Audun and the Polar Bear: Luck, Law, and Largesse in a Medieval Tale of Risky Business (1) (Medieval Law and Its Practice)

Audun’s Story is the tale of an Icelandic farmhand who buys a polar bear in Greenland for no other reason than to give it to the Danish king, half a world away. It can justly be listed among the finest pieces of short fiction in world literature. Terse in the best saga style, it spins a story of complex competitive social action, revealing the cool wit and finely-calibrated reticence of its three main characters: Audun, Harald Hardradi, and King Svein. The tale should have much to engage legal and cultural historians, anthropologists, economists, philosophers, and students of literature. The story’s treatment of gift-exchange is worthy of the fine anthropological and historical writing on gift-exchange; its treatment of face-to-face interaction a match for Erving Goffman. Audun's Story Is The Tale Of An Icelandic Farmhand Who Buys A Polar Bear In Greenland For No Other Reason Than To Give It To The Danish King, Half A World Away. It Can Justly Be Listed Among The Finest Pieces Of Short Fiction In World Literature. Terse In The Best Saga Style, It Spins A Story Of Complex Competitive Social Action, Revealing The Cool Wit And Finely - Calibrated Reticence Of Its Three Main Characters: Audun, Harald Hardradi, And King Svein. The Tale Has Much To Engage Legal And Cultural Historians, Anthropologists, Economists, Philosophers, And Students Of Literature. The Story's Treatment Of Gift-exchange Is Worthy Of The Fine Anthropological And Historical Writing On Gift-exchange; Its Treatment Of Face-to-face Interaction A Match For Erving Goffman.--jacket. Some Technical Matters : Dates, Origin, Versions -- The Story Of Audun From The Westfjords (audun's Story) -- The Commitment To Plausibility -- Helping Thorir And Buying The Bear -- Dealing With King Harald -- Giving The Bear To Svein : The Interests In The Bear -- Saying No To Kings -- Eggs In One Basket And Market Value -- Rome : Self-impoverishment And Self-confidence -- Repaying The Bear -- Back To Harald : The Yielding Of Accounts -- Audun's Luck -- Richness And Risk -- -- Motives -- Gaming The System : Gift-ref -- Regiving And Reclaiming Gifts -- Relevant Law -- Serious Scarcity, Self-interest And Audun's Mother -- In The Gift Vs. In On The Gift -- Gifts Upward : Repaying By Receiving And Funny Money -- The Obligation To Accept -- Giving Up And Down Hierarchies : Of God(s), Beggars, And Equals -- Nadad And Abihu : Sacrifice, Caprice, And Binding God And Kings -- Funny Money That Is Not So Funny -- Of Free And Closing Gifts -- Coda : The Whiteness Of The Bear. By William Ian Miller. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [147]-152) And Index. Auduns Story tells of an Icelandic farmhand who buys a polar bear in Greenland and gives it to the Danish king. It is a subtle tale of complex social action worthy of the fine anthropological writing on gift-exchange; its treatment of face-to-face interaction a match for Erving Goffman.