Gripla - 20.12.2017, Page 127

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tragic tensions are epitomised in the conversation between Hörðr and his
in-laws, moments before Hörðr’s death:
Hörðr mælti þá: ‘Heldr fast bindr þú nú, mágr.’ Indriði svarar: ‘Þat
kenndir þú mér, þá er þú vildir mik inni brenna.’ Illugi mælti til Indriða:
‘Eigi á Hörðr þó góða mágana, enda hefir hann illa til gert.’ Indriði
svarar: ‘Löngu hefir hann því fyrirgert, at nökkurar tengdir sé við hann
virðandi.’ 105
[Hörðr said then, “You are binding me rather tightly now, in-law.”
Indriði replied, “You taught me so when you wanted to burn me
in my house.” Illugi said to Indriði, “Hörðr does not have good in-
laws, even if he deserves ill.” Indriði replied, “Long ago he forfeited
that we honour any ties with him.”]
Indriði comments in particular on Hörðr’s actions and their effect on his
relationship with his brothers-in-law. again, it is important to note this fo-
cus on actions and the way they are perceived by those concerned – a focus
on interaction and impact that has already been observed more gener ally
in the context of these characters’ monstrosity. another significant as-
pect in both Gísla saga and Harðar saga is fictive brotherhood, meant to
stabilise relationships between men, but in both sagas it fails to do so,
leading directly to the development of tensions that result in the complete
breakdown of stability.
the most significant familial struggle, however, arises from the issues
entailed by outlawry. above, I referred to Þorkell’s failure or unwilling-
ness to help his brother to the extent which Gísli would expect, but this
is only part of the problem. Gísli’s outlawry is what, as discussed above,
fragments all family ties, and in the end, the only ones who are left are
the women, grieving for their husbands and brothers. Grettis saga paints a
similar picture: while Ásdís is a resilient woman, Grettir’s outlawry robs
her of both her remaining sons. Generally, Grettis saga has a pointed and
very tragic way of depicting the consequences of having an outlaw in the
family, even if the members of that family are not disrupted by a quarrel
or feud: when Grettir parts from his half-brother Þorsteinn, it is said that
they never meet again: Skildu þeir brœðr með vináttu ok sáusk aldri síðan
105 Harðar saga, 86.
“HE HaS LonG forfEItED aLL KInSHIP tIES”