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the saga concludes: “ok hafði Gunnarr ina mestu sœmð af málinu”, “and
Gunnarr won great acclaim from the suit” (Ch. 24).60 In this case, the
benevolence of Njáll’s advice is judged from the individual point of view of
Gunnarr’s sœmd and the personal relations of friendship between Gunnarr
and Njáll. Most deliberated advice which Njáll gives in the saga is of this
kind.
the most striking example in the saga of malevolent deliberation is
when Mǫrðr, on the advice of his father, manages to deceive the sons of
Njáll into killing Hǫskuldr. “Svá kom, at hann kom sér í svá mikla vináttu
við þá, at hvárigum þótti ráð ráðit, nema um réðisk við aðra.” “In the end
they got to be such close friends that no counsel was taken but all shared in
it” (Ch. 108).61 njáll comments on this: “ekki em ek í ráðagerð með þeim
… sjaldan var ek þá frá kvaddr, er in góðu voru ráðin.” “I am not in their
plans … in the past I was rarely kept out when something good was being
considered” (Ch. 110).62 It is clear that Mǫrðr is determined to get
Hǫskuldr killed and for most people, his death is “hǫrmulig tíðendi”, “most
distressing tidings”. But even though this is considered to be an evil deed,
it makes sense in the saga ethos; it can even be “justified” by following the
reasoning or internal logic of the sœmdar/feudal morality. In that web of
reasoning, njáll’s benevolent advice and actions contribute to the tragedy
by “surcharging the father-son bond with excessive burdens,” as William
Ian Miller has argued.63 As has often been pointed out, Njáll’s well-intend­
ed advice has unintended consequences which culminate in tragic events.
this is one manifestation of the limits of virtue­based morality in the
sagas.
the other main aim of benevolent deliberation is that conflicts can be
brought to a peaceful resolution through an agreement which will hold.
Some of njáll’s advice is clearly aimed at this objective. But the most strik­
ing and distinctive deliberation of this kind is that of Síðu­Hallr near the
end of the saga. What makes his position remarkable is that it goes directly
60 Brennu­Njáls saga, einar ólafur Sveinsson, ed., 68. Njal’s Saga, translation by C.f.
Bayerschmidt and L. M. Hollander, 48.
61 Brennu­Njáls saga, einar ólafur Sveinsson, ed., 276. Njal’s Saga, translation by C.f.
Bayerschmidt and L. M. Hollander, 215.
62 Brennu­Njáls saga, einar ólafur Sveinsson, ed., 280. Njal’s Saga, translation by C.f.
Bayerschmidt and L. M. Hollander, 219.
63 William Ian Miller, “justifying Skarphéðinn,” Scandinavian Studies 55 (1983): 316–344.
An etHoS In tRAnSfoRMAtIon