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romantic view, sœmd is understood as a personal sense of honour and
pride, and saga morality is analyzed primarily in terms of individual quali
ties and attitudes. this also explains the dynamics of the sagas: disputes
were started when somebody’s sense of honour was hurt and he or his
family had to make up for it. For the hero, life without honour was worth
less, and the only thing of lasting value was an honourable reputation.7
Gísli Súrsson provides a good example of a hero from the romantic point
of view.8 Gísli was a great man, who in his killings was fulfilling his duty
to his fosterbrother and defending his family honour, even though it meant
killing his sister’s husband, who was also his brother’s best friend and the
family’s chieftain. typically seen as a tragic figure, the romantic hero is
said to exemplify values and virtues of Nordic heathen origin which were
radically opposed to Christian ideals.
Under the heading of “romantic” readings of the sagas, I have drawn
out the typical views of many saga scholars, especially those from the nine
teenth and early twentieth century. But no less important is the “layman’s
view of the sagas and the principles they embody: a reading which”, the
Icelandic philosopher kristján kristjánsson recently argued, “still prevails
in the public consciousness”.9 kristján has reconstructed this popular read
ing of saga morality and argues that it “represents a virtue based ethics
where he or she who achieves moral excellence becomes a great minded
person (mikilmenni).”10 “Great minded persons,” Kristján writes, “are para
gons of moral virtue, guided by a strong sense of selfrespect, and they are
not lacking in self-esteem either, being well aware of their own merits.”11
kristján observes that “every saga reader has their favorite exemplar” of a
hero who portrays this great mindedness.12
kristján does not think that the moral outlook of the sagas is unique.
7 Cf. ólafur Briem, Íslendinga sögur og nútíminn (Reykjavík: Almenna bókafélagið, 1972),
32–33.
8 Gísla saga Súrssonar, Vestfirðingasögur, ed. by Björn k. Þórólfsson and Guðni jónsson.
íslensk fornrit 6. (Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka fornritafélag, 1943), 3–118. In english: The Saga
of Gisli the Outlaw, transl. by George Johnston with Notes and Introduction by Peter Foote
(toronto: university of toronto Press, 1963).
9 kristján kristjánsson, “Liberating Moral traditions: Saga Morality and Aristotle’s Mega
lopsychia,” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice (1998:1): 407.
10 Ibid., 412.
11 Ibid., 410.
12 op.cit.