This study demonstrates how the dominant concern of medieval Icelandic society - the channelling of violence into accepted patterns of feud and the regulation of conflict - is reflected in the narrative of the sagas. It explores how the sagas are complex expressions of medieval social thought.

Preface  Acknowledgments  1 Introduction  2 Feud in Saga Narrative: Its Roots in Icelandic Society  3 The Syntax of Narrative Elements  4 Units of Travel and Information and the Feudeme of Conflict  5 The Feudeme of Advocacy  6 The Feudeme of Resolution  7 Feud Clusters and Feud Chains  8 The Importance of Land in Saga Feud  9 Two Sets of Feud Chains in Njals saga  10 Saga Narrative with Low Cluster Density  11 Conclusion  Appendixes A. A Brief Account of Legal and Social Terms  B. Examples of Conflict      Material Sources of Conflict      Nonmaterial Sources of Conflict  C. Examples of Advocacy      Brokerage      Self-Advocacy      Goading      Information Passing  D. Examples of Resolution      Arbitration      Direct Resolution      Rejected Resolution       Index  Maps