Gripla - 20.12.2017, Blaðsíða 128

GRIPLA128
[the brothers parted in friendship and never met again].106 This formula
of tragedy is then repeated later on during his mother’s last words to him:
‘Nú fari þit þar synir mínir tveir, ok mun ykkarr samdauði tegask, […] mun ek
hvárigan ykkarn sjá sinni síðan’ [“Go now my two sons, and the same death
will await you, […] I will see neither of you ever again”].107 Despite the
main concern of Grettis saga being the social interactions of its protagonist,
such scenes bring the family of the outlaw back into the focus of narrative
attention, and this continues after Grettir’s death when Þorsteinn avenges
him in Constantinople.
Like Gísla saga, Harðar saga never shifts its attention far away from
family matters, and while its focus is less narrow, the main conflicts stay
in the family. torfi’s involvement in Hörðr’s problems with auðr triggers
the rage in which Hörðr kills auðr and burns down his farm,108 and Torfi
then prosecutes the case against Hörðr that leads to him being outlawed.
Later, it is the fact that his in-laws are involved in the local farmers’ stand
against his outlaw band that leads Hörðr to propose such monstrous deeds
as burning his own relatives in their house. Like Gísli, he is the disruptive
element in his family, turning against his affinal kin and thus severing their
ties of obligation with him.
family relationships, both vertical and horizontal, therefore contribute
to the outlaw’s gradual movement away from society. His marginalisation
process is initiated or accelerated by paternal involvement, either in the
form of emotional abuse, neglect, or goading, but maternal influence is not
always beneficial either. Brothers and sisters, supposed sources of stabil-
ity, have the power to help their outlawed siblings but often choose not to
get involved, or even actively turn against their brothers. Meanwhile, the
outlaw’s presence puts immense strain on all relationships, fragmenting al-
ready broken families, endangering his kin, and asking more of them than
they can give. the families of the outlaw sagas are broken and disrupted,
106 Grettis saga, 138.
107 Ibid., 223.
108 Harðar saga, 56: Hörðr mælti: ‘Þú hefir þat illa gert at rægja okkr Torfa saman, ok nú skaltu þess
gjalda.’ Hann brá þá sverðinu Sótanaut ok hjó Auð sundr í tvá hluti ok húskarl hans. Svá var
Hörðr þá reiðr orðinn, at hann brenndi bæinn ok allt andvirkit ok tvær kvinnur, er eigi vildu út
ganga [Hörðr said, “You have done ill to slanderously set torfi and me against each other,
and you will pay for this.” He then drew his sword Sótanaut and clove auðr in two and
also his servant man. Hörðr had become so angry that he burned down the farm and all the
implements and two women, who did not want to go outside].