Why Is Hrafnkel Not Guilty

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Amber K Walia 904161730 Scandinavian 50 Professor Wen 10/19/2014 Hrafnkel, A Victim of False Accusation In Hrafnkel’s saga, there are two main characters that have completely different personalities. Einar is considered innocent, whereas Hrafnkel is considered cruel and guilty. After completing the reading, some people may be inclined to perceive Hrafnkel in a negative light because he killed the innocent Einar. Others, however, may declare Hrafnkel is not guilty. I believe that Hrafnkel is not guilty for four reasons. First of all, Hrafnkel has his own religious faith. Even if it’s difficult to understand or accept in some way, Hrafnkel’s religious view should be respected. It is his right to have a religion that he thinks is sacred. According to Hrafnkel’s saga, “he had a large temple built and held great sacrifices to the gods. He loved Frey above all the other gods and gave him a half share of his best treasures” (36). This shows how devoted he is to his religion and faith.…show more content…
Second, there was a verbal agreement between Hrafnkel and Einar which made both of them responsible for their actions and justified the act. Third, Hrafnkel even compensation for Einar’s death, something he’d never done previously. Lastly, Einar’s father was the one who made him leave the house and look for a job, and allowed him to work under a man like Hrafnkel. Hrafnkel may still be guilty in a regard that he did kill Einar due to his solemn oath, which cannot be changed. However, it was not only Hrafnkel’s fault. Einar himself broke the contact by riding Freyfaxi without Hrafnkel’s permission, and thus had to pay for the consequences, which he was warned very clearly beforehand. In addition, Thorbjorn also made a mistake by telling his own son to go find employment somewhere else. For all these reasons, Hrafnkel is not
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