Saga network
Laxdæla saga
Laxdæla Saga, trans. Muriel A. C. Press (1899). 78 chapters, 198 characters resolved, 227 distinct social edges (341 typed edge records across seven relation types — see Methods for why those two counts differ).
Network
Drag nodes, scroll to zoom, click a character for its profile, click an edge to read the sentences that support it.
121 characters · 227 edges (341 typed edge records)
Network summary
0.031Density
0.211Avg. clustering
3.252Avg. path length
7Diameter
9Communities (Louvain)modularity 0.495
-0.159Degree assortativity
93.8%Structural balance15/16 triangles balanced
26Articulation pointsbridge characters
Metrics are computed on the semantic layer only (kinship, marriage, friendship, conversation, conflict, killing, support) — the much denser sentence co-occurrence layer (197 nodes, 1247 edges) is a baseline, not a claim about social structure. See Methods for what each number does and does not mean.
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Chapter 48: The Men of Laugar and Gudrun plan an Ambush for Kjartan, A.D. 1003
Kjartan spent the fourth day after Easter at Hol, and there was the greatest merriment and gaiety. The night after An was very ill at ease in his sleep, so they waked him. They asked him what he had dreamt. He answered, "A woman came to me most evil-looking and pulled me forth unto the bedside. She had in one hand a short sword, and in the other a trough; she drove the sword into my breast and cut open all the belly, and took out all my inwards and put brushwood in their place. After that she went outside." Kjartan and the others laughed very much at this dream, and said he should be called An "brushwood belly," and they caught hold of him and said they wished to feel if he had the brushwood in his stomach. Then Aud said, "There is no need to mock so much at this; and my counsel is that Kjartan do one of two things: either tarry here longer, or, if he will ride away, then let him ride with more followers hence than hither he did." Kjartan said, "You may hold An 'brushwood belly' a man very sage as he sits and talks to you all day, since you think that whatever he dreams must be a very vision, but go I must, as I have already made up my mind to, in spite of this dream." Kjartan got ready to go on the fifth day in Easter week; and at the advice of Aud, so did Thorkell Whelp and Knut his brother. They rode on the way with Kjartan a band of twelve together. Kjartan came to Whitedale and fetched the homespun for Thorhalla Chatterbox as he had said he would. After that he rode south through Swinedale. It is told how at Laugar in Saelingsdale Gudrun was early afoot directly after sunrise. She went to where her brothers were sleeping. She roused Ospak and he woke up at once, and then too the other brothers. And when Ospak saw that there was his sister, he asked her what she wanted that she was up so early. Gudrun said she wanted to know what they would be doing that day. Ospak said he would keep at rest, "for there is little work to do." Gudrun said, "You would have the right sort of temper if you were the daughters of some peasant, letting neither good nor bad be done by you. Why, after all the disgrace and shame that Kjartan has done to you, you none the less lie quietly sleeping, though he rides past this place with but one other man. Such men indeed are richly endowed with the memory of swine. I think it is past hoping that you will ever have courage enough to go and seek out Kjartan in his home, if you dare not meet him now that he rides with but one other man or two; but here you sit at home and bear yourselves as if you were hopeful men; yea, in sooth there are too many of you." Ospak said she did not mince matters and it was hard to gainsay her, and he sprang up forthwith and dressed, as did also each of the brothers one after the other. Then they got ready to lay an ambush for Kjartan. Then Gudrun called on Bolli to bestir him with them. Bolli said it behoved him not for the sake of his kinship with Kjartan, set forth how lovingly Olaf had brought him up. Gudrun answered, "Therein you speak the truth, but you will not have the good luck always to do what pleases all men, and if you cut yourself out of this journey, our married life must be at an end." And through Gudrun's harping on the matter Bolli's mind swelled at all the enmity and guilts that lay at the door of Kjartan, and speedily he donned his weapons, and they grew a band of nine together. There were the five sons of Osvif--Ospak, Helgi, Vandrad, Torrad, and Thorolf. Bolli was the sixth and Gudlaug, the son of Osvif's sister, the hopefullest of men, the seventh. There were also Odd and Stein, sons of Thorhalla Chatterbox. They rode to Swinedale and took up their stand beside the gill which is called Goat-gill. They bound up their horses and sat down. Bolli was silent all day, and lay up on the top of the gill bank. Now when Kjartan and his followers were come south past Narrowsound, where the dale begins to widen out, Kjartan said that Thorkell and the others had better turn back. Thorkell said they would ride to the end of the dale. Then when they came south past the out-dairies called Northdairies Kjartan spake to the brothers and bade them not to ride any farther. "Thorolf the thief," he said, "shall not have that matter to laugh at that I dare not ride on my way with few men." Thorkell Whelp said, "We will yield to you in not following you any farther; but we should rue it indeed not to be near if you should stand in need of men to-day." Then Kjartan said, "Never will Bolli, my kinsman, join hands with plotters against my life. But if the sons of Osvif lie in wait for me, there is no knowing which side will live to tell the tale, even though I may have some odds to deal with." Thereupon the brothers rode back to the west. [Footnote 6: Gill=gorge, deep watercourse.]
Table of contents
1. Of Ketill Flatnose and his Descendants, 9th Century A.D.2. Ketill and his Sons prepare to leave Norway3. Ketill's Sons go to Iceland4. Ketill goes to Scotland, A.D. 8905. Unn goes to Iceland, A.D. 8956. Unn Divides her Land7. Of the Wedding of Olaf "Feilan," A.D. 9208. The Birth of Hrut and Thorgerd's Second Widowhood, A.D. 9239. Hoskuld's Marriage, A.D. 93510. Of Viga Hrapp11. About Thord Goddi and Thorbjorn Skrjup12. Hoskuld Buys a Slave Woman13. Hoskuld Returns to Iceland, A.D. 94814. The Murder of Hall, Ingjald's Brother15. Thorolf's Escape with Asgaut the Thrall16. Thord becomes Olaf's Foster Father, A.D. 95017. About Viga Hrapp's Ghost, A.D. 95018. Of the Drowning of Thorstein Swart19. Hrut Comes to Iceland20. Melkorka's Marriage and Olaf the Peacock's Journey, A.D. 95521. Olaf the Peacock goes to Ireland, A.D. 95522. Olaf the Peacock comes Home to Iceland, A.D. 95723. The Marriage of Olaf Peacock and Thorgerd, the Daughter of Egil, A.D.24. The Building of Herdholt, A. D. 96025. About Hoskuld's Sons26. The Death of Hoskuld, A.D. 98527. The Funeral Feast for Hoskuld28. The Birth of Kjartan, Olaf's Son, A.D. 97829. Olaf's Second Journey to Norway, A.D. 97530. About Giermund and Thured, A.D. 97831. Thured's Second Marriage, A.D. 98032. Of Osvif Helgeson33. Of Gest Oddleifson and Gudrun's Dreams34. Gudrun's First Marriage, A.D. 98935. Gudrun's Second Marriage, A.D. 99136. About Kotkell and Grima37. About Hrut and Eldgrim, A.D. 99538. The Death of Stigandi. Thorliek leaves Iceland39. Of Kjartan's Friendship for Bolli40. Kjartan and Bolli Voyage to Norway, A.D. 99641. Bolli returns to Iceland, A.D. 99942. Bolli makes love to Gudrun, A.D. 100043. Kjartan comes back to Iceland, A.D. 100144. Kjartan comes home, A.D. 100145. Kjartan marries Hrefna, A.D. 100246. Feast at Herdholt and the Loss of Kjartan's Sword, A.D. 100247. Kjartan goes to Laugar, and of the Bargain for Tongue, A.D. 100348. The Men of Laugar and Gudrun plan an Ambush for Kjartan, A.D. 100349. The Death of Kjartan50. The End of Hrefna. The Peace Settled, A.D. 100351. Osvif's Sons are Banished52. The Killing of Thorkell of Goat's Peak53. Thorgerd's Egging, A.D. 100754. Halldor prepares to avenge Kjartan55. The Death of Bolli56. Bolli Bollison is born, A.D. 100857. About Thorgils Hallason, A.D. 101858. Thorkell and Grim, and their Voyage Abroad59. Gudrun demands Revenge for Bolli, A.D. 101960. The Egging of Gudrun61. Of Thorstein the Black and Lambi62. Thorgils and his Followers leave Home63. The Description of his Enemies brought to Helgi64. The Death of Helgi, A.D. 101965. Of Gudrun's Deceit66. Osvif and Gest die67. The Death of Thorgils Hallason, A.D. 102068. Gudrun's Marriage with Thorkell Eyjolfson69. The Quarrel about Gunnar at the Feast70. Thorleik goes to Norway71. The Peace between the Sons of Bolli and the Sons of Olaf, A.D. 102672. Bolli and Thorleik go abroad, A. D. 102973. Bolli's Voyage74. Thorkell Eyjolfson goes to Norway75. Thorkell and Thorstein and Halldor Olafson, A.D. 102676. The Drowning of Thorkell, A.D. 102677. The Return of Bolli, A.D. 103078. The Death of Snorri, and the End, A.D. 1031