ATTITUDES TOWARD VIOLENCE

This research paper examines the role of violence and its restraint in early Scandinavian society and the contrasting attitudes of the early Christians to violence under Roman rule in the early third century A.D. These two societies had diametrically opposed attitudes toward violence and its control.

The Icelandic saga, Gunnlaug Wormtongue, concerns a late 10th century blood feud between young rival suitors, Gunnlaug Wormtongue, the son of Ilugi the Black, a Norse chieftain in Iceland, and Hrafn, the son of Onund, a local high priest, for the hand of the beautiful Helga, daughter of Thorstein Egilsson, another chieftain. Helga is pledged in marriage by her father to both protagonists. Gunnlaug fails to return from his foreign travels within the time specified by her father so Hrafn's later vows take precedence over his. Helga marries Hrafn. Passionately devoted to Helga and she to him, Gunnlaug challenges Hrafn to a fight to the death, which takes place on an island off the Norwegian coast. Both rivals and their cohorts are killed in sword fights. Since Hrafn used trickery to kill Gunnlaug, Gunnlaug's family takes homicidal revenge on the Onunds.

Violence played an important role in early Scandinavian society. It was controlled largely by a strict code of family honor and law at home and by providing outlets for it abroad in the f

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Icelanders had a parliament before England, their Althing, which "depended on a willing acceptance of the concept of law and order in an age of violence" (Magnusson 930). The other way the Norsemen controlled violence was by exporting it. Many explanations have been offered for the devastating raids of the Vikings on the shores of Northern Europe between 800 and 1100, including climactic changes, overpopulation, escape from dynastic struggles at home and thirst for adventure (Churchill 90; Loyn 25). Loyn says that after "two or three generations of prosperous farming a network of kindred relationships would be built up . . . achievement of military prestige would not be readily acquired. Tests of manly strength would result in . . . crimes and wasteful feuds . . . War overseas was more adventurous . . . and . . . much more profitable" (27). A system of primogeniture in land "created a surplus of young men ready to seek fame and fortune outside the country" (Bronsted 25). The Vikings, marauders from Norway and later Denmark, with their great shipbuilding, navigational and martial skills, attracted by prospects for loot, plunder and glory to the south, raped, pillaged and burned. Churchill said these "proud and successful men of
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Onunds Violence, Northern Europe, Emperor Constantine, Icelandic Sagas, Odin's Vahalla, Roman Empire, Norway Denmark, Christ Fortified, SCANDINAVIA CHRISTIANS, England Althing, scandinavian society, gunnlaug wormtongue, peterborough ont broadview, ont broadview press, late 10th, 10th century, christians persecuted, roman empire, readings medieval history, bronsted 256, broadview press 1989, press 1989, late 10th century, northern europe, ont broadview,
Approximate Word count = 1456
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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