The Story of Burnt Njal: The Great Icelandic Tribune, Jurist, and Counsellor

by George Webbe Dasent

"The Story of Burnt Njal: The Great Icelandic Tribune, Jurist, and Counsellor" is an Icelandic saga written in the thirteenth century. Set between 960 and 1020, this epic tale follows the friendship between Njáll, a wise lawyer, and Gunnar, a fierce warrior, as minor insults spiral into a devastating blood feud spanning fifty years. When Gunnar's wife instigates conflict, the requirements of honor drive worthy people toward destruction, culminating in the infamous burning of Njáll himself. Filled with prophetic dreams and questions of masculinity, the saga reveals how vengeance consumed Iceland's Commonwealth.