Gunnar Hamundarson: Viking Warrior Got Killed for Slapping Wife
The story of Gunnar Hamundarson a Viking hero is a lesson for us about how to treat the women. The story vividly told the story of the talented Gunnar who mistreated his wife once which finally led him to his demise.
According to Njals Saga, Gunnar was the son of Hamundar Gunnarsson and Rannveig Sigfúsdóttur. He had other siblings including two brothers and one sister.
When Gunnar came up age, he had to find someone who could care for his family when he was away for making fortune and earning fame. He had to marry a wife. He proposed and married Hallgerðr Höskuldsdóttir. Gunnar was actually the third husband of Hallgerdr who had previously killed the two former husbands. A friend of Gunnar, Njal, considered their marriage unwise as both of them were attracted by lust and Gunnar forgot what his wife had done before.
Gunnar was a great Viking warrior with many skills in hand
Regarding the talent of Gunnar, he was considered to be the most powerful warrior in his clan. He was handsome, perfectly shaped, fearless, generous, and no one could ever become his equal. His sword-wielding skill was so fast that it seemed he was wielding three swords. He could jump as high as his own height even when wearing full armour on the body.
One cool thing about Gunnar was that he wanted to settle many disputes with peace. Of course, where weapons were required, he would go with it. But his priority was always a peaceful settlement. Sometimes, Gunnar wondered whether he was more cowardly than other men in his clan who loved wielding axe and killing people. This didn't mean Gunnar was bad at sword killing. His talent was proven throughout the whole story of his life.
In a battle, Gunnar once used an atgeir, a mysterious Viking weapon resembling a spear, to kill an enemy. He grabbed the handle so hard and thrust into the chest of the enemy. Gunnar with his incredible strength lifted up the man and threw him out into the river, ending the life of the enemy.
The slap, the prophecy, and the demise of a great warrior
On one occasion, a good friend of Gunnar, Njall, came to his house and told his prophecy for Gunnar. He warned Gunnar not to kill two men in the same family or else he would meet his demise very soon. The prophecy turned into reality as Gunnar laughed at what Njall had told him.
Gunnar killed two brothers of Gissur the White and the family of the deceased sought revenge permanent on Gunnar. Njall once again turned up and advised Gunnar to abandon Iceland for abroad. This time, Gunnar did as what Njall told. When he was about to depart, he was moved by the beauty of his own farmstead which was so beautiful that he decided to stay and defend his home.
The family members of the deceased finally showed up at the gate of Gunnar's house scouting and declaring to kill Gunnar. A man approached the house only to get stabbed by the atgeir of Gunnar. That man ran to his comrades who asked whether Gunnar was home. The wounded man replied "Find it out yourselves. But I'm sure his atgeir is home" and he fell dead.
The previous slap of Gunnar to his wife finally led Gunnar to his demise
Gunnar proved himself with the shooting and wielding talents, killing many men who dared to approach his house. But on one time, he was shooting the enemies, his bowstring broke. He turned to his wife to ask for her hair to mend the bow, yet Hallgerðr refused. The reason was that Gunnar had slapped his wife once previously. He did it because he found out his wife stole some food from the neighbouring house during the famine.
Failing to mend the bow, Gunnar was captured by the enemies and forced into a combat hand in hand. This finally led Gunnar to meet his demise.
After all, the refusal of a woman finally put an end to the life of a great Viking warrior like Gunnar. From the story, we learn of something new about the Viking warriors. First off, fighting didn't mean everything as Gunnar honored peace rather than blood and axe. This showed Gunnar was truly ahead of the people in his time. Secondly, don't mistreat your woman ever as no one would predict what she could do to you in the future. Respect your girl !
