Hrafnkel Trial Paper

Hrafnkel, in the eponymous Hrafnkels Saga, by modern standards would certainly be considered a ruthless massacreer. However, it is demand to take into consideration the time period and culture of this historic Scandinavian saga. The entirety of the Icelandic population was illiterate and as such the justice system established in 10th century Iceland was based mostly on a system of honor and violence. The laws of Iceland were not actu completelyy written down, but rather kept alive verbally. An oral oath was considered to be a legally binding contract.This system was a weak attempt at avoiding bloody feuds and altercations among the uncouth people, amidst a governing system of honor and trust. Hrafnkel, the protagonist of Hrafnkels Saga, demonstrated this skewed justice system by asserting himself as a senior pilot and bringing wrath upon his enemies or eachbody who crossed his word of honor. Thus, when Einar stone-broke his oral agreement with Hrafnkel, Einar essentially br oke a legally binding contract and was consequently dependant to the full penalty of their agreement.Therefore, Hrafnkel, who agreed to hide anybody who rode his beloved dollar bill, Freyfaxi, was then not dishonored in committing murder as he was not breaking any Icelandic laws and was simply committing to his contract with Einar. Hrafnkels murder of Einar was justified in a myriad of ways. Upon hiring Einar to be his sheepherder, Hrafnkel explicitly told him that he could ride any horse he pleased, but Freyfaxi But I must warn you against one thing I want you never to ride this horse, however urgent the take in may seem to you, for Ive verbalize an oath to kill anyone who rides him. (40)In the era to which Hrafnkel lived, there were no such things as laws, government, policemen, or jails. Peoples word was the law and when a verbal contract was broken, it was like breaking the law in a modern sense. Einar, clearly acknowledging this agreement, swore to abide by this and said he would never be so wicked as to ride the one horse which was forbidden to him. At this time in Icelandic culture, one who kept his word was held in high regard. Once again, Hrafnkel, reiterated the importance of an oral agreement and stated that warning wards off blame.Since Einar did indeed ride Freyfaxi, he was inevitably liable for his own death. Even more so, Einar decided to ride Freyfaxi despite having several other horses to choose from nonetheless though the other horses ran away he did not put any effort into mounting onto another horse. Einars murder was simply the ultimate punishment for his wrongdoing and breaking the law between Hrafnkel and him. virtuoso may begin to wonder why Hrafnkel had even subject Einar to such a preposterous and bizarre agreement. However, this agreement was not made in vain.Hrafnkel, had sworn an oath to dedicate half of Freyfaxi to the diety, Freyr, whom he loves above all others. Fundamentally, this meant only Freyr and Hrafnkel himself, were allowed to ride Freyfaxi. At the very start of the saga, Hrafnkels love for the god, Freyr was shown When Harnkel had settled at Adalbol, he had a large temple built and held great sacrifices to the gods. He loves Frey above all the other gods and gave him a half-share in all his best treasures. (36) In fact, it is because of his intense affection for this god that Hrafnkell gained the title Freysgodi.As exemplified earlier, Freyr, played an extremely important part in the chieftains religion. Thus, Einars choosing to ride Freyfaxi was near secular in Hrafnkels eyes. Upon seeing a dirty and sweaty Freyfaxi, Hrafnkel considered the horse ill and abused, and promised to avenge his friend. Ultimately, even though Einar seemed like good hard-working man and Hrafnkels actions were harsh, Hrafnkel broke no laws while Einar broke the oral agreement, a legally binding contract, and harmed Freyfaxi.Primarily, just the breach of contract with Einar was enough justification to kill Ein ar, but even more so the culture of Iceland survived on a certain type of trust and honour system. It was this code of trust that gave Hrafnkel the authority and proper justification to kill Einar. If Einar was to be untrusted, this was the only way to ensure peace and order in the community. Furthermore, Hrafnkel even fulfilled the Icelandic duty to offer some kind of hire for the grieving family. Hrafnkels compensation offer for food and items to Einars father, Thorbjorn, was extremely generous.In this respect, Hrafnkel was once again following the laws and traditions of Icelandic society. On another note, Hrafnkel was consindered to be the hero of Hrafnkels Saga. A saga according to multiple sources from the Internet is a long story of achievement and tells the tales of worthy men. In this sense, Hrafnkel can not be deemed guilty by his Icelandic people or readers. After close examination of the text of Hrankels Saga it is very clear that Hrafnkel was completely innocent in th e cleanup of Einar. Based on 10th century Icelandic ideals on justice, Hrafnkel was able to punish Einar for breaking their oral agreement.In effect, by breaking this agreement, Einar was also breaking Hrafnkels sworn oath with the deity, Freyr, whom he shared Freyfaxi with. As cruel and insane Hrafnkels violence may seem under todays standards, it was all justified under the Icelandic system of law. It is important to understand the civilization that had once existed rather than to judge the tale as a story of murder and dictatorship. In the proper light, Hrafnkel was a hero who upheld Icelandic tradition, law, and honor who in the process grew into a more understanding, respectable, and wealthier Chieftain.