists on his inno-
1 Studies in the Gísla saga, Studia Norvegica No. 6 (Oslo, 1951), p. 34.
2 Die Gísla saga Surssonar: Untersuchungen, Diss. Göttingen 1932; (Göttingen,
1934), p. 60.
3 ‘Some Ambiguities in Gísla saga: A Balance Sheet’ BONIS (1968), 14 f.
Andersson’s article contains masses of bibliographical information.
4 ‘Death in Autumn: Tragic Elements in Early Icelandic Fiction,’ BONIS
(1973), 19.