Friends Are Loyal

Friendship is a very important part of the saga, Njal is very attached to Gunner, and they have been good friends for a long time. They seek each other for help and want to continue being as good friends as before they were married. Their wives don’t like each other and this is one of the reasons they fear their friendship might end. But Bergothora likes the friendship between these two, and really supports it. "Why do you need to say much about it?' said Bergthora. 'It would be much more noble to share our food and hay with him, since you're not short of either." (pg 80) They are always trying to do the best for the other and try to have peace between them. This is a very important part of this, they support each other in difficult situations, giving the best of their part.

Does It Help?

Gunner and Njal had been good friends for a long time, Bergthora loved the friendship between his husband and Gunnar. This wouldn’t change, but she definitely hated Gunner’s wife, Hallgerd. In the Christmas feast they started to hate each other. This was one of the things that they said to each other, which was completely true, "Keep in mind, Bergthora,' said Hallgerd, 'that we're not finished yet."(pg 57) There were many attacks against each family which started from the wife’s ideals, and the power they had over the servants. They were never equal to the other, each one felt superior and wanted everyone else to notice who was better.
By doing this their husbands had to pay each other for the killings, and they both thought that what they did was ridiculous. They tried to avoid each of these confrontments. But the women were so powerful and wanted to be respected, they continued until Njal’s sons went to fight against Hallgerd’s servants.

Is Intelligence All?

Njal was a very intelligent man, he was always willing to give advice and help others. "Njal said that he was the most valiant man, 'and though you have been much tried, you will be tried much more, because many men will envy you." (pg 52) Njal was always trying to show the importance of having his frieds, and expressing his opinion of his friends. Knowing all the good things he was letting the other people know.
Not only he advised them on what he thought, but also seeing the destiny and what would happen if his advice wasn’t followed. After Gunner having killed two people from the same blood line, Njal told him what he should do to keep living, “Just as your first trip brought you great honour, you will gain even more honour this time. Then you will return home with great respect, and live to be an old man, and no one here will be your equal.”(pg122) Everything Njal said was very certain, and Gunner should follow this.

Is It Important?

In Njal’s Saga death is a sign of honor for the killer, which makes them feel more important in society. Gunner gained his honor by defeating the Vikings and killing many others. By following Njal’s advice, he became more honored, and many people appreciated Gunner. “But if you break thus settlement and don’t go abroad, you will be killed in this land, and that will be a terrible thing for your friends to bear.”(pg 122) This shows the fame Gunner had until he killed two people from the same blood line and his destiny could change drastically. Some people, mostly his friends would be affected by Gunner’s death, but this would happen if he doesn’t obey Njal’s advice.
In the vengeances between Hallgerd and Bergthora, many people were killed with no purpose other than both wives being resentful. All those deaths were very costly for Njal and Gunnar, the deaths were paid depending on the owner’s appreciation for that servant. Death had a very high price, and killing was a way of becoming more honorable. Depending on the reason how death was done, the killer was honorable or not, if it had no reason as the ones of the servants and of Otkel’s food and house, it was known for the destruction and the price of it.

We Are Strong

Women in the saga are very powerful, they control their households. They have control over most of the things including their servants, "I'm Njal's wife, ' she said, 'and I have no less authority in hiring than he does."(pg 60) Many men don’t like women to have control, but in this saga they do, men even appreciate it. They have more knowledge than men in some areas, therefore in any case that women demonstrate more knowledge, men get there help, or women just do those things on their own.
Women didn’t like some relationships with some people, and they are able to do whatever is possible to destroy them. They are very resentful with other people’s actions and they usually don’t like to lose. They will give orders to anyone in order to seem more powerful, therefore, all the servants, and people that have less than them, do whatever that woman pleases.