Gripla - 01.01.1984, Síða 99

DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN THE SAGAS 95
appealed to the self-interest of leaders but served the interest of the
society as well.
Violence against an overly aggressive individual was often done by a
rival wishing to gain or to recoup influence and honor. For example, in
Vápnfirðinga saga where a feud between two chieftians has gone on for
years, the thingmen of Geitir Lýtingsson present their goði with an ulti-
matum: unless Geitir stands up to the bullying Brodd-Helgi, they will
abandon him (ÍF 11, ch. 11). Brodd-Helgi has continually humiliated
Geitir by rejecting Geitir’s appeals for reasonable settlement, barring
Geitir from the court, and stealing from or killing Geitir’s thingmen.
Before taking violent action against Helgi, Geitir prearranges the sup-
port of important men from neighboring regions in the event that legal
repercussions might be activated by his aggressive conduct (ch. 12).
After being assured of the backing of important brokers, Geitir moves
against Helgi, ambushing and killing him.
In the Icelandic tales, blood vengeance, another form of direct resolu-
tion with violence, was an acceptable way of avenging a family mem-
ber.11 Less frequently the sagas speak of dueling, whether the more
formal hólmganga or the less formal einvígi. As a form of resolution,
dueling was outlawed at the start of the eleventh century.
Direct resolution without violence.—This form of settlement usually
occurred when two individuals, relatively evenly matched, showed little
desire to clash with each other. Such situations come about in the sagas
when people decide not to feud because (1) serious risks were involved,
(2) friendship or kinship bonds were in force, or (3) the potential antag-
onists were already embroiled in other feuds. For instance, in Lax-
dcela saga (/F 5, ch. 16) a confrontation between two leaders Höskuldr
Dala-Kollsson and Þórðr gellir is settled directly and peacefully. Each
broker represents an individual in a divorce case that concerns a dis-
puted dowry, and in the resolution each broker profits. Through a hand-
sal agreement, Höskuldr gains the property of the husband whom he
represents, and Þórðr, recognizing the weakness of the wife’s legal case,
accepts good gifts from Höskuldr.
As noted earlier, sjáljdœmi was still another kind of direct resolution
occurring with or without force. Víga-Glúms saga (ÍF 9, ch. 7) offers an
example where force plays an important role. The protagonist’s mother
11 Although the sagas are generally clear about the right of vengeance, the law-
books are not. See Lárusson, “Hefndir,” esp. pp. 157-162.