Gripla - 20.12.2012, Page 180

GRIPLA178
simply mention Michael alongside Christ, God or other angels.3 It seems
remarkable that only one runic inscription refers to Michael as a dragon-
slayer since this is the role in which he seems to have been best known and,
indeed, he is portrayed thus in five wooden sculptures from norwegian
churches and at least one painted altar frontal, also from norway (Hohler
et al. 2004, 58 and 106).4
the earliest literary mention of st Michael comes from a skaldic stanza
composed around 1050 by the Icelander Arnór jarlaskáld. Here, the focus
is on how the archangel weighs souls in order to determine whether the
good a person has done outweighs the bad that he or she has also done:5
Míkáll vegr þats misgørt þykkir, / manvitsfróðr ok alt et góða; / tyggi
skiptir síðan seggjum / sólar hjálms á dæmistóli.6
(skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php)
Michael weighs what seems wrongly done, / ripe with wisdom, and
all that is good; / then the sovereign of the sun’s helmet / separates
out men at his judgement-seat.
(edwards 1982, 40)
3 A typical example is u 478 (Ängby, knivsta parish in sweden): estriþ let reisa stein þensa eftir
iuar bota sin auk ikuar auk ikifastr eftir faþur sin mihel kati at hans (“Æstrid let this stone be
raised after Ivar, her husband, and Ingvarr and Ingifastr after their father. Michael guard his
spirit”) (Wessén and jansson 1943–1946, 297; my translation). other inscriptions include
n A284; n B13; vg 202; GR 11; DR eM85, 4381; GR 43; n 262; n 266; n 404; n 636;
sö AA29, 8; Ög svk200, 109; DR 212; DR 380; DR 398; DR 399; DR 404; G 203; u
478. Many inscriptions highlight Michael’s role as guardian of souls; others mention him
in the company of Christ, God or other angels. I am grateful to tarrin Wills for helping
me to identify these inscriptions.
4 the inscription is swedish, vg 202 (fredberg parish, inscription found in the church):
sær magal trab ormin : suen antræs (“[one] sees Michael killed the serpent. sven. Andreas.”)
(jungner and svärdström 1958–1970, 358; my translation). the five norwegian sculp-
tures are found in Hov (nord-trøndelag), c. 1275–1300; Melhus (sør-trøndelag), c.
1250; näskott (jämtland), c. 1250; Mosvik (nord-trøndelag), c. 1250–1260, and Røldal
(Hordaland) (Hohler et al. 2004, 58); the altar panel is from kaupager (Hohler et al. 2004,
106).
5 Although there is no canonical biblical basis for this, weighing souls is a motif commonly
attached to Michael in iconography, too (Gad 1966, 617). there is a good example in Århus
Cathedral.
6 Sólar hjálmr, “the sun’s helmet”, is a kenning for the skies or heavens; tyggi solar hjálms,
“sovereign of the heavens”, is a kenning for Christ.