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RemigiuszGogosz
InstytutHistorii,UniwersytetRzeszowski
Horse-fights:Thebrutalentertainment
oftheSagaAgeIcelanders
Introduction
Itisanarguableassumptionthathorse-fightsshouldbegroupedwithsports
activitiesorevengamesasawhole.However,assertingthisisnotpointless
becauseitseemsclearthathorse-fightswereakindofentertainmentandthey
alsosatisfytheestablishedrulesontheterminologyofgames.Whatismore,
thewayhorse-fightswereorganizedbytheIcelandersoftheMiddleAgesis
quitesimilartoothergamesorsportssuchasknattleikrorglima.Thisarticle
isanattempttore-createthemethodofhorse-fightinginIcelandinthemedi-
evalperiod1includingtheculturalsignificanceoftheevent.
FortheIcelandersandotherNordicpeoplesoftheSagaAge,horseswere
oneofthemostimportantanimals(assignificantascattle).Thiscomesas
nosurpriseduetotheirmanyuses,suchasfortransport,foodandinpagan
rites(infuneralsasgravesacrifices,indivination,i.e.hippomancy,andas
sacredhorses)
1
,andadditionallyforsport.Thesportinquestionwascalled
1
Althoughthereareonlyafewinstancesaboutusinghorsesfordivination.Divination
wasmadefromthewalkofthehorse.WecanseeitinGermaniabyTacitusandinLandna-
mabók.Dependingonwhichlegthehorsewentfirstthroughtheline,thefatewastobebador
good(seeL.P.Słupecki:WyrocznieiwróżbypogańskichSkandynawów
.
Studiumdodziejów
ideiprzeznaczeniauludówindoeuropejskich
.Warszawa1998,pp.1291154),forfuneralssee:
N.
Pric
e:
TheVikingWay:ReligionandWarinLateIronAgeScandinavia
.Uppsala2002.
Sacredhorseoccursin
HrafnkelssagaFreysgoóa
,
Austrfiróingasgur
.Ed.J.J
óhannesso
n.
δ
In:
Íslenzkfornrit
.Ed.J.J
óhannesso
n.Vol.11.Reykjavik1950.
