Víglundar Saga

Revenge, deceit, and manipulation

The saga opens with Viglund’s father, Thorgrim, stealing Olof from another man and running away to Iceland. The pair have 2 sons, one of those being Viglund, and a daughter. Their neighbor Holmkel also has two sons and a daughter. While Viglund and Holmkel’s daughter develop a relationship, Holmkel’s wife begins to manipulate her sons into hating Thorgrim. The brothers attempt to catch and attack Thorgrim, but only run into Viglund and his brother. Over multiple encounters, the brothers engage in horse fights, games that lead to faces being smashed, and one all out fight involving numerous men. In between these bouts, Holmkel’s wife continues to manipulate her sons. She goes so far as seeking the assistance of a witch, and having her sons slaughter horses and oxen belonging to Viglund in an act of revenge. The brothers continue to fight with Viglund who consistently displays excellent physical abilities by fighting off multiple enemies at once and surviving two ambushes. Eventually the fathers meet after several men are killed and settle the matter between their families.