Women are very important in Laxdaela saga. The first woman of importance is Unnur djupuðga.
Unnur djupuðga becomes a widow when she is very young. She flees with her father from Norway to Scotland but after her son is killed in Scotland she is in charge, has a ship built and sails to Iceland with 20 people, her grandchildren and others. She has both power and influence. When she gets to Iceland she settles down in the West of Iceland where most of Laxdaela saga takes place. When she is old she dies in a distinguished way at her grandson's wedding.
Unnur's granddaughter, Thorgerdur Thorsteinsdottir, carries on the story. Twice she gets married and has two sons, Hoeskuldur Dala-Kollsson and Hrutur Herjolfsson. They are main characters in the first part of Laxdaela saga.
Jorunn is Hoeskuldur's wife. She was very wise and clever but rather hottempered. Jorunn and Hoeskuldur had many children. Their marriage isn't good, especially after Hoeskuldur brings the female slave Melkorka home from abroad. Jorunn is proud and fights Melkorka until Melkorka moves to another farm.
Melkorka is very special. First she seems to be a dumb slave who attracts men so much that her former master doesn't want to sell her until Hoeskuldur is willing to pay a triple price for her. She gives birth to Hoeskuldur's son who is called Olafur, later Olafur pa. Later on Hoeskuldur discovers that Melkorka isn't dumb at all. She tells him her story and it turns out that she's the daughter of the king of Ireland. Melkorka is very anxious that her son Olafur gets to Ireland so that he can reckon his pedigree to the king of Ireland.
When a grown-up Olafur marries Thorgerdur Egilsdottir, daughter of Egill Skalla-Grimsson. Thorgerdur has a strong will and much influence on both her father and her husband. She doesn't want to marry Olafur at first because he was a son of a slave. But when he talkes to her himself she falls in love with him and they get married. She and Olafur have many children. Her favourite son is Kjartan. She is also very nice to Bolli, her foster-son, who is related to Olafur pa. But her harshness of temper, even hatred, becomes obvious when she encourages Kjartan's brothers to kill Bolli (after Bolli killed Kjartan). She goes with them and orders them to cut off Bolli's head. This showes her power over her sons and her temper.
Gudrun Osvifursdottir is the main character of the second half of Laxdaela saga. She is the cause of Kjartan and Bolli becoming enemies and her actions cause their deaths.
When Gudrun was only 15 years old she dreamt four strange dreams and a relative of her, Gestur, interprets her dreams. He said that she was going to get married four times and three times she would become a widow. As a young woman she was the most beautiful and elegant lady in Iceland but also very quicktempered. She became more and more demanding and passionate as she grew older.
Her father made her marry her first husband but she divorced him because she fell in love with another man. That man also had to get a divorce and Gudrun cunningly advised him how to do so. She is always clever in making people do her will, like when she makes her brothers and Bolli, her third husband, kill Kjartan and later when she gets Thorgils and her sons take revenge for Bolli.
The last woman to mention is Hrefna, Kjartan Olafsson's wife. Hrefna was the most handsome woman in northen Iceland and very popular. She was a good wife who obeyed her husband. After Kjartan was killed she died of grief.
Those are the most important women in Laxdaela saga. Among the minor characters is a scandalmonger who contributes to Kjartan's death. Another minor character is called a "man-woman" (karlkona). But despite this nickname she is a popular person and a good friend.
