Lögberg-Heimskringla - 24.09.1999, Blaðsíða 7

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 24. september 1999 • 7
Christianity
Continued from page 4
must be considered to be mainly of
Norwegian origin. Our relations to the
Irish is considerably less than the ABO-
blood groups indicate.
Norwegian story tradition
IT is seldom mentioned in writings on
Icelandic culture that a strong poetic
tradition existed in Norway long before
Iceland’s settlement and up to the adop-
tion of Christianity there. Finnur Jónsson
made an overview of Norwegian poets in
the ninth and tenth century. Close to thirty
poets are mentioned there, with many
unconfirmed left out. He points to the fact
that Norwegians laid the foundation of the
poetic tradition, which declined in
Norway at the end of the tenth century.
Úlfur the Óargi, Lord in Naumudal, was a
poet. He was Kveldúlfur’s grandfather:
“Úlfur wrote a heroic poem, ovemight,
where he outlined his achievements. He
died before daybreak.” Ölvir hnúfa,
Kveldúlfur’s brother-in-law was also a
poet. He was one of Haraldur the
Fairhair's six court poets. He asked to be
released from the court after Haraldur
killed his cousin, Þórólfur Kveldúlfsson.
but Haraldur wanted him to stay because
of his abilities. King Haraldur valued the
poets above his other courtiers. Eyvindur
lambi, Ölvir’s brother, was Ey vindur skál-
daspillir's grandfather, and a court poet of
Hákon the Good. Eyvindur skáldaspillir
was heathen and lived to the end of riie
tenth century. Finnur Jónsson considers
Eyvindur to be the “last actual Norwegian
poet.” Thus it comes as no surprise that
Egill Skallagrímsson was a poet. His par-
ents came from Norway, where his father
was of a well known poetic family.
According to Heimskringla, stories
and poetry were highly valued in heathen
times in Norway. The poets at Haraldur the
Fairhair’s court are specially mentioned in
the introduction to Heimskringla: “and
people still know their poems and all the
king’s poems, those who reigned later in
Norway.” It has been pointed out that
Hlaðajarlar also liad many poets at their
courts where poetry was closely connected
to heathen practice.
It is considered certain that those who
arrived in Iceland brought this culture
with them. Storytelling and poetry in
lceland is thus a Norwegian heritage.
What separates the cultural development
in lceiand from that of Norway during tlie
first 130 years of settlement in Iceland is
the fact that these nations received the
Christian faith in a very dilferent way.
This appears to explain why Icelanders
becaine the kind of history writers they
were, but Norwegians not to the same
extent. At the time of the adoption of
Christianity Iceland and Norway were
two separate, closely related nations. The
difference in govemment was mainly that
Icelitnd was democratic, where thc law
and contribution of noblemen to the dis-
cussions were decisive, Norway had
Ðistrict Assemblies, similar to Alþingi,
where the kings held the power, backed
Features
by their courts and army. Egill
Skallagrímsson, for example, was unable
to get judgement in his suit at Gulaþing,
when Queen Gunnhildur had the jury bro-
ken up by force.
Peaceful acceptance of
Christianity in Iceland
n Iceland the Christian faith was
accepted in a unique way. In the year
1000 (or 999) the decision was passed at
Alþingi that everyone should become
Christian. Þorgeir Ljósvetninga Goði’s
support of that decision has weighed
heavily. He was heathen at the time and
recited the laws for both Christians and
heathens,-
It has been pointed out with strong
evidence that when Þorgeir lay down
under the hide at Alþingi, before he
announced the decision for the change of
faiths, “he used a traditional religious
practice of Nordic beliefs to arrive at a
conclusion in a ditficult dispute.” This
explains why heathen men accepted his
decision. They understood and respected
his method. The gods had spoken. There
at the assembly it was decided that all
people should take the Christian faith and
be baptized. Yet. first after the adoption of
Christituiity. permission was granted in
the laws. that people could eat horse
meat, expose children, and make sacri-
lices to the gods—-in secret—without wit-
nesses. These heathen practices were
soon discarded.
The Tcelandic goðar were powerful
men in heathen times. They carried out
the “blót” sacrifices to the gods and were
leaders of the members of the legislative
assembly. After the adoption of the
Christian faith most of the goðar built
cRurches on tlieir lands, replacing the
heathen temples, and were in charge of
Christian practices. The goðar kept their
power after the adoption of Christianity
and held their seats at Aiþingi. It appears
to havc made the difference with regard to
ancient lcelandic culture that it was not
completely stamped out at the time of the
adoption of Christianity. The poetic and
saga tradition was transported from hea-
then times into the Christian community,
without difficulty, Many heathen tradi-
tions survived well for a tong time after
the acceptance of Chiristianity and some
got unscathed onto the pages of the first
books written in Iceland. It characterizes
Icelandic history writings that they were
written in Icelandic. It has been asserted
that stories in Icelandic were not intended
for pastors or monks, but rather they were
written and rewritten for wealthy noble-
men and paid for by them. This required
well-to-do men, and the wealth they are
considcred to have received front tradc
with Grecnland. From Greenland carae
valuable and rare products, white falcons,
polar bears, walrus teeth, and narwhal
horns. The trade with Greenland was
mainly connected to westem Icehmd, par-
ticularly Breiðafjörður.
Norway Christened by the ^word
HIS iS NOT THE WAY THINGS DEVELOl’ED
in Norway, where kings lbught for
power at the same time they preached the
Christian faith. Heathen opposition was
beaten back in the mmie of the faith, and
many were killed. Victory in this struggle
paved the way to power for kings. When
people accepted the faith in Norway they
had to deny everything connected to hea-
then practice.
“The adoption of Christianity was
much more diíficult in the other Nordic
countries, both in Denmark and Sweden,
and not least in Norway!” said A. Bugge
when he was amazed at the ease with
which the faith was adopted in Iceland.
King Ólafur Tryggvason waged wars
against heatliens widely in Norway. His
priest, Þímgbrandur, whom he sent to
Iceland to preach the Christian faith,
killed some men there. Icelandic poets
wrote defamatory poetry about mission-
aries who came to Iceland, and lost their
lives for it. If heathen poets in Norway
opposed the missionaries similarly to
Icelandic poets, they could expect to be
killed also. Possibly that is exactly what
happened. It could explain why heathen
poets disappeared in Norway at the end of
the tenth century, while Christian
Icelandic poets took over the position of
court poets in Norway after the adoption
of Christianity.
King Ólafur Harladsson established
Christian courts at the advice ol' Bishop
Grímkell and other leamed nten, empha-
sizing the elimination of heathendom and
ancieiit practices, which he felt disrupted
Christianity. When the king received
news of how Christianity was conducted
in Iceland he found it to be in bad condi-
tion, greatly abused with the laws permit-
ting the eating of horse meat. the expo-
sure of children, and other practices
which were against the Christian faith.
King Ólafur was dissatisfied with the per-
missiveness regarding heathen practices
in Iceland. He sent a message to
Icelanders to change their laws and estab-
lish Christian courts.
Punishment lianded out
by Norwegian kings
EIMSKHINGIA HAS MANY REI'ERENCES
to the way Christianity was accepted
in Norway. Among references there are
descriptions of punishinents handed out
by King Ólafur Tryggvason and Ólafur
Haraldsson, to those unwilling to accept
the faith or those who did not practice the
faith after receiving baptism.
King Ólafur Tryggvason was harsh
with his enemies when he was angered,
and punished them severely. Some were
burned at the stake, others were tom apart
by wild dogs, and still others were thrown
ofl'high cliffs.
At one time the king announced at an
assembly at Túnsberg that all who prac-
ticed witchcraft or sorcery. as well as
wizards, should leave the country. Such
men were sought out in the districts near-
by and brought before the king. A man by
the name of Eyvindur kelda was among
thetn. He was a sorcerer, leamed in witch-
craft.
Ólafur invited these men lo his hall,
where he gave thera a feast imd brought
them strpng drink. When they were dmnk
the hall was set on fire where it burned
with ali those in it except for Eyvindur
kelda. He escaped out through a window
and got away.
Sorne time later King Ólafúr was at
Körmt at Rogaland. Eyvindur kelda
airived there along with his comrades.
They were all sorcerers and leamed in
witchcraft. They planned to kill the king.
The king’s men arrested Eyvindur and his
comrades and took thenr all out to a sker-
ry which flooded with the tides, where
they were tied up. There Eyvindur kelda
died with all his nten. The skerry has
since been called Skrattasker (Devil’s
Skerry).
Heimskringla states that King Ólafur
Haraldsson, who was later sainted, inves-
tigated the way people practiced
Christianity and taught them correct faith.
Some of those who were not willing to
abandon heathendom he had driven out of
the countiy. Others had their hands or feet
cut off, or their eyes plucked out. Still
others he had hung or beheaded; no one
who refused to worship God escaped
without punishment.
It has been confirmed that the differ-
ence between Icelanders and Norwegians
in the field of history writing in ancient
times can be attiibuted to the way the
Christian faith was introduced.
In Norway heathendom was fought
with fire and sword at the time
Christianity was introduced. A period of
unrest was experienced during the change
offaiths; Knowledge of heathen practices
was uprooted as far as possible. Heathen
influences in the culture were considered
disruptive to Christianity and it was
against the law to have such knowiedge in
one’s possession. Heathen poets were
particularly dangerous to missionaries
because of their practice and knowledge
of ancient studies. They disappeared l'rom
the scene in the late tenth century. As a
result of all this the link to the ancient
story tradition was broken in a consider-
ably short time.
The heathen drótt-poetry was saturat-
ed in heathen story tradition. Therefore
both the mission-minded kings refused lo
listen to poets recite their poetry first after
the adoption of Christianity. However,
Ólafur Tryggvason listened to Hallfreður
vandræðaskúld, after he was baptized,
and Ólafur helgi was pleased with his
court poet. Sighvatur Þórðarson, who had
adopted the faith before arriving at the
king’s court. In Iceland Christianity was
adopted peacefully. Heathen goðir took
tne faith. were in charge of Christian
practices, and kept their worldly power.
Old studies were permitted and even val-
ued. Poets and storytellers presented their
poems and stories at gatherings. Ancient
culture, the saga tradition, and poetry
lived on al'ter the adoption of Christianity.
Later our stories and poetry from heathen
times were recorded on hides, in
Icelandic.
Stefún Adalsteinsson
Tramlated from Morgunblaðið
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