Vár lǫg: Outlaw Communities from Jómsvíkinga saga to Harðar saga

This article aims to explore the similarities, both textually and conceptually, between the Jómsvíkinga saga and Harðar saga ok Hólmverja. Although the works share many differences (they belong to separate genres and were written in different places and times), one cannot help but notice that they share a literary motif that is unusual for sagas: the establishment of alternative communities governed by their laws, lög þeirra. After a brief overview of the critical reception of both works, both in the world of history and literary studies, the author of the article focuses on a comparative analysis of the two communities depicted in the texts - Jómsborg, located at the mouth of the Oder River in the Baltic Sea, and Iceland's Geirshólmr - to show how an elite Viking army made its way to Iceland's Hvalfjörður, thus abandoning an armed stronghold in favor of a natural stronghold. The article reveals the reasons for this expedition, interpreting it through the lens of the characters of kings appearing in both works, as well as concepts such as kinship and leadership. The article's conclusions confirm that the motifs contained in the Jómsvíkinga saga constitute the worldview of the Icelanders.