Hænsa-Þóris saga (Old Norse: Hœnsa-Þóris saga; Icelandic: Hænsna-Þóris saga; "The Saga of Hen-Thorir") is one of the sagas of Icelanders, a genre of medieval Icelandic prose narratives written in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Plot Summary
The saga tells the story of Hænsa-Þórir (meaning "Hen-Thorir"; hænsn means "a hen" in Old Norse), a poor and unpopular man who acquires wealth as a merchant and manages to buy land. The saga contrasts the upstart Þórir unfavorably with his neighbors, who come from more established backgrounds. Þórir causes strife between them, and when he refuses to sell hay to his neighbors for the winter, they take it by force. In retaliation, Þórir burns them alive inside their farmstead. A blood feud ensues in which Þórir is killed and beheaded. The conflict is ultimately resolved through a marriage between the feuding families.
Themes and Historical Significance
The saga highlights key aspects of medieval Icelandic culture, including the importance of hospitality to guests and travelers, the expectation of generosity toward one's neighbors, and the necessity of securing the support of a chieftain to obtain justice.
The historian Ari Þorgilsson references the events of this saga in his Íslendingabók in connection with a change in Icelandic law, whereby legal complaints were moved from the closest local assembly (Thing) to the Quarter Thing. Scholars have also suggested that the saga was written in response to a law introduced by King Magnus VI of Norway, which required a farmer to sell hay to neighbors in great need. Under this law, refusal to sell resulted in a fine, and resistance with force allowed neighbors to attack without committing a crime. This was a novel concept in Icelandic jurisprudence, and a formal objection was raised against it at the Althing in 1281. According to this theory, the saga was composed as propaganda in favor of the new law.
