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Power, Deception, and Lies

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Power, Deception, and Lies Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Viking and Medieval Norse Studies Power, Deception, and Lies A Case Study of Conflict and Social Bonds in Jómsvíkinga saga. Ritgerð til M.A.-prófs í Viking and Medieval Norse Studies Shanly Sullivan Kt.: 311095-3669 Leiðbeinandi: Anita Sauckel May 2019 Abstract In the following thesis, the issue of conflict as it appears in Jómsvíkinga saga is explored in relation to social hierarchy and the roles of members of specific social ranks. Conflict within the saga is intrinsically linked to political power, and thus forms the basis of the social strife portrayed within the saga. The idea of social bonds and the obligations associated with them are explored in relation to achieving political success, mainly through the manipulation of such bonds. I argue that it is this manipulation that forms an underlying motif within the saga and results in both social and political achievement. Whereas the main focus of scholarship on Jómsvíkinga saga has been either that of genre or the origins of the work, in this thesis however, Jómsvíkinga saga will be approached from a cultural studies perspective. This thesis provides an extensive interpretation of the events within the saga, so as to organize an understanding of the differing roles of the differing social classes as they interact and play off one another. With a close reading of Jómsvíkinga saga, one is able to assess the contention that develops as prominent characters from differing social levels interact and vie against one another for success. i Ágrip Rannsókn Jómsvíkinga sögu hefur aðallega verið tengd við uppruna og bókmenntaform; í þessari ritgerð er því fjallað um túlkun sögunnar: Verkefnið snýst um þemaið átök í Jómsvíkinga sögu með tilliti til samfélagslegs stigveldisins og hlutverk manna, sem eru með sérstaka þjóðfélagsstöðu. “Átök” í sögunni eru nátengd við pólitískt vald; þau móta grundvöllin ósættisins eins og lýst er í sögunni. Auk þess eru hugmynd um félagstengsl og skyldur rannsakaðar með tilliti til pólitísks árangurs; í þessu samhengi skiptir baktjaldastjórnun miklu máli. Í ritgerðinni er þess vegna haldið fram að baktjaldastjórnun sé mikilvægt viðfangsefni Jómsvíkinga sögu, sem beri árangur bæði í stjórnmálum og í samfélaginu. ii Acknowledgments Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor Anita Sauckel for her support throughout the writing of this thesis, as well as her role in managing this year’s thesis program. I would also like to thank the professors at the University of Iceland and Aarhus University who were involved with the program and to whom I have gained valuable knowledge from. A special thanks to my fellow VMNs for their support and friendship. Finally, my endless thanks goes to my parents for their constant support and love. iii Contents 1. Introduction …....……………………………………………………………………..1 2. Friendship, Social Order, and Conflict in Jómsvíkinga saga …….……………………4 3. Analyzing Jómsvíkinga saga ...……………………………………………………...17 3.1 Historical Background ..…………………………………………………....17 3.2 Redactions ..………………………………………………………………..20 3.3 Genre …..…………………………………………………………………..21 4. Case Study ……..…………………………………………………………………....24 4.1 A Brother’s Conflict ….…………………………………………………....24 4.2 Jarl Hákon Sigurðarson’s Bid for Power ….………………………………..25 4.3 Jarl Hákon against the Conversion .………………………………………...28 4.4 Fjǫlnir’s Deception ….……………………………………………………..30 4.5 Conflict between Father and Son; Conflict between Foster-Father and Foster-Son…………………………...31 4.6 Conflict between Sveinn’s Liegemen ……………………………………...34 4.7 Conflict between jarlar and bœndr ………………………………………...37 4.8 The Kidnapping of King Sveinn …………………………………………...39 4.9 Oath-Making Vengeance ………………………………………………......43 4.10 A Peasant’s Ticks …………………………………………………………46 5. Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………..…47 Bibliography .…………………………………………………………………………..50 iv 1. Introduction In an early declaration made in Jómsvíkinga saga, it was predicted that there would be missætti stóreflismanna hér innan lands, ok munu þar af gerask stórir bardagar ok mikil styrjǫld, (“a conflict of important men in this land, and from that will come great battles and an age of tumult.”)1 Prominent men of differing social standing vie for power throughout the saga, which consequently ends in conflict. In this thesis, I will examine the relationship between social ranks in Jómsvíkinga saga, particularly the contention that arises when differing social levels compete for power. While it can be said that the overarching theme of Jómsvíkinga saga is conflict between kings and vassals, I will take this idea a step further by looking at what is occurring behind the conflict, which includes both the motivation and the means for stirring up contention. This is marked by duplicity by each level of the social class as they vie for power. I will argue that the repeated plot element of manipulation and duplicity is the main tool used to create conflict and that it is a vital aspect of attaining a position of power within the saga. Scholarship on Jómsvíkinga saga has increased expeditiously within the past few years, however, the main focus has been either the historicity of the saga, mainly based on the location of Jómsborg; or where Jómsvíkinga saga falls into the genres of the sagas. While both areas of scholarship are interesting and offer insight to the saga, it is the aim of this thesis to explore the text of the saga itself and the content presented. Torfi Tulinius has analyzed the saga in this regard, and it is his work that I will rely on when examining the social relations present within the saga.2 The aim of this paper is to discuss the ways in which the differing levels of the social order interact with one another in the saga and the conflict that such interactions can cause. While not all interactions in the saga between differing classes ends in conflict, most do, as will be observed. A careful examination of the social bonds and relationships 1 Jómsvíkinga saga in Jómsvíkinga saga, ed. Þórður Ingi Guðjónsson, Íslenzk fornrit vol. XXXIII. (Reykjavik: Hið íslenska fornritafélag, 2018), 13. Finlay, Alison, and Þórdís Edda Jóhannesdóttir, trans. The Saga of the Jómsvikings: A Translation with Full Introduction. (Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications, 2018), 74. 2 Torfi Tulinius. The Matter of the North: The Rise of Literary Fiction in Thirteenth-century Iceland. (Odense: Odense University Press, 2002), 193–197. 1 between kings and vassals will be carried out to reveal a saga strained with conflict and rife with instances of manipulation and duplicity all for the aim of attaining influence and authority. Each episode will be examined and analyzed in order to understand which levels of the social class were involved; how the social bonds and relationships were affected; the motivations behind each case; and what form, if any, of manipulation took place. Some scholars have simplified Jómsvíkinga saga as just “pure fantasy,”3 or “an entertaining fiction,”4 which is a disservice to the nuances and themes present in the saga. While its primary aim is to entertain, Jómsvíkinga saga offers a deep look at the interplay between social levels and the importance of social bonds and friendship. It deals with the fluidity of power, which is in large part dependent on social networks. As social bonds are formed or destroyed in the saga, so too does the political structure change, as both are constantly in flux.5 Thus, this constant changeability leads the saga to portray “social discourses concerning power,”6 and social bonds formed on the basis of political intrigue. When speaking of medieval social bonds, the notion of friendship cannot be dismissed. Research on friendship in medieval society is divided into two approaches.7 One deals with ethics involved which heavily relys on the spiritual aspect, while studying the function of social networks through intellect and emotions involved in medieval friendship.8 The other studies its political functions, wherein social bonds are constructed as an instrument or tool to be used to form advantageous alliances.9 Both forms of 3 Blake, N. F., trans. The Saga of the Jomsvikings. (London: T. Nelson, 1962), vii. 4 Ólafur Halldórsson. “Jómsvíkinga saga.” Medieval Scandinavia: An Encyclopedia, ed. Phillip J. Pulsiano and Kirsten Wolf. (New York: Garland Publishing, 1993), 344. 5 Hermanson, Lars. “Holy Unbreakable Bonds: Oaths and Friendship in Nordic and Western European Societies, c. 900–1200. Friendship and Social Networks in Scandinavia c.1000–1800, eds. Jón Viðar Sigurðsson, and Thomas Småberg. (Turnhout: Brepols, 2013), 18. 6 Sverrir Jakobsson. “The Territorialization of Power in the Icelandic Commonwealth.” Statsutvikling i Skandinavia i Middelalderen, ed. Sverre Håkon Bagge. (Oslo: Dreyer, 2012), 101. 7 Hermanson, “Holy Unbreakable Bonds,” 15. 8 For more on the spiritual and emotional aspect of medieval friendship see, McGuire, Brian Patrick. Friendship & Community: The Monastic Experience, c. 350–1250. (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1988). 9 Hermanson, “Holy Unbreakable Bonds,” 15. 2 medieval friendship deal with social networks and communication, however, the role of each form vastly differs. While the spiritual approach deals with emotional ties, the political approach is concerned with the creation of social bonds as a method of power, and it is this approach in which this thesis forms its basis.10 10 Hermanson, “Holy Unbreakable Bonds,” 15. 3 2. Friendship, Social Order, and Conflict in Jómsvíkinga saga In the middle ages, one’s political life was heavily shaped
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