Gunnar Hámundarson ( Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈkʏnːar ˈhauːˌmʏntarˌsɔːn] ) was a 10th-century Icelandic chieftain . He lived in Hlíðarendi in Fljótshlíð and is probably better known as Gunnar of Hlíðarendi ( Old Norse : Gunnarr á Hlíðarenda ). He features prominently in the first half of Njáls saga , which tells of the chain of events ultimately leading to his death in battle.
21-522: He was married to Hallgerðr Höskuldsdóttir of Höskuldsstaðir in Laxárdal in Dalasýsla , who was known as Hallgerðr langbrók ("Hallgerður longpants"). He was her third husband. It was said that she had killed both her former husbands, but she had in fact only killed the first. Their marriage was considered imprudent by Gunnar's friend Njáll Þorgeirsson , because it was caused by lust and not practicality. Gunnar
42-519: A few other grudge-bearing men were scouting around Gunnar's house, Gunnar woke up and stabbed Þorgrim through a gap with his atgeir . Þorgrim returned calmly to his comrades, who asked if Gunnar was home. “Find that out for yourselves, but I am sure of, that his atgeir is home,” he said, and then fell down dead. At first, Gunnar managed to fight off his numerous attackers with his masterful archery. When his bowstring broke in close quarters combat, he asked his wife Hallgerður for hair from her head to mend
63-403: A man named Hallgrímur, while on a Viking raid to the island of Eysýsla ( Saaremaa in present-day Estonia - see detailed account on that page). Gunnar was also a skilful stone-thrower, able to hit enemies between the eyes from meters away, and an excellent swimmer. There was supposedly no game at which he had an equal. He was said to enjoy the features of life, being a drinker. His behaviour
84-453: Is Glúmr Olafsson, with whom she has a daughter, Þorgerðr. After Glúmr slaps her, Þjóstólfr also kills him, against Hallgerðr’s wishes. Her third husband is Gunnar Hámundarson , a major protagonist of Njáls saga , whom she meets at the Althing . They have two sons, Högni and Grani. Hallgerðr is one of the main instigators in the saga’s central feud between Gunnar and Njáll Þorgeirsson . Although
105-455: Is described as beautiful, with hair “so long that it could veil her whole body.” She is tall, resulting in her nickname longbrók (‘long breeches’). Her personality is “impetuous and wilful.” She is said to have been negatively influenced by her violent and intransigent foster-father, Þjóstólfr. Part of the saga follows Hallgerðr’s multiple marriages. First, she is unwillingly married to Þorvaldr Osvifsson; Þjóstólfr kills him. Her second husband
126-470: Is to be understood according to the description given by Hrútr before her marriage: it is 'very mixed,' with 'potential for honour or disgrace.' Hallgerðr ('Hallgerd') was voiced by Lisa Hammond on the BBC Radio 3 drama The Saga of Burnt Njal , adapted by Hattie Naylor , in 2021. Gunnar H%C3%A1mundarson Gunnar Hámundarson ( Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈkʏnːar ˈhauːˌmʏntarˌsɔːn] )
147-457: The White, the family sought vengeance and the men set out to Hlíðarendi to do murder. Njáll advised Gunnar to leave Iceland and head abroad to escape them. Initially, Gunnar intended to depart, but when he saw his homestead from the distance, he was so moved by the beauty of it that he changed his mind and decided to remain behind. This led to the epic battle in which Gunnar was killed. When Þorgrim and
168-487: The bow. Gunnar had slapped her previously, when he discovered his wife had stolen food from a nearby farm during a famine, and she vindictively refused. He was thus forced to confront his attackers in hand-to-hand combat and was killed as a result. Hallger%C3%B0r H%C3%B6skuldsd%C3%B3ttir Hallgerðr Höskuldsdóttir was a 10th-century Icelandic woman and is a major character in Njáls saga . According to Landnámabók , she
189-582: The epic battle in which Gunnar was killed. When Þorgrim and a few other grudge-bearing men were scouting around Gunnar's house, Gunnar woke up and stabbed Þorgrim through a gap with his atgeir . Þorgrim returned calmly to his comrades, who asked if Gunnar was home. “Find that out for yourselves, but I am sure of, that his atgeir is home,” he said, and then fell down dead. At first, Gunnar managed to fight off his numerous attackers with his masterful archery. When his bowstring broke in close quarters combat, he asked his wife Hallgerður for hair from her head to mend
210-481: The same family — this would lead to his death. Njáll's prediction proved right. When Gunnar killed two family members of Gissur the White, the family sought vengeance and the men set out to Hlíðarendi to do murder. Njáll advised Gunnar to leave Iceland and head abroad to escape them. Initially, Gunnar intended to depart, but when he saw his homestead from the distance, he was so moved by the beauty of it that he changed his mind and decided to remain behind. This led to
231-570: The time that he slapped her in a dispute over stolen provisions, Hallgerðr refuses, and Gunnar is killed. After the death of her third husband, Hallgerðr settles at Grjotár with her son Grani. Hallgerðr has received critical attention as the instigator of the main feud in Njáls saga . Maxwell repeatedly stresses her role as 'the root of evil' and 'the cause of evil', while Dronke understands her behaviour as 'her response to progressive disappointment in marital life.' For Clark and Hamer, Hallgerðr's nature
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#1732868810467252-443: The two men try to settle the feud with compensation, Hallgerðr and Njáll’s wife Bergþóra Skarphéðinsdóttir make a series of escalating retaliatory strikes against each other, sending people to murder members of each other’s households. Finally, Gunnar is besieged in his house after breaking the terms of his outlawry. Gunnar, defending himself with a bow, asks Hallgerðr for a strand of her hair to repair his bowstring. Reminding him of
273-517: Was a 10th-century Icelandic chieftain . He lived in Hlíðarendi in Fljótshlíð and is probably better known as Gunnar of Hlíðarendi ( Old Norse : Gunnarr á Hlíðarenda ). He features prominently in the first half of Njáls saga , which tells of the chain of events ultimately leading to his death in battle. He was married to Hallgerðr Höskuldsdóttir of Höskuldsstaðir in Laxárdal in Dalasýsla , who
294-435: Was a god-like warrior — he is described as nearly invincible in combat. According to Njáls saga, he was a powerful, athletic man "capable of jumping his own height in full body armour, both back and front". He was a skilled archer , and in close combat his weapon of choice was the atgeir , which scholars consider to have been a halberd or glaive of some sort. He was said to have taken this famed weapon in battle from
315-488: Was a powerful, athletic man "capable of jumping his own height in full body armour, both back and front". He was a skilled archer , and in close combat his weapon of choice was the atgeir , which scholars consider to have been a halberd or glaive of some sort. He was said to have taken this famed weapon in battle from a man named Hallgrímur, while on a Viking raid to the island of Eysýsla ( Saaremaa in present-day Estonia - see detailed account on that page). Gunnar
336-484: Was also a skilful stone-thrower, able to hit enemies between the eyes from meters away, and an excellent swimmer. There was supposedly no game at which he had an equal. He was said to enjoy the features of life, being a drinker. His behaviour was always polite, but firm — he gave good advice, and was kind and mild, yet he was not thought of as an intelligent man because of his way of talking. However, Gunnar's wise insights and deep understanding strongly suggested that he
357-429: Was always polite, but firm — he gave good advice, and was kind and mild, yet he was not thought of as an intelligent man because of his way of talking. However, Gunnar's wise insights and deep understanding strongly suggested that he was as smart as he was handsome. He was loyal to his friends and kept good company. Gunnar has been called "handsome and beautiful of skin and had a straight nose, turned up at its tip. He
378-506: Was as smart as he was handsome. He was loyal to his friends and kept good company. Gunnar has been called "handsome and beautiful of skin and had a straight nose, turned up at its tip. He was blue-eyed and keen-eyed and ruddy-cheeked with thick lustrous hair, blond and well-combed." He was described as the most beautiful man in the world, and as having no equal. Gunnar was a close friend of Njáll Þorgeirsson of Bergþórshvol and came to him often for advice. Njáll told him not to kill two men of
399-452: Was blue-eyed and keen-eyed and ruddy-cheeked with thick lustrous hair, blond and well-combed." He was described as the most beautiful man in the world, and as having no equal. Gunnar was a close friend of Njáll Þorgeirsson of Bergþórshvol and came to him often for advice. Njáll told him not to kill two men of the same family — this would lead to his death. Njáll's prediction proved right. When Gunnar killed two family members of Gissur
420-432: Was known as Hallgerðr langbrók ("Hallgerður longpants"). He was her third husband. It was said that she had killed both her former husbands, but she had in fact only killed the first. Their marriage was considered imprudent by Gunnar's friend Njáll Þorgeirsson , because it was caused by lust and not practicality. Gunnar was a god-like warrior — he is described as nearly invincible in combat. According to Njáls saga, he
441-652: Was the daughter of Höskuld Dala-Kollson and the sister or half-sister of Þorleikr, Olaf the Peacock , Helgi, Þúriðr and Þorgerðr. Her nickname there is snúinbrók (‘twisted breeches’). Hallgerðr is the daughter of Höskuld, living at Höskuldstaðir in Laxárdal . Her mother is absent from the narrative, but it is mentioned that she has a maternal uncle who is a sorcerer. When she is a child, her uncle Hrútr predicts that many will suffer because of her beauty and offends her father by saying that she has “thief’s eyes”. As an adult, she
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