Gripla - 20.12.2016, Page 108

GRIPLA108
7. Mapping Skirmishes
With this understanding of the landscape in mind, certain other features
of the text begin to make more sense. for instance, the various battles,
which may seem frustratingly repetitive and inconclusive to some readers,
have a geographic sensibility to them that helps explain why certain battles
turn out the way they do. Within Skagafjörður, Þórður seems unwilling
to kill his primary opponent (though he is willing to kill his companions).
this pattern starts the first time Þórður leaves Miðfjörður and is entering
Skagafjörður at its western boundary, arnastapi. although Þórður’s quick
temper and fast sword were emphasized in the killings of Jón, auðólfur,
and ormur just a few chapters earlier, we suddenly find him here sparing
the life of ormur’s blood brother, Indriði, taking him to get healed, and
becoming friends. there is nothing in the set up to the incident to suggest
such a change of heart; rather, it has all the markings of a major battle since
Þórður falls asleep and dreams of “ófriðarfylgjur” just before it occurs.53
the geographic motivation for the change in character is apparent
when comparing the skirmish with Indriði against the skirmish with Sörli
towards the end of the saga. Both opponents are merchants who have
links to ormur, whom Þórður killed early in the saga.54 They also stand
out from all the other skirmishes in the saga because, unlike the strife
with Skeggi and Özurr that plays out over multiple encounters, these are
single, decisive incidents. In both cases, when the merchants arrive by ship
to Iceland and hear of Þórður’s killing of ormur, they immediately set out
across the landscape in search of Þórður. In both cases, Þórður is coinci-
dentally heading himself across the landscape in their direction, and they
meet out on the heath. In both cases, they ask each others’ names, realize
they are enemies, and then Þórður goads them into attacking him by saying
they will not get a better chance to avenge their comrade ormur. In both
cases, Þórður makes a statement afterwards that they were incredibly val-
iant opponents. However, in the case of Indriði, Þórður decides not to kill
him, and instead takes him to get healed, while in the case of Sörli, Þórður
does not hesitate to kill him. There is no good motivation for Þórður to
53 “Þórðar saga hreðu,” 195.
54 Indriði is described as a business partner and blood-brother to ormur, whereas Sörli is
described as an uncle (föðurbróður) or foster brother (fóstbroður) in the manuscripts.