Gripla - 01.01.1975, Page 112

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GRIPLA
Þorstein’s son was Þorkell máni, one of the best of heathen men in regard
to good conduct, as far as is known. During the illness that led to his death
he had himself carried out into the sunshine and commended himself to
the care of that god who had created the sun. He had lived as pure a life
as the most decorous Christians. His son was Þormóðr, who was the su-
preme goði at the Alþingi when Christianity came to Iceland.
These three character descriptions have one fact in common: they
were written from the Christian point of view. When Arnkell goði is
described as ‘one of the best and wisest men in the ancient faith’, the
implication is clear. The author of Vatnsdœla is more explicit: Þor-
kell krafla owes his superiority over such great heroes as Þorsteinn
and Ingimundr to the fact that he has embraced the true faith and
loves the true God. Landnámabók goes one step further: Þorkell
máni is declared to have been the equal of the best of Christians. But
we must not forget that Þorkell máni was an exceptional person: he
was the grandson of Ingólfr and the father of Þormóðr, the allsherjar-
goði who presided at the Alþingi when Christianity was adopted as
the law of the land. The author of this statement could think of no
higher praise for one of the great national leaders of pagan times
than to declare that he was equal in moral and social conduct to the
best and finest of Christians.
Throughout saga literature there are numerous allusions to the
advent of Christianity and the abandonment of paganism, both as
factual reports and as prophecies and forebodings. The latter are
especially interesting because of the variety of ways in which the con-
version of the country or of an individual is foretold.
In Bárðar saga Snœfellsáss (ch. 1) Bárðr has a dream in which he
sees a tree grow out of his fosterfather Dofri’s hearth and spread over
all of Norway. Various parts of the tree (a beautiful blossom, a gold-
en bough, etc.) signify three individuals: Haraldr hárfagri, a kinsman
of his who will bring a faith different from the current one, and St.
Óláfr. This dream is clearly derived from the prophetic dreams that
are attributed to Queen Ragnhildr and King Hálfdan in Hálfdanar
saga svarta (chs. 6 and 7). Just how the dream came to be interpreted
is not clear, but the author comments wryly that the predicted change
of faith was not exactly to the liking of the pagan Bárðr. Variants of
the tree dream occur in Harðar saga ok Hólmverja (chs. 6 and 7)