"Svá daufr orðinn, at hann mátti eigi heyra": a critical exploration of depictions of deaf and non-speaking characters in medieval Icelandic literature.

This article examines the meanings and social identities of deaf and non-speaking individuals in medieval Icelandic society through a close reading of five episodes from the thirteenth- to fifteenth-century Sagas of Early Icelanders. It challenges the modern binary between oralist and cultural-linguistic approaches to deafness by revealing diverse and intersectional portrayals of deafness intertwined with gender, class, and social status in the sagas. The study finds that some deaf or non-speaking characters held significant social power and agency, while others experienced marginalization, highlighting fluid and context-dependent identities prior to the rise of modern medicalized and educational frameworks. By situating deafness within its historical and cultural context, the article contributes to disability and deaf studies through an interdisciplinary approach that values medieval literature as a source for understanding premodern conceptions of communication difference and social participation.