The image of Greenland in Icelandic Saga tradition: to the question on formation of binary image of Home and Anti-Home

Abstract

Currently, the national humanities science shows particular interest in the phenomena that have been previously outside its area of expertise. These phenomena include materialistic objects, which in the context of cultural-semiotic approach turn into meaningful constants. One of such materialistic-spiritual phenomena is the concept of “home”. For Icelanders, during the period of civil war marked in history as the Age of the Sturlungs, the phenomenon of “home” undergoes substantial transformation. Forced exile from the country, loss of relationship with family, and building a new life contribute to conception and formation of the new semantic space structured on the binary image: Home – Anti-Home. Within the Icelandic Saga tradition, the image of negative home belongs of the island of Greenland, which provided an temporary shelter and reflected the overall atmosphere of forced migrants. The article is dedicated to the examination of the image of Greenland in Icelandic Saga tradition. The author reveals the key parameters of formation of the image of Greenland as an “alien” space, formed among the Icelanders who were forced to leave their country. This leads to the emergence of antithesis in Saga literature: home and homelessness. The concept of “home” is associate with Iceland and saturated with additional shades of meaning, turning into and object of reminiscence and becoming the embodiment of spiritual substance. Greenland, on the contrary, was endowed with the traits of hostile space with regards to a person.