Gripla - 20.12.2017, Side 122

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outlaws as (potentially) monstrous if one accepts that the monstrosity
explored in the Íslendingasögur is a social monstrosity, and that it is not a
fixed concept but a continuum of degrees. outlaws are not as disturbing
or as disruptive as revenants, but that does not mean that they are not
perceived as monstrous, as dólgr or troll, in the eyes of the society that can-
not fully contain them. Having thus addressed the familiar monsters, the
outlaws of the Íslendingasögur, I will turn to their families. families have an
immense impact on the marginalisation process of a potentially monstrous
character – they are the ones that can either keep him closer to or push him
further away from society, and both patterns can be observed.
the Monsters and the families: Mutual Disruption
Gísla saga presents the clearest example for my investigation since its focus
lies exclusively on Gísli and his family. the basis of this discussion will be
the longer S version of the saga, since its more detailed norwegian prelude
provides interesting insights into Gísli’s family and a more nuanced read-
ing of Gísli’s character than the shorter M version.87 The most significant
of these insights is the fact that Gísli himself does not seem to have a prob-
lem with Þórdís’s suitor, who in this version is called Kolbeinn, visiting
the farm. His father Þorbjǫrn, however, seems to be so severely displeased
with the potential damage these visits might cause the family honour, that
he resorts to goading: Þá tekr Þorbjǫrn til orða,‘[…] meylig hefir orðit tiltekjan
þín […]. Nú er þat mikit at vita á gamals aldri at eiga þá sonu, er eigi þykkir meiri
karlmennska yfir en þar sé konur aðrar.’ […] Nennir Gísli nú eigi lengr at heyra
á hrakyrði hans ok gengr fram [Þorbjǫrn then said, “[…] Girlish have your do-
ings become […]. It is important to know in one’s old age that one has the
kind of sons who do not seem to be manlier than women.” […] Gísli could
not stand to listen to his foul language any longer and left].88 It is only after
this incitement and several attempts at convincing Kolbeinn to stop visit-
87 On the different versions of Gísla saga, see Þórður Ingi Guðjónsson, “Editing the three
Versions of Gísla saga Súrssonar,” and Emily Lethbridge, “Gísla saga Súrssonar: textual
Variation, Editorial Constructions and Critical Interpretations,” both in Creating the
Medieval Saga: Versions, Variability and Editorial Interpretations of Old Norse Saga Literature,
eds. Judy Quinn and Emily Lethbridge (odense: university of Southern Denmark Press,
2010) 105–21 and 123–52.
88 “Gísla saga,” ed. Loth, 11.