Gripla - 01.01.1975, Síða 128

124
GRIPLA
sently, to what extent the action and meaning of Eyrbyggja are con-
nected with pagan beliefs and customs.
In Eiríks saga rauða two individuals suffer because of their stub-
bom adherence to paganism. When Leifr proclaims Christianity in
Greenland as the emissary of Óláfr Tryggvason, his mother Þjóðhildr
hastens to accept the new religion, but Eiríkr is unwilling to abandon
the belief of his ancestors. As a result, he loses his conjugal rights.
Before making ready to sail for Vínland, he buries a chest of gold and
silver. When thrown from his horse, breaking some ribs and disloc-
ating a shoulder, Eiríkr himself interprets this mishap as a punish-
ment—a common type of anachronism in saga literature, this one
based upon a later law making the burying of money illegal in
Christian Iceland.
In this story, which is clearly a re-working of the much older
Grœnlendinga saga, Þórhallr veiðimaðr replaces Tyrkir and also
functions as a sort of surrogate for Eiríkr as a foil to the Christians.
His initial character portrayal (ch. 8), which is the most interesting
and detailed of any in the story, reveals his affinity to Eiríkr:
Þórhallr . . . veiðimaðr . . . hafði lengi verit með Eiríki, veiðimaðr hans um
sumrum, en bryti um vetrum. Hann var mikill maðr ok sterkr ok svartr ok
þursligr, hljóðlyndr ok illorðr, þat er hann mælti, ok eggjaði jafnan Eirík
ins verra. Hann var illa kristinn. Honum var víða kunnigt í óbyggðum.
Þórhallr the Hunter had been with Eiríkr for a long time. He was his
hunter during the summer and his steward during the winter. He was a
ta.ll, strong man, swarthy and ogre-like. He was taciturn, but abusive when
he did speak. He always exerted an evil influence on Eiríkr, and would
have nothing to do with Christianity. He had widely explored the wild
regions.
Þórhall’s only contribution to Karlsefni’s expedition is a whale that
he produces through magic incantations and the help of his friend
Þórr, but all who eat of the whale become ill. Finally Þórhallr grows
disenchanted because they find no wine and parts company with
Karlsefni. He is driven ashore by storms in Ireland, where he and his
small band of companions are beaten and enslaved.
The most obviously ‘churchy’ denunciation of Þórr worship is
found in Flóamanna saga (chs. 20-21), when Þórr appears in a series
of dreams to Þorgils following his conversion and threatens him with