Iceland review - 2016, Page 44

42 ICELAND REVIEW
It’s a sunny summer’s day in a lush
valley, Sælingsdalur in West Iceland.
Two horses, sweaty from a fast ride,
graze peacefully by the banks of the
steaming hot spring Sælingsdalslaug at
Laugar. Best friends and sworn brothers
Kjartan Ólafsson and Bolli Þorleiksson
are soaking in the natural pool along
with local farmer’s daughter Guðrún
Ósvífursdóttir. Stunningly beautiful,
witty and clever, she’s the object of their
“Though I treated him worst, I loved him best.” – Who was Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir,
the heroine of Laxdæla Saga, who were the men who desired her, and what lies
behind one of the most famous quotes from the Icelandic sagas?
BY EYGLÓ SVALA ARNARSDÓTTIR.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY FREYDÍS KRISTJÁNSDÓTTIR.
affection. The two friends are destined
to compete for her love. All are destined
for sorrow.
FEMININE PERSPECTIVE
If love is a central theme in any of the
Icelandic sagas, it’s Laxdæla saga. Set in
Laxárdalur valley in the Dalir region of
West Iceland, Laxdæla (as it’s also called)
is unusual on many accounts: not only
OF LOVE AND
MURDER
is the focus on love, rather than feud
and power struggles (although these are
also included in the story), but the main
protagonist, Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, is a
woman. The story is told from her per-
spective and it’s her fate—introduced at
the beginning as four ominous dreams—
that drives it.
The author of Laxdæla is unknown,
as with most of the sagas, but histori-
ans have argued that, given its theme