Gripla - 20.12.2012, Page 197
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Conclusions
the stories about Þiðrandi and Ljótur are rather similar in nature al-
though they serve different functions. In Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta,
Þiðrandi’s death in ch. 215 immediately precedes his father’s conversion
in ch. 216; the fact that both these narratives involve st Michael so closely
— Þiðranda þáttr by subtly exploiting imagery from legendary material
pertaining to Michael; Hallur’s conversion by overtly bringing in detailed
descriptions of st Michael — serves to underline the very close links
between these two events. furthermore, the resemblance between the
biblical reference to Michael disputing with the Devil over the body of
Moses in Jude 9 and the black dísir claiming a “noble heathen” because
the white dísir are “not yet strong enough” is intriguing. the symbolic
di mensions here are unlikely to have been lost on a fourteeenth-century
audience and, despite its superficially heathen guise, Þiðranda þáttr is
probably best regarded as a thoroughly Christian tale whose version of
heathendom must be treated with some caution.
In Njáls saga, the equally tragic death of Ljótur also involves heathen
references: the mysterious spear that kills the favourite son in a place of
sanctity recalls óðinn, whose weapon was the spear, and whose son Baldur
was killed in arguably parallel circumstances. this perspective on the death
of Ljótur brings out a close correspondence between this tale and that of
Þiðrandi: both of their lives are claimed by heathen beings on the verge
of retreat on account of Christianity, or having been marginalised by the
new religion.
Given the very strong links to Michael both in Þiðranda þáttr and in
three of the four narratives that describe Hallur’s conversion, it is not
improbable that there should be yet another such link to the archangel in
Hallur’s reaction to Ljótur’s death. Whereas the death of Þiðrandi may
be said to open Hallur’s eyes to the merits of Christian ways (by spelling
out that, if nothing else, his favourite son would still have been alive had
he only been a Christian), the death of Ljótur can be seen to function as a
confirmation of Hallur’s already strong Christian faith (by presenting him
as following the example of his fylgjuengill Michael, who allows good to
weigh more heavily than evil). In both cases, Hallur has, or acquires, close
connections to st Michael: after Þiðrandi’s death he realizes what a strong
st MICHAeL AnD tHe sons of síÐu-HALLuR