19. “冰岛国宝”尼雅尔萨迦① | Njáls Saga: a modern retelling①

LucaDI:thanks for marking that sentence! yes, the servant is someone who is not, because their identity is not a about being but doing. I wanted to create a contrast between them and the entering of the queen, who IS. I planned 5 chapters, each from a different perspective. first is a nameless servant, the second will be... surprise ;) . but I also organized the retelling so that several PoVs overlap, their content entangled with one another. we're adding the text as well, we realized the English might be a bit harsh without subs

林栖谷隐_Tu:That line—“No one is”—haunted me too. The servant’s identity being rooted in doing rather than being… it’s devastating once you realize how many lives—fictional and real—are built like that. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the perspectives entangle across chapters. Also: thank you for the storm that is Gunnhildr.😄

LucaDI:Hats off to you! That was quite a long text to get through, and you’re absolutely on the mark. One of the big underlying themes is the transition from the “old” Norse traditions and values to the “new” religion, with all the frictions that come with it. That’s definitely something we’ll be picking up in the next episode (we’re finally recording another!). The legal battle you mention is a perfect example of what makes Icelandic culture so distinctive. When you line these 'epic' traditions up, what really stands out (to us) is how each culture seems to elebrate cleverness in its own way. In Homer, it’s all about cunning and oratory, Odysseus tricking his way through impossible odds being the best and most known example. In the Irish material (Fionn cycle, the one I'm most familiar with but there is so much there to read) cleverness shows up in the power of words themselves. Poetic contests, lots of satire, and especially riddles woven from metaphorical language. That part especially fascinates me, since I’ve studied metaphor as a tool in philosophy for expressing what lies beyond straightforward description. And in the Icelandic sagas, wit so often takes the form of legal argument, where sharpness of mind is tested in disputes and arbitration. That’s one of the angles we’ll be highlighting in the episode. For my part, I’ve been rewriting the very start of the saga: Hrút sailing to Norway to claim his brother’s estate, and of course the infamous curse from Queen Gunnhild. Honestly, it’s more of a divertissement than anything too serious, a way to come back to the material with fresh eyes. Sorry for the long reply, but I really enjoyed your comment. Hopefully we can keep this conversation going, maybe even in person at our first upcoming live show!