Gripla - 20.12.2010, Blaðsíða 213

213
Of The taking of Christianity
Arguably the most important single episode in Hallr’s life is his role in the
decision for Iceland to become a Christian country taken at the Alþingi
near the turn of the millennium.The missionary Þangbrandr in fact has no
part in the proceedings and has already returned to Norway somewhat
despondently. Instead King Óláfr has sent two Icelanders, Gizurr inn hvíti
and Hjalti Skeggjason, to continue Þangbrandr’s work. Íslendingabók
describes the conversion in a characteristically understated manner:
En annan dag eptir gingu þeir Gizurr ok Hjalti til lǫgbergs ok báru
upp erendi sín. En svá er sagt, at þat bæri frá, hvé vel þeir mæltu.
En þat gørðisk af því, at þar nefndi annarr maðr at ǫðrum vátta,
ok sǫgðusk hvárir ýr lǫgum við aðra, enir kristnu menn ok enir
heiðnu, ok gingu síðan frá lǫgbergi. Þá báðu enir kristnu menn Hall
á Síðu, at hann skyldi lǫg þeira upp segja, þau es kristninni skyldi
fylgja. En hann leystisk því undan við þá, at hann keypti at Þorgeiri
lǫgsǫgumanni, at hann skyldi upp segja, en hann vas enn þá heiðinn.
(ÍF I, I, 16)
The next day, they, Gizurr and Hjalti, went to the Law-rock and
made their case. And so it is said that it was extraordinary how
well they spoke. And what happened as a result was that one man
after another named witnesses, and each side, both the Christians
and heathens, said that it was exempt from the laws of the other,
and then they left the Law-rock. Then the Christians told Hallr at
Síða, that he should announce the laws, those which the Christians
should follow. But he got out of this, because he paid Þorgeirr the
Law-speaker, that he should announce it, and he was then still a
heathen.
Having retired beneath a cloak for one day and a night, Þorgeirr emerges
the following morning to announce that all Icelanders should be Christian
and receive baptism and that although men may continue to make heathen
sacrifices and eat horse meat, they must do so privately (exemptions that
were removed some years later). Þorgeirr’s speech is related in some detail
SÍÐU-HALLS SAGA OK SONA HANS