Gripla - 01.01.1975, Page 125

ANTIPAGAN SENTIMENT IN THE SAGAS 121
weakens him that he is finally overbome by his enemies. But when
they boast of having laid low a great champion, Grettir’s brother
refutes them: it was not they who slew Grettir but their witchcraft and
pagan lore (galdrar ykkrir ok forneskja).
Whereas these characters suffered because of pagan spells and
curses inflicted from without, other characters bring misfortune on
themselves and on others through their own pagan beliefs and prac-
tices. Hrafnkel’s devotion to Freyr leads him to commit a bmtal
killing that eventually leads to his downfall; his renunciation of the
pagan gods marks the beginning of his rapid rehabilitation. When in-
formed of the destmction of his horse Freyfaxi and his goðahús and
idols (ch. 7) Hrafnkell declares:
‘Ek hygg þat hégóma at trúa á goð.’ Ok sagðisk hann þaðan af aldri skyldu
á goð trúa, ok þat efndi hann síðan, at hann blótaði aldri.
‘I think it foolish to believe in gods.’ And he declared that he would never
worship gods from that time on, and he kept this vow and never again
engaged in blood sacrifice.
The following paragraph relates Hrafnkel’s rapid rise to power,
wealth, and popularity. The connection between Hrafnkel’s renuncia-
tion of pagan worship and his rehabilitation is clear.
In Víga-Glúms saga, however, the situation is more complex in re-
gard to the interrelationship of worth of character, personal and
family fortune, impersonal fate, and the pagan gods. Suffice it to say
that in contrast to the friendship that existed between Freyr and
Hrafnkell, the relationship between this god and Glúmr is one of
enmity and hostility. Early in the story (ch. 8) Glúmr slays Sigmundr
Þorkelsson while he is illegally harvesting on the field Vitazgjafi and
then forces Þorkell to sell him his properties for half their real value.
Before surrendering his lands (ch. 9) Þorkell reminds the god Freyr
of his many previous gifts and sacrifices an ox to him with the suppli-
cation that Glúmr too be forced to leave his lands in due time (‘at
Glúmr fari eigi ónauðgari af Þverárlandi en ek fer nú’). Attendant
circumstances strongly suggest that Þorkel’s request will be granted.
Shortly before Glúmr is banished from his estate as a consequence
of losing a lawsuit to Einarr Þveræingr (ch. 26), he has this encounter
with Freyr: