![]() ![]() The work is anonymous, although there has been extensive speculation on the author's identity. Gunnar's wife, Hallgerðr langbrók, instigates a feud that leads to the death of many characters over several decades including the killing by fire of the eponymous "Burnt Njáll". ![]() The principal characters in the saga are the friends Njáll Þorgeirsson, a lawyer and a sage, and Gunnar Hámundarson, a formidable warrior. ![]() It is disputed whether this reflects a fatalistic outlook on the part of the author. Another characteristic of the narrative is the presence of omens and prophetic dreams. Insults where a character's manhood is called into question are especially prominent and may reflect an author critical of an overly restrictive ideal of masculinity. The saga deals with a process of blood feuds in the Icelandic Commonwealth, showing how the requirements of honor could lead to minor slights spiralling into destructive and prolonged bloodshed. ![]()
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