I think one of my favorite theories that explains the high agency the women have in this book is that perhaps the author was simply a woman. It seems as the simplest explanation to me to be honest, because I just find it hard to believe "surrogate son" or not, the women would be such a forefront of a store with this much agency about them and be written by a man during the medieval period but, who knows, it's a mystery unfortunately.
Hi, Kat! Nice post here! The quote you point out from the article struck me as well. In fact, there were quite a few points that stood out to me. One in particular being that men would often diminish each other's value by insulting each other—these insults would bring the men down by comparing them to women. Another point that Clover makes is how sodomy was not considered a homosexual act unless you were on the receiving end as that places you in a more feminine position. It is very interesting, and also a bit dismaying, to see how honor is placed among people in accordance to their gender roles, which you make note of in your post.
This concept was so so cool to me. Reading this article about how women could substitute for men expanded this culture especially in the context of Laxardal. It made sense how this feminine agency was not only possible but not alien in their culture. I also thought the spectrum of masculine and feminine was intriguing. The lack of binary and the emphasis of the fluidity of character is so progressive for such an older civilization, and we see how inclusive the possibilities are in Laxardal Saga. I am glad that you explored this topic in your substack.
I love that you found another text to research and compare to Laxardal. It certainly is interesting that a woman could continue to be a maiden-warrior in the context of marriage, but I wonder why motherhood does not allow such. We have read that women function in more domestic spaces in these sagas, and that domestic spaces and actions are likewise feminized, but why would there be such a difference between motherhood and being a wife? I wonder if it is because there is potential after birth for someone else to take over a warrior role that a woman would feel the need to "step down." I wish there was an example of a maiden-warrior who kept that lifestyle, even after giving birth. Thanks for your post!
I think one of my favorite theories that explains the high agency the women have in this book is that perhaps the author was simply a woman. It seems as the simplest explanation to me to be honest, because I just find it hard to believe "surrogate son" or not, the women would be such a forefront of a store with this much agency about them and be written by a man during the medieval period but, who knows, it's a mystery unfortunately.
Hi, Kat! Nice post here! The quote you point out from the article struck me as well. In fact, there were quite a few points that stood out to me. One in particular being that men would often diminish each other's value by insulting each other—these insults would bring the men down by comparing them to women. Another point that Clover makes is how sodomy was not considered a homosexual act unless you were on the receiving end as that places you in a more feminine position. It is very interesting, and also a bit dismaying, to see how honor is placed among people in accordance to their gender roles, which you make note of in your post.
I’m going to be so for-real, I actually want to read that other story, now. The idea of a maiden-warrior sounds amazing.
This concept was so so cool to me. Reading this article about how women could substitute for men expanded this culture especially in the context of Laxardal. It made sense how this feminine agency was not only possible but not alien in their culture. I also thought the spectrum of masculine and feminine was intriguing. The lack of binary and the emphasis of the fluidity of character is so progressive for such an older civilization, and we see how inclusive the possibilities are in Laxardal Saga. I am glad that you explored this topic in your substack.
Thank you for sharing!
I love that you found another text to research and compare to Laxardal. It certainly is interesting that a woman could continue to be a maiden-warrior in the context of marriage, but I wonder why motherhood does not allow such. We have read that women function in more domestic spaces in these sagas, and that domestic spaces and actions are likewise feminized, but why would there be such a difference between motherhood and being a wife? I wonder if it is because there is potential after birth for someone else to take over a warrior role that a woman would feel the need to "step down." I wish there was an example of a maiden-warrior who kept that lifestyle, even after giving birth. Thanks for your post!