Men and Masculinities in the Sagas of Icelanders (Oxford English Monographs)

This volume is the first book-length study of masculinities in the sagas of Icelanders. Spanning the entire corpus of the sagas of Icelanders—and so taking into account a number of little-studied sagas as well as the more well-known works—it comprehensively interrogates the construction, operation, and problematization of masculinities in this genre. __Men and Masculinities in the Sagas of Icelanders__ elucidates the dominant model of masculinity that operates in the sagas, demonstrates how masculinities and masculine characters function within these texts, and investigates the means by which the sagas, and saga characters, may subvert masculine dominance. Combining close literary analysis with insights drawn from sociological theories of hegemonic and subordinated masculinities, notions of homosociality and performative gender, and psychoanalytic frameworks, the book brings to men and masculinities in saga literature the same scrutiny traditionally brought to the study of women and femininities. Ultimately, this book demonstrates that masculinity is not simply glorified in the sagas, but is represented as being both inherently fragile and a burden to all characters, masculine and non-masculine alike. Cover......Page 1 Men and Masculinities in the Sagas of Icelanders......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Table of Contents......Page 12 PRIMARY SOURCES......Page 14 DICTIONARIES......Page 16 OVERVIEW AND METHODOLOGY......Page 18 OLD NORSE–ICELANDIC LITERATURE......Page 20 Íslendingasögur......Page 21 GENDER AND MASCULINITY......Page 22 WHY STUDY MASCULINITY?......Page 24 1: Modelling Saga Masculinities......Page 27 HEGEMONIC MASCULINITIES......Page 32 PRODUCING A MODEL OF HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY FOR THE ÍSLENDINGASÖGUR......Page 40 2: Homosocial Masculinities......Page 44 HOMOSOCIALITY AND MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: A THEORETICAL DIGRESSION......Page 45 HOMOSOCIALITY AS VALUED AND DESIRED......Page 50 GIFT GIVING AND THE MAINTENANCE OF HOMOSOCIAL BONDS......Page 57 SOCIAL OBLIGATION AND THE MAINTENANCE OF HOMOSOCIAL BONDS......Page 59 MEN JUDGING MEN......Page 61 SELF-POLICING MASCULINITIES......Page 64 DOMINATING MEN......Page 66 DYADIC INSTABILITY......Page 69 TRIANGULARITY......Page 73 Fosterage......Page 76 CONCLUDING REMARKS......Page 78 3: Intersectional Masculinities......Page 80 YOUTH......Page 81 Youth and the Crisis of Masculinity......Page 92 OLD AGE......Page 95 RACE......Page 100 IMPAIRMENT/DISABILITY......Page 104 SEXUALITY......Page 108 RELIGION......Page 116 SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS......Page 119 CONCLUDING REMARKS......Page 123 4: The Limits of Socially Acceptable Masculinity......Page 124 GRETTIR AS A CHILD......Page 127 FURTHER (HYPER)MASCULINE ATTRIBUTES......Page 138 HOMO(ANTI)SOCIAL RELATIONS......Page 143 POSITIVE HOMOSOCIAL RELATIONS......Page 149 INTERACTIONS WITH SUPERNATURAL CHARACTERS......Page 152 HOMOSOCIALITY AND THE PROBLEM OF ILL LUCK......Page 155 CONCLUDING REMARKS: SOCIAL FAILURE AND THE CRITIQUE OF HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY......Page 159 Conclusion......Page 161 Works Cited......Page 166 Index......Page 180 This volume is the first book-length study of masculinities in the Sagas of Icelanders. Spanning the entire corpus of the Sagas of Icelanders-and taking into account a number of little-studied sagas as well as the more well-known works-it comprehensively interrogates the construction, operation, and problematization of masculinities in this genre. 0'Men and Masculinities in the Sagas of Icelanders' elucidates the dominant model of masculinity that operates in the sagas, demonstrates how masculinities and masculine characters function within these texts, and investigates the means by which the sagas, and saga characters, may subvert masculine dominance. Combining close literary analysis with insights drawn from sociological theories of hegemonic and subordinated masculinities, notions of homosociality and performative gender, and psychoanalytic frameworks, the book brings to men and masculinities in saga literature the same scrutiny traditionally brought to the study of women and femininities. Ultimately, the volume demonstrates that masculinity is not simply glorified in the sagas, but is represented as being both inherently fragile and a burden to all characters, masculine and non-masculine alike This is a book-length study of masculinities in 'The Sagas of Icelanders'. Spanning the entire corpus of the text, and taking into account a number of little-studied sagas as well as the more well-known works, it comprehensively interrogates the construction, operation, and problematization of masculinities in this genre. 'Men and Masculinities in the Sagas of Icelanders' elucidates the dominant model of masculinity that operates in the sagas, demonstrates how masculinities and masculine characters function within these texts, and investigates the means by which the sagas, and saga characters, may subvert masculine dominance Focuses on the representation of masculinities in the Sagas of Icelanders and comprehensively interrogates the construction, operation, and problematization of masculinities in this genre.