Hænsa-Þóris saga
Plot
Hænsa-Þóris saga () is one of the sagas of Icelanders. It tells the story of Hænsa-Thorir, a wealthy but unpopular Icelandic farmholder who refuses his neighbours hay for the winter. When his neighbours take the hay anyway, he burns them alive in their farmstead. A vendetta ensues in which Hænsa-Thorir is killed and beheaded.
Themes
The saga highlights aspects of Icelandic culture, such as hospitality to guests & travelers, (expected) generosity to ones neighbors, and the need to gather support of a chieftain in order to obtain justice. Another theory states that Hænsa-Þóris saga was written in response to a law-change, originating from King Magnus VI of Norway. According to the new law, a farmer was obliged to sell his neighbours hay if they were in great need. If he refused to sell the hay, he had to pay a fine, and if he resisted with force, his neighbours could attack him in turn, without committing a crime. This was a novelty in traditional Icelandic jurisprudence, and seems to have been unpopular. According to this theory, Hænsa-Þóris saga was written as a propaganda in favour of the new law.[1]
Common misinterprations
The name of Hænsa-Þórir is commonly mistaken for "Hænsna-Þórir", unfortunately causing many people to believe that the story is concerned with hens.
References
- ^ Björn Sigfússon: „Staða Hænsa-Þóris sögu í réttarþróun 13. aldar“, Saga III:3 (1962), p. 345-370. Accessible on: www.timarit.is
External links
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