Social ideals and the concept of profit in thirteenth-century Iceland

Helgi þorláksson; Schudder, Bernard

essay

Social ideals and the concept of profit in thirteenth-century Iceland

from sagas to society : comparative approaches to early iceland • Enfield Lock, Middlesex, Uk • Published In 1992 • Pages: 231-245

By: Helgi þorláksson, Schudder, Bernard.

Abstract
Substantivism is a theory in economic anthropology in which adherents study simple societies '…in which little or no sense of the market exists and the notion of producing for a market is relatively insignificant' (p. 231). Since Icelandic society before 1300 A.D. is considered by the author to be a simple peasant society, and since the Icelandic sagas from the thirteenth century might be expected to display ideas similar to those described by the substantivists, the major portion of this work is devoted to a content analysis of the sagas which reflect this concept. This document describes the attitudes of medieval Iceland in regard to profit trading, status of foreign traders and merchants in general, the relationships between merchants and chieftains, and factors relevant to the prices of goods in the society.

Cultural identity and pride

Status, role, and prestige

Accumulation of wealth

Social relationships and groups

Districts

Early Icelanders

HRAF PubDate

2004