Gripla - 20.12.2012, Blaðsíða 181

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Arnór’s stanza sees Michael partaking in the process of divine judg-
ment alongside Christ.7 the wider poetic context of the stanza remains
unknown. It is, however, probable that it was inspired by some visual
representation of Michael, since the only biblical references to him show
him disputing with and overcoming the Devil (Jude 9 and Revelation 12, re-
spectively). If Arnór’s source of inspiration were iconographic, this would
moreover place his stanza within the norse skaldic tradition of picture-
describing poems (edwards 1982, 40–41), and it could also serve as an
indication that much of what was known about Michael in early Christian
Iceland (and scandinavia generally) was based as much on extra-biblical
traditions as on the canonical texts.
Biblical tradition portrays Michael as defeating the Anti-Christ at the
Apocalypse and this aspect of his character would have been well known
in medieval Iceland. the fourteenth-century religious narrative Michaels
saga, written by Bergur sokkason c. 1340–1350, contains a number of dif-
ferent elements that may be taken as representative of what Icelanders at
the time associated with the archangel.8 It contains the Monte Gargano
legend about the famous Italian shrine dedicated to the archangel and a
version of Visio Pauli in which Michael leads one man to Heaven while
devils bring another to Hell.9 It also emphasizes how angels attend to the
well-being or salvation of the souls of Christians.10 Moreover, the saga (in
ch. 29) refers to Michael as leader of the heavenly army and of the angels
and states that Michael is above all known as the slayer of the Anti-Christ,
7 there are no other early skaldic references to Michael. oddur kíkinaskáld mentions Míkáls-
messa, which is Michaelmass (poem about Magnús góði 1, c. 1046); angels are mentioned
in a general sense by some early medieval skalds, for example Arnór jarlaskáld (Hrynhenda
Magnússdrápa 18, c. 1046), Þrándur í Götu (Kredda) and sighvatur Þórðarson (Erfidrápa
Óláfs helga 28, c. 1040) (skaldic.arts.usyd.ed.au/db.php). from the twelfth century onwards,
references to angels become commonplace in skaldic poetry (Paasche 1914, 45).
8 It survives in AM 657a-b 4°, c. 1350, AM 657c 4°, c. 1340–1390 (the end only), and Holm
perg. 10 8°, c. 1400 (fragments) (ONP, 336).
9 the version of Visio Pauli occurs in Michaels saga ch. 11 (unger 1877, 690–693) and involves
characters from Chanson de Roland with Michael bringing Roland to Heaven while devils
take Roland’s enemy Marsirius to Hell (see also tveitane 1963). the Monte Gargano
legend follows in chs. 13–28 (unger 1877, 693–711).
10 for example Michaels saga chs. 8 and 9, where a man falls into a deep sleep during which an
angel appears to him, shows him all the evil he has done and helps him to change his ways
for the better (unger 1877, 686–689).
st MICHAeL AnD tHe sons of síÐu-HALLuR