Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1994, Page 134

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Marianne Kalinke
family and his relationship to Ketilríður, those involving Hákon are especially
significant. As the most serious rival for the hand of Ketilríður he plays a part that
is essential in most bridal-quest tales. In his role as emissary from Norway he is
the structural device linking the prefatory and main narratives. Hákons appear-
ance in Iceland is generated by his having wooed another woman in Norway. As
soon as Hákon arrives in Iceland, the author has him become involved with
Ketilríður’s brothers, who offer him their sister — “að eiga hana eða takir þú hana
frillutaki” (p. 1968) — in return for lodging. Hákon’s bridal quest for one woman
thus is altered in favor of another. Initially, however, Hákon is still concerned
about murdering Þorgrímur. He informs the brothers of the purpose of his visit
to Iceland, and they concur with his plan: “og bundust nú allir í þessum ráðum”
(p. 1968). In this context, Hákon’s intent is to disgrace Þorgrímur first by raping
his daughter, for when he inquires about Ketilríður’s whereabouts, he informs
both mother and sons “að eg fái hennar vilja sakir vorrar vináttu” (p. 1969).
Consequently, the mother announces to Hólmkell that she wants her daughter
to return home. Hákon’s projected rape thus parallels the earlier attempted rape
by Einar of Þorgrímur’s wife.
Although the father at first prevents contact between Hákon and his daughter,
his resistance begins to wear down after Víglundur and Trausti have killed three
of his men in a scuffle that was initiated, however, by Ketilríður’s brothers (p.
1972). Under continued egging on by one of his sons, Hólmkell finally agrees to
let Hákon marry Ketilríður, but the narrator adds: “lagði hún þar ekki jáorð til”
(p. 1972). For his part, Hákon now decides to stay in Iceland, because he realizes
that he will not succeed in killing Þorgrímur. In bringing Hákon to Iceland, the
author has not only connected the prefatory and main narratives, but has also
introduced an ally for the brothers in their escalating machinations against
Víglundur. These conclude with the deaths of Hákon and Ketilríður’s brothers
on the one hand and the outlawing of Víglundur and Trausti on the other.
The interplay of forestory and narrative proper does not conclude with the
death of Hákon, however, for when news of Hákon’s death reaches the ears of
Ketill of Raumaríki he asks his two sons, Sigurður and Gunnlaugur, to avenge
the death and to kill Þorgrfmur. They hesitate, but finally agree because of their
father’s entreaties. Once more Ketill is to suffer a setback, however, in his attempt
at vengeance, because of an oath each of the two young men has taken. On the
one hand, Sigurður’s oath never to repay good with evil prevents the brothers
from killing Þorgrímur (p. 1975). On the other hand, Gunnlaugur’s oath never
to deny someone passage abroad, if his life depended on it, leads him to grant
passage abroad to Þorgrímur’s sons after they have been outlawed, thereby
effectively saving their lives (p. 1978). When their father Ketill learns whom his
sons have brought back with them, he orders the Icelanders to be seized, but when
Sigurður and Gunnlaugur announce that they wish to share their fate, Ketill
relents.
By means of the confrontation in Norway between Ketill and the sons of his