Gripla - 20.12.2012, Page 186

GRIPLA184
Þiðrandi
one story, told in ch. 215 of Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta (ólafur
Halldórsson 1958–2000 2, 145–150), is known as Þiðranda þáttr ok Þór-
halls.24 the fact that the saga in which this þáttr appears also contains the
long account of síðu-Hallur’s conversion is hardly a coincidence (Björn M.
ólsen 1893, 301; kaplan 2000).
the story concerns a specific pre-Christian autumnal feast known as
vetrnætr or Winter nights; certain heathen supernatural beings figure
prominently in the plot and the general setting is (at least superficially)
entirely heathen in nature.25 significantly, however, the tale overlaps as far
as the Christian imagery surrounding st Michael is concerned, especially
the vision described in Michaels saga ch. 3 (see above) and the late-recorded
norwegian Draumkvædet (see below). In fact, the story of Þiðrandi might
be said to present the indisputably heathen traditions that underpin this
narrative in such a way that they come to convey very Christian ideas.
the þáttr tells firstly of Þórhallur who was a very wise man and known
as Þórhallur spámaðr, “the prophet”. He lived in the east fjords and was
a great friend of síðu-Hallur who, at the time these events took place, had
not yet been converted to Christianity. one autumn, Þórhallur is invited
to síðu-Hallur’s home for the Winter nights feast. Þórhallur accepts
the invitation but expresses some concern because he has foreseen that
a prophet will be killed during the celebrations — the implication is that
he is worried about his own well-being. síðu-Hallur says that he owns an
ox called spámaðr which he intends to sacrifice, and that this must be the
spámaðr concerned so there is no need for Þórhallur to worry.26
24 the tale survives in several manuscripts of Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta; see kaplan
2000, 379. Bergdís Þrastardóttir points out that many þættir are not actually called þættir
in the manuscripts; this is a scholarly term employed from the seventeenth century on-
wards.
25 the Winter nights were celebrated in late autumn to mark the end of summer and the
beginning of winter. the celebrations spanned three nights and two days that constituted a
distinctly liminal period of transition since they were considered to be neither summer nor
winter. see Gunnell 2004 for a more detailed analysis of the Winter nights.
26 kaplan (kaplan 2000, 385–387) argues that the name is most likely a kind of pun based
on Hallur’s description of his ox as spakari than most other oxen. since this comparative
adjective can mean both “wiser” and “tamer”, kaplan holds it to be more likely that it is used
in the latter sense here. furthermore, she points out that the description also fits Þiðrandi
well, which would strengthen the link drawn between him and the ox suggested here.