Chaos and Love: The Philosophy of Icelandic Family Sagas [Hardcover]

Thomas Bredsdorff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2001

The Icelandic Family Sagas - major medieval prose epics such as Egil's Saga, Laxdaela Saga, Njal's Saga, Hrafnkel's Saga - present detailed sophisticated images of a society in which man acts and suffers the consequences of his actions - or has them visited upon others. Feuds rage and disaster triumphs. Chaos and Love introduces the reader to a number of such narratives, studies the notions of guilt and causes embedded in them, and, as a result of the study, suggests that reckless erotic desire, is often at the root of the evil. When love is practiced within the boundaries set by family and tradition, peace prevails. When love is pursued as a means of individual satisfaction, regardless of the views of others, disaster prevails. The rules of society, notably the rules of feud, designed to balance competing forces, tend rather to aggravate the disasters, sometimes, as in Laxdaela and Njala, to the extent that only Christian divine grace can restore the peace.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Danish

About the Author

Dr Thomas Bredsdorff is professor of Scandinavian Literature, Head of the Department of Nordic Philology, University of Copenhagen. He has published numerous books and articles on Danish and Nordic literature.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Museum Tusculanum Press (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8772895705
• ISBN-13: 978-8772895703
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,912,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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