Gripla - 20.12.2009, Qupperneq 57

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called liburna and which Horace mentions in one of his epodes – from
which Theodoricus quotes, in accordance with his general tendency to
refer to the classics as often as possible, no doubt with the aim of integrat­
ing his history of Norway into the mainstream of universal history.13
Although his exact account of the ruse is not very detailed, he makes it
perfectly clear to the reader how the earl was captured. The most charac­
teristic feature in theodoricus compared to the later sagas is the lack of
drama; there is no attempt to describe what happened when the ships cap­
sized or when the earl was brought aboard Óláfr’s ship. More important to
Theodoricus than such details is the moral aspect. From his point of view,
the episode does not portray the saintly king in a very favourable light:
Óláfr has attacked the earl without any declaration of war or feud and
given him no chance to defend himself. óláfr may clearly be accused of
unchivalrous behaviour but theodoricus has an excuse ready for him: he
wanted to avoid bloodshed.
The two “classical” sagas, Fagrskinna and Heimskringla,14 which have
almost exactly the same text, tell essentially the same story as theodoricus,
but in a different way. In the first part, they are somewhat more detailed in
explaining exactly how the earl’s ship capsized. They also add a sentence
about how the earl’s men dropped into the water, some drowning and
some being killed by óláfr’s men. they thus make no point of óláfr’s
alleged wish to avoid bloodshed. The main difference comes in the next
part. the earl is taken captive and led on board óláfr’s ship. He is seven­
teen years old and very handsome, with long, beautiful hair like silk, tied
up with a golden string:
He sat down by the mast. Then said King Óláf, “It is certainly true
what is said about your kin, that you are of handsome appearance.
But luck has deserted you now.”
Hákon replied, “It is not that luck has deserted us. It has long
been the case that now the one, now the other of two parties have
lost out… It may be that we are more successful another time.”
13 Sverre Bagge, “Theodoricus Monachus – Clerical Historiography in Twelfth-century
Norway,” Scandinavian Journal of History 14 (1989), 115–17.
14 Fagrskinna. Nóregs kononga tal, ed. finnur jónsson (Copenhagen: S.L. Møller, 1902–03),
(=Fsk.) ch. 26, and Heimskringla, ed. f. jónsson (Copenhagen: S.L. Møller, 1893–1900),
II, 38–40.
noRDIC unIQueneSS In tHe MIDDLe AGeS?