Orð og tunga - 2023, Page 20

Ármann Jakobsson: Cursing with trolls in Njáls saga 11
the two aristocratic ladies with somewhat similar names in the same
saga could simply be a coincidence, it is tempting to see these two
scenes as mirroring each other. In the former case, the curse is fuelled
by anger and frustration that is never quenched or satisfied; in the
latter case, there is ultimately reconciliation and harmony. There is
also the difference that lies in Hallgerðr’s having an actual relation­
ship with trolls whereas Valgerðr seemingly has no such connections.
Nevertheless, Björn seems to take the threat more seriously than
Gunnarr. In spite of all his braggadocio, Björn is clearly a somewhat
henpecked husband, scared of his wife, eager to please her, and he
even pleads with Kári to give him a good testimonial. Gunnarr, on the
other hand, ignores his wife, and this leads to no good (Brennu­Njáls
saga 1954:436).
My childhood worries that cursing is potentially dangerous turn
out not to be totally unfounded. Swearing is far from meaningless.
It reflects the world view of the people involved and the culture the
words are uttered in. The culture depicted in Njáls saga is one where
the paranormal has a large presence and great significance. Thus, in­
voking trolls is threatening and sometimes indicative of much wick­
edness to follow. The troll, once summoned, may not actually appear
on the scene, and yet evil spirits hover over the events, infusing them
with a scope far beyond the regional feud taking place.
References
Ármann Jakobsson. 2008. The Trollish Acts of Þorgrímr the Witch: The
Meanings of Troll and Ergi in Medieval Iceland. Saga­Book 32:39–68.
Ármann Jakobsson. 2013. The Taxonomy of the Non­Existent: Some Medi­
eval Icelandic Concepts of the Paranormal. Fabula 54:199–213.
Ármann Jakobsson. 2014. Tradition and the Individual Talent: The ‘Histori­
cal Figure’ in the Medieval Sagas, a Case Study. Viator 45.3:101–124.
Ármann Jakobsson. 2017. The Troll Inside You: Paranormal Activity in the
Medieval North. Punctum Books.
Ármann Jakobsson. 2018. Remnants of Indigenous Beliefs in the Other World
in Saga Literature. In: Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.). Pre­Christian Religions
of the North, Research and Reception, Volume I: From the Middle Ages to c.
1830, pp. 127–136. Turnhout: Brepols.
Ármann Jakobsson. 2021. The Magical Past: The Term Forneskja and the
Christianization of Iceland in 13th and 14th Century Historical Writing.
Filologia Germanica 13, special issue: Magia e testi nelle tradizioni germaniche
medievali: 1–21.
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