Gripla - 01.01.1995, Blaðsíða 121

„1236: ÓRÆKJA MEIDDR OK HEILL GQRR" 119
no evidence, however, that Órækja escaped unscathed because of Þor-
steinn’s drengskapr, as Einar Ólafur claims, because Þorsteinn does in-
deed thrust the knife into Órækja’s eyes, and he complies with Sturla’s
command and removes one of Órækja’s testicles.
Yet there can be no doubt that the allusion to Órækja’s prayer dur-
ing the torture, which must have been reported to Sturla Þórðarson by
Sturla Sighvatsson upon the latter’s return to Reykjaholt, was intend-
ed to evoke images of miraculous healings in hagiographic literature.7
The entry in the „Skálholtsannáll,“ which reads „Órækja meiddr ok
heill gprr með jarteinum ok fór útan,“ clearly shows that, at least to
some members of Norse society, the healing of Órækja had miraculous
overtones.8 9
But there is no evidence that Sturla Þórðarson himself attributed
Órækja’s fitness to divine intervention and, despite the entry in the
„Skálholtsannáll,“ it is doubtful whether Órækja’s alleged recovery
was considered a miracle by contemporary clerics. After the Surts-
hellir incident, Sturla Þórðarson and Órækja both sought out Bishop
Magnús of Skálaholt, who „received them heartily and absolved them
mercifully.“tJ Magnús awarded Órækja ten hundreds of vaðmál, stipu-
lated that he must leave the country, and asserted that he would never
be able to further his case in Iceland. As mentioned above, the damag-
es awarded Órækja for the alleged castration and blinding are com-
pletely out of proportion with the codified compensation for such
crimes. According to all Old Norwegian and Old Icelandic laws, blind-
ing, as well as castration, were considered „major wounds“ and puni-
7 When Sturla Þórðarson and Svarthöfði meet Játvarðr after they have left Reykja-
holt, they tell him „the tidings," that is, they tell him about the location and the partici-
pants in the incident (and, we must assume, of the incident as reported to them). Ját-
varðr, however, only reports that „Órækja had the use of his eyes and that he was un-
hurt," cf. fsl, p. 396.
g
See Storm, Islandske annaler, p. 188. As far as similar miracles go, Saint Þorlákr is
said to restore the eyesight of those who call on him. See Þorláks saga byskups, p. 106;
Jarteinabók Þorláks byskups 1199, p. 186; Jarteinabók Þorláks byskups önnur, pp. 203,
220; in vol. I of Byskupa sögur I—III (ed. Guðni Jónsson, Reykjavík, 1948). One of the
most famous miracles of Saint Óláfr involves the healing of the English priest Ríkarðr,
whose eyes had been put out and tongue cut off in an episode of maiming. See Heims-
kringla (ed. Finnur Jónsson, 1911; rpt. Oslo, 1966, pp. 587-89).
9 ísl, p. 396.