Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1992, Síða 40

38
Robert Cook
10. Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir takes advantage of the stipulations for her first
marriage and insists that her husband Þorvaldur buy expensive jewelry for
her; when Þorvaldur slaps her, she divorces herself from him - with advice
from Þórður Ingunnarson on how to do so (ch. 34).
11. Guðrún repays the favor by suggesting to Þórður how he can get
divorced from Auður (and thus be free to marry her). Although Ósvífur
performs the nominal function of permitting the marriage, it is clearly
Guðrún’s engineering that brings it about (ch. 35).
12. Auður takes revenge on Þórður by wearing trousers, riding a horse,
and striking him with a sword (ch. 35).
13. Ingibjörg, the sister of Ólafur Tryggvason, gives Kjartan a motur
(head-dress) to give to Guðrún, whom she expects Kjartan to marry (ch. 43).
14. Kjartan’s sister Þuríður advises him to marry Hrefna, and he does (ch.
45).
15. At a feast at Hjarðarholt, Guðrún asks Hrefna to show her the head-
dress; Kjartan is opposed, but Guðrún has her way (ch. 46).
16. Guðrún steals (or has her brother Þórólfur steal) the sword which had
been given to Kjartan by King Ólafur (ch. 46).
17. Þorgerður Egilsdóttir (Kjartan’s mother) persuades Hrefna, against
her will, to take her head-dress to the feast at Laugar (ch. 46).
18. Guðrún steals the head-dress (ch. 46).
19. First Þórhalla málga (ch. 47) and then Guðrún (ch. 48) whet the
Ósvífurssynir and Bolli to slay Kjartan. Note also the role that Auður plays
in insisting that Kjartan travel with strong companions (ch. 48).
20. Þorgerður whets Halldór Ólafsson to slay Þorkell á Hafratindum,
who had witnessed the slaying of Kjartan and spoke demeaningly of
Kjartan’s bravery (ch. 52).
21. Þorgerður whets Halldór to take action against Bolli for the slaying of
Kjartan (ch. 53).
22. Þorgerður insists on accompanying her sons and their companions, to
make sure that they carry out the slaying of Bolli (chs. 54-55).
23. Guðrún arranges to meet Snorri goði to plan vengeance for Bolli (ch.
59).
24. Guðrún, displaying Bolli’s bloodied clothing, whets her sons
Þorleikur and Bolli to take vengeance for their father (ch. 60).
25. Guðrún swears an ambiguous oath to Þorgils Hölluson, promising
marriage if he will lead her sons in the attack against Helgi Harðbeinsson
(ch. 60).
26. At her wedding feast, Guðrún gets the upper hand over her fourth
husband Þorkell Eyjólfsson in the matter of giving shelter to Gunnar
Þiðrandabani (ch. 69).
This list makes it obvious that it is the deeds of women that constitute the
central plot of Laxdæla saga: the settlement and establishment of the line that