I love the interpretation of Olaf as a being of pure nature. He can't escape the qualities that he was naturally instilled with, but he can also pseudo-escapes blame for exhibiting them. Even though he is animalistic, with built-in pride and feathers, he also bends to the will of nature, such as not having the final say in his courtship. Keep up the great work!
What a clever and insightful newsletter! "I mean, look at his tail feathers" gave me a good laugh. I love how you give us a brief but eloquent dive into pride in the saga, and not just through Olaf: by comparing Thorgerd to a peahen, you stay on theme and add interesting layers to my understanding of the saga. In fact, I'm now looking at "peacock" not just as a prideful nickname as you demonstrate but also in the sense that animal embodiment seems so important to the cultures that we've been studying through the two sagas. Thanks for the great post!
I enjoyed reading your post Christine! Since my head has been perpetually stuck in Chaucer, the peacock characteristic you describe reminded me of “The Reeve’s Tale.” Just over century after the Saga of Laxardal, a peacock-ish Miller (in “The Reeve’s Tale”) pops up. This seems to be a favorite animalistic comparison of Medieval authors- such characters in line with peacock ways are brutish, bold, and belligerent. Great work!
I love the interpretation of Olaf as a being of pure nature. He can't escape the qualities that he was naturally instilled with, but he can also pseudo-escapes blame for exhibiting them. Even though he is animalistic, with built-in pride and feathers, he also bends to the will of nature, such as not having the final say in his courtship. Keep up the great work!
What a clever and insightful newsletter! "I mean, look at his tail feathers" gave me a good laugh. I love how you give us a brief but eloquent dive into pride in the saga, and not just through Olaf: by comparing Thorgerd to a peahen, you stay on theme and add interesting layers to my understanding of the saga. In fact, I'm now looking at "peacock" not just as a prideful nickname as you demonstrate but also in the sense that animal embodiment seems so important to the cultures that we've been studying through the two sagas. Thanks for the great post!
I enjoyed reading your post Christine! Since my head has been perpetually stuck in Chaucer, the peacock characteristic you describe reminded me of “The Reeve’s Tale.” Just over century after the Saga of Laxardal, a peacock-ish Miller (in “The Reeve’s Tale”) pops up. This seems to be a favorite animalistic comparison of Medieval authors- such characters in line with peacock ways are brutish, bold, and belligerent. Great work!