According to the Eyrbyggja Saga, when the Icelandic peninsula of Snæfellsnes was plagued with ghosts and zombies (specifically Thorir Wooden-leg and his undead companions) disrupting daily life and harming the economy, Snorri Þorgrímsson solved the problem by taking them to court and submitting them to trial by jury. Always the proceduralist, Snorri was best known for his fair judgements in cases of blood feuds, boundary disputes and the endless squabbles over firewood. The zombie problem was just another such case. The Eyrbyggja Saga is not one of the best known of the Icelandic sagas, but it would appeal to any lawyer or political journalist. I read it in 1992, and then twenty years later I hiked extensively in Snæfellsnes, treading footsteps in most of the places the saga mentions. I’m returning to Iceland ten days from now, for another visit to that magical little country, so it’s much on my mind, and so is old Snorri. Today, Canada is menaced by a plague of ghosts and zombies, originating south of the border. The ghosts are an assortment of old and stupid ideas, the zombies are the marching morons of Trumpism and the morally corrupt legislators of the U.S. (mostly Republican, but quite a few Democrats as well). We could use a Snorri to sort things out. Read more »