Gripla - 01.01.1977, Page 34

30 GRIPLA
Saga Oláfs Tryggvasonar af Oddr Snorrason munk (1932) udg. ved Finnur Jóns-
son. K0benhavn.
Skarðsárbók (1958) Landnámabók Björns Jónssonar á Skarðsá. Jakob Benedikts-
son gaf út. Reykjavík.
Vatnsdæla saga (1934) udg. ved Finnur Jónsson. STUAGNL LVIII. K0benhavn.
RIT
Almqvist, B. (1974) Norrön niddiktning. Traditionshistoriska studier i versmagi.
2:1-2. Nid mot missionárer. Senmedeltida nidtraditioner. Nordiska texter och
undersökningar 23. Stockholm.
Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson (1937) Om de norske kongers sagaer. Skrifter utgitt av Det
norske videnskabs-akademi i Oslo. II. Hist.-Filos. Klasse. 1936. No. 4. Oslo.
Björn M. Ólsen (1893) Om Are frode. Aarb0ger for nordisk oldkyndighed og
historie 1893.
Brenner, O. (1878) Uber die Kristni-Saga. Kritische Beitrage zur altnordischen
Literaturgeschichte. Munchen.
Einar Ól. Sveinsson (1933) Um Njálu. Reykjavík.
Guðmundur Þorláksson (1882) Udsigt over de norsk-islandske skjalde fra 9de til
14de árhundrede. STUAGNL VIII. K0benhavn.
Maurer, K. (1855-6) I—II. Die Bekehrung des norwegischen Stammes zum Chris-
tenthume. Miinchen.
SUMMARY
The lOth century mission in Iceland is described in sources dating from the 12th,
13th and 14th centuries. In the most developed form of the description (in Ólajs
Saga Tryggvasonar en mesta and Kristni Saga) three short narratives (þáttur, pl.
þœttir) can be discerned which in the above mentioned works are ordered in
chronological sequence according to their content. First is Þorvalds Þáttur Við-
förla, then Stefnis Þáttur Þorgilssonar and finally Þangbrands Þáttur.
In the oldest sources, dating from the 12th century, e.g. íslendingabók, neither
Þorvaldur Víðförli nor Stefnir Þorgilsson are mentioned as missionaries in Iceland;
on the other hand Þangbrandur is.
Þorvalds Þáttur Víðförla is here compared with Þangbrands Þáttur. According
to Þangbrands Þáttur the heathen, fierce people of northern Iceland forbade the
missionary Þangbrandur to travel through their regions, but according to Þorvalds
Þáttur Víðförla many inhabitants of northern Iceland were baptized early by a
companion of Þorvaldur Víðförli and became christian (fullkomlega kristnir).
Thus the two narratives contradict each other and it is obvious that Þorvalds Þáttur
Víðförla was written against Þangbrands Þáttur as an apology for early christian-
ity in the bishopric of Hólar. Direct references to Gunnlaugur Leifsson (d. 1218 or
19), local legendary tales from the surroundings of the monastery of Þingeyrar and