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Kári Sölmundarson
Kári Sölmundarson ( Modern Icelandic: ; Old Norse: ) was a Hebridean viking and soldier of fortune who lived in the late tenth and early eleventh centuries. He is a major character in '' Njál's Saga''. Kári was the son of Solmund, who was the son of Thorbjorn "Jarl's Champion," an Icelander exiled before the establishment of the Althing for murder. Early career It is unknown where Kári was born (though possibly Iceland). He was, however, a hirdman of Sigurd the Stout, jarl of Orkney. He came to the rescue of Helgi Njálsson and Grim Njálsson, the sons of Njáll Þorgeirsson of Bergthorshvoll, Iceland in the 990's. The brothers, who were on a trading expedition to the British Isles, had come under attack by the vikings Snaekolf and Grjotgard Mordansson. After killing the raiders, Kári brought the Njálssons to Orkney, where they stayed for a time at Jarl Sigurd's court and fought in his campaigns in northern and central Scotland. Kári came to the aid of Helgi and G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snorri Goði
Snorri Þorgrímsson (Old Norse: ; Modern Icelandic: ) or Snorri Goði (O.N.: ; M.I.: ; 963–1031) was a prominent chieftain in Western Iceland, who featured in a number of Icelandic sagas. The main source of his life is the '' Eyrbyggja saga'', in which he is the main character, although he also figures prominently in '' Njál's saga'' and the '' Laxdæla saga''. Snorri was the nephew of Gísli Súrsson, the hero of ''Gísla saga'', and son of Þorgrímr Þorsteinsson whom Gísli killed in revenge to fulfill a blood-oath. ''Eyrbyggja Saga'' says of him "He was a very shrewd man with unusual foresight, a long memory and a taste for vengeance. To his friends he gave good counsel, but his enemies learned to fear the advice he gave." ''Njál's saga'' says of him "Snorri was reckoned the wisest man in Iceland, not counting those who were prescient". Background of sources The main sources of Snorri's life are the semi-historical Icelandic sagas. Historiographically, the dist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quickfire
Arson in medieval Scandinavia (Old Norse ''hús-brenna ''or ''hús-bruni, ''"house-burning") was a technique sometimes employed in blood feuds and political conflicts in order to assassinate someone. In committing arson, a group of attackers would set fire to the home of an opponent, sometimes by quickly and surreptitiously piling wood, brush and other combustible materials against the exterior of a dwelling and set it on fire. Typically the attackers would surround the house to prevent the escape of its inhabitants, although women, the elderly, and small children were sometimes allowed to leave.''Njal's Saga'' § 129. In Iceland Under Icelandic law as codified in the Gragas, quickfire could be punished by death only if the arsonists were killed in the act. However, if captured alive the arsonists had to be tried and sentenced to outlawry, even if they were ''thralls''. Failure to observe these formalities could result in the killer of quickfire-arsonists being prosecuted himsel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted, injured, or otherwise wronged by another. Intense feelings of resentment trigger an initial retribution, which causes the other party to feel greatly aggrieved and vengeful. The dispute is subsequently fuelled by a long-running cycle of retaliatory violence. This continual cycle of provocation and retaliation usually makes it extremely difficult to end the feud peacefully. Feuds can persist for generations and may result in extreme acts of violence. They can be interpreted as an extreme outgrowth of social relations based in family honor. Until the early modern period, feuds were considered legitimate legal instruments and were regulated to some degree. For example, Montenegrin cu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χριστός), a translation of the Biblical Hebrew term ''mashiach'' (מָשִׁיחַ) (usually rendered as ''messiah'' in English). While there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict, they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance. The term ''Christian'' used as an adjective is descriptive of anything associated with Christianity or Christian churches, or in a proverbial sense "all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like." It does not have a meaning of 'of Christ' or 'related or pertaining to Christ'. According to a 2011 Pew Research Center survey, there were 2.2 billion Christians around the world in 2010, up from about 600 million in 1910. Today, about 37% of all Christians live in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skarphéðinn Njálsson
Skarphéðinn Njálsson ( Modern Icelandic: ; Old Norse: ) was a semi-legendary Icelander who may have lived in the 10th century. He is known as a character in ''Njáls saga'', a medieval Icelandic saga which describes a process of blood feuds. The saga is now believed to have been composed in Iceland during the period from 1270 to 1290. The eldest son of Njáll Þorgeirsson and Bergþóra Skarphéðinsdóttir, he grew up at Bergþórshvoll in Rangárvallasýsla. The saga describes a series of feuds involving friends of Njáll and later also Njáll and his sons. Skarphéðinn is described as hardy and skilled warrior but also as an ill-tempered and sharp tongued man whose insults of potential allies at the althing ends up isolating the Njáll and his family, leading to their demise as they are burned by their enemies inside their home at Bergþórshvoll. Biography At first the feud is fueled by the anger of Hallgerður Höskuldsdóttir, wife of Njáll's friend Gunnarr, who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
