Combat in Saga Literature Traces of martial arts in medieval Iceland Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Doktor der Philosophie in der Philosophischen Fakultät der Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen vorgelegt von Sixt Wetzler aus Freiburg im Breisgau 2017 1 Gedruckt mit Genehmigung der Philosophischen Fakultät der Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Dekan: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leonhardt Hauptberichterstatterin: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Gropper Mitberichterstatter: Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Heizmann (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 17. Januar 2017 Tübingen, Universitätsbibliothek, TOBIAS-lib 2 For those who taught me: Brigitta Burkard Burkhard Gladigow Stefanie Gropper Mario Sammarco Uli Weidle 3 Content 1. Introduction.....................................................................................................................................7 1.1.On (medieval) violence.............................................................................................................8 1.2. Research on combat in medieval European literature...........................................................14 1.3. Research on combat in Old Norse literature..........................................................................17 1.4. A threefold approach towards combat in Old Norse literature..............................................24 2. The problem of genre and the concept of a ‘mode of combat’......................................................27 3. Sword and lance: The ‘knightly mode of combat’........................................................................31 3.1. Different perspectives on combat: Ívens saga and foreign literature.....................................34 a)Yvain against the Keeper of the Fountain.............................................................................35 b)The battle against Count Aliers.............................................................................................38 c)Yvain versus his friend Gawain............................................................................................41 d)Conclusion............................................................................................................................44 3.2. Old Norse renderings of southern martial techniques: the original riddarasögur..................45 a)Physical force and social hierarchy.......................................................................................45 b)The four building blocks.......................................................................................................51 (i): Mounted attack with the lance........................................................................................51 (ii): Mounted close quarter fighting with sword and shield.................................................54 (iii): Close quarter fighting with sword and shield on foot..................................................54 (iv): Mass battle....................................................................................................................55 c)Repetitiveness in combat manoeuvres and types of wounds................................................56 d)Composition principles of the ‘knightly mode of combat’...................................................61 4. Appetite for destruction: The ‘adventurous mode of combat’.......................................................66 4.1. The saga of Egill the one-handed and Ásmundr the berserk-slayer......................................66 a)Two non-chivalrous princes..................................................................................................67 b)Heroes vs. vikings and berserks............................................................................................69 c)Heroes vs. undead and giants................................................................................................71 d)Composition principles of the ‘adventurous mode of combat’.............................................75 4.2. Comparison: Bósa saga ok Herrauðs.....................................................................................76 a)No ‘knightly mode of combat’..............................................................................................76 b)No interest in mass battles....................................................................................................77 c)The ‘adventurous mode of combat’ applied..........................................................................78 4.3. Intention and audience of the ‘adventurous mode of combat’...............................................80 5. Courage and death: The heroic mode of combat...........................................................................82 5.1. Combat without action...........................................................................................................82 5.2. The psychological dimension of violence..............................................................................84 5.3. Combat descriptions in Vǫlsunga saga..................................................................................87 a)One against many..................................................................................................................87 b)Fighting techniques...............................................................................................................87 c)Blood and wounds.................................................................................................................88 5.4. Cruelty and death...................................................................................................................89 5.5.Composition principles of the ‘heroic mode of combat’........................................................90 a)Comparison: Hálfs saga ok hálfsrekka..................................................................................90 5.6. Sigurðr, the almost-riddari.....................................................................................................92 5.7. Literary intention of the ‘heroic mode of combat’................................................................95 6. An interim result............................................................................................................................97 7. With point and edge: The ‘factual mode of combat’.....................................................................99 7.1. The problem of ‘realism’.......................................................................................................99 7.2. Martial arts: European tradition, living Asian systems, and Iceland...................................102 4 7.3. A first approach towards the ‘factual mode of combat’.......................................................111 a)Gunnarr and Kolskeggr at Knafahólar................................................................................112 b)The fight on the ice.............................................................................................................123 c)Patterns of the ‘factual mode of combat’ as presented in Njáls saga – preliminary assessment...............................................................................................................................126 7.4. The combat scenes of Njáls saga.........................................................................................128 a)A systematic overview........................................................................................................128 The battle at the alþingi......................................................................................................135 The Battle of Clontarf.........................................................................................................137 Weapons used in Njáls saga...............................................................................................138 Location and type of wounds.............................................................................................141 b)Narrative functions of the combat scenes...........................................................................147 Gunnar (and Kolskeggr).....................................................................................................148 Skarpheðinn (and the two Hǫskuldrs)................................................................................151 Kári.....................................................................................................................................170 The triad of dominant warriors...........................................................................................176 The battle at the alþingi......................................................................................................179 Þangbrandr..........................................................................................................................186 Berserks and ship battles....................................................................................................189 The Battle of Clontarf.........................................................................................................194 Narrative functions – conclusions......................................................................................196 c)Realistic descriptions of combative movements in Njáls saga...........................................198 Combat in (CS 2, 3, 4): The Þjóstólfr episode...................................................................200