Gripla - 01.01.1993, Blaðsíða 203

SAINTS AND SINNERS
203
farm at Búðarnes, killing twelve men, but ‘einn lifdi i husbrotunum ok
hafdi heitid a Þord Jonsson.’
Mention should also be made of the hermit Ásólfr alskik whose trib-
ulations are described in Landnámabók,85 These stories may reflect an
early attempt to establish a cult, and the scribe of the greater saga of
Ólafr Tryggvason goes so far as to say that Ásólfr was ‘kallaðr heil-
agr.’86 The dates of these developments, however, are unknown.
Given the above evidence for the enthusiasm with which Norwe-
gians and Icelanders greeted potential saints, it is worth asking wheth-
er similar claims may have been made for other individuals as well. It
would have been very much in the spirit of the Norwegian church par-
ty to sanctify Magnús Erlingsson, and there are indications that an at-
tempt to do so may have been made. Magnús receives a remarkably
good press in the extant sagas; even in Sverris saga hostility is focussed
on his father, Erlingr skakki. (This may, of course, represent tact on
the part of Sverrir, who wished to reconcile as many of his opponents
as possible.) Magnús’s claim to the throne is based on his coronation
oath, the fulfillment of which was regarded (at least by the author of
the saga) as a religious duty.87 It is interesting to note that precisely the
same argument was ascribed to St. Edward the Confessor as the basis
for his right to rule England, and said to have been recognized by the
would-be invader, Magnús the Good.88 Magnús Erlingsson’s body is
described as being well-preserved after several days’ immersion, a fact
which was useful to Sverrir, as it enabled unambiguous identification
of the corpse. It is interesting to note, however, that the phrase used to
describe it recalls the description of the body of St. Ólafr.89 While I do
not wish to enter the debate on the authorship of Sverris saga, there
can be little doubt that the extant text includes information from both
parties in the conflict; Ólafía Einarsdóttir has suggested that Arch-
85 íslendingabók Landnámabók, ed. Jakob Benediktsson (fslenzk fornrit, vol. 1),
Reykjavík, 1968, pp. 61-5.
86 Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta, ed. Ólafur Halldórsson (Editiones Arnamag-
næanæ, Series A, vol. 1), Copenhagen, 1958, p. 279.
87 Ss 67, 90.
88 Mork 54.
89
Ss 102: ‘eckí' var brugðit yf/r-bragþino oc eigi roðinn or kinnunum oc ecki ftirðn-
at.’ Hkr II 387: ‘roði var í kinnum, sem þá at hann svæfi.’ Hkr II 404: ‘var engan veg
brugðit ásjónu hans, svá roði í kinnunum, sem þá myndi, ef hann væri nýsofnaðr.’