Gripla - 01.01.1993, Qupperneq 199

SAINTS AND SINNERS
199
When describing the death of Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson, Abbot Arngrímr
notes that Hrafn
þá, sem trúist, æskilegan enda með píslarvætti, þá er hann var
fyrir eina saman öfund leiddr um nátt af sæng sinni undir brugðit
sverð, því meirr en saklauss, at þann er fyrir var heimsókninni
hafði hann elskat, fætt, ok fóstrat sem sinn kjötligan son.62
Although papal approval for new cults was sometimes sought, it was
not formally required until 1234, and was frequently dispensed with
even after that date. Cults could even develop in the face of opposition
by ecclesiastical authorities; a woman executed at Nordnes, Norway,
after having laid claim to the throne, was venerated by both laymen
and clergy in spite of the archbishop’s objections.63
Many of those recognized as saints by the church were extremely
unlikely candidates for sanctity according to modern ideas. It must,
however, be remembered that in the Middle Ages a violent career did
not necessarily disqualify one from canonization. Sts. Ólafr, Magnús,
and Knútr are typical of the many victims of political conflicts who
subsequently became saints. Indeed, attempts to establish the holiness
of fallen leaders were almost the rule, rather than the exception, dur-
ing the twelfth century, even when the life of the individual in question
had been less than exemplary. We are told that Haraldr Gilli, mur-
dered in 1136, was considered a saint by some,64 and the extant account
of his death (which is preserved in the saga of his slayer, Sigurðr
slembir) is clearly designed to disprove their claim. It describes Har-
aldr as dying in bed with his mistress, too drunk to know what was
happening to him, much less give any consideration to the state of his
soul - which, under the circumstances, left much to be desired.65 Bjarni
Guðnason has argued that Sigurðr’s own saga was written with his
62 Guðmundar saga, Bp II, pp. 55-56.
63 Diplomatarium Norvegicum, vol. 6. Christiania, 1863, no. 100; vol. 8,1871, no. 67.
64 Mork 414.
65 Mork 413 / Hkr III 301. A similar situation - or perhaps a rumour of Haraldr’s
veneration which had been mis-located to Sweden - called forth the following censure
by Pope Alexander in a letter to King Knut: ‘magno nobis fuit horrori, quod quidam int-
er vos sunt qui diabolica fraude decepti, hominem quendam in potatione et ebrietate
occisum quasi sanctum, more infidelium, venerantur, cum vix etiam pro talibus in suis
ebrietatibus interemptis orare permittat Ecclesia.’ J. P. Migne, Patrologiœ Cursus
Completus, series secunda, vol. CC, Paris, 1855, col. 1261. It may be noted in passing that