Gunnar at Hlíðarendi has lived a quite incredible life and it has been said he has managed to become both the most celebrated and despised man in Iceland. This formidable athlete got into one of the most respected American universities, in Boston, on a sports scholarship. There he got a good degree in business management and also played in the college basketball league with his school team. At the end of his studies he was snapped up by an NBA side and was soon a big star, becoming one of the most talked about and successful players in the league. Although he was not as tall as some of his fellow team members, he jumped with incredible power.

It was common knowledge that he had become very wealthy and he went on to become one of the country’s most influential business tycoons, owning vast amounts of real estate world-wide, as well as retail and many other businesses in Iceland and abroad. Profligate, and therefore popular, he was on several occasions named “Iceland’s Most Eligible Bachelor” – until, that is, Hallgerður managed to tie him down with the inevitable “Wedding of the Century” and a luxury round-the-world honeymoon.

Before long, people began to wonder if his business empire stood on firm enough ground, and with the financial crash of 2008 things went as badly as everybody now knows. The empire crumbled, scattering debris and untold losses. It is now claimed that his much admired business was built on castles in the sky. He lost everything, with the notable exception of his summerhouse at Fljótshlíð. He is said to be living there alone and needing constantly to look over his shoulder because of the anger and ill-feeling he has brought upon himself.

Einar Kárason
Author

Gunnar Hámundarson of Hlíðarendi was the third, and best-known of Hallgerður’s husbands. One of the leading figures in the Icelandic Sagas, he was a blonde, blue-eyed athlete who, even in full battle gear, could jump as high as he stood. He had all the abilities of a modern decathlete and in those days there was no one to equal him in all the country. Gunnar is possibly the most famous male archetype in Icelandic history and for centuries he remained a distant pin-up for Icelandic women. From a psychiatrist’s point of view, however, Gunnar is a classic example of a narcissistic personality. He is insecure and abnormally dependent on the opinions of others; especially his friend Njáll at Bergþórshvoll. Towards the end of the story, Gunnar clearly becomes depressed and decides to face certain death.

Gunnar in the modern age
At the end of a famously successful sporting career, Gunnar would probably have studied law under the patronage of his old friend, Professor Njáll Þorgeirsson at the university law school. Gunnar would always come across as a very trustworthy man and enjoy great respect in the community. His legal offices would be decorated with medals and certificates, along with photos of himself from his sporting glory days, pictured beneath billowing flags. Always hesitant when it came to decision-making, he would often put too much trust in the advice of others. In his communication with women, Gunnar would display insecurities and be full of self doubt

Óttar Guðmundsson
Psychiatrist