Ritið : tímarit Hugvísindastofnunar - 01.01.2013, Síða 145

145
Ú T D R Á T T U R
Arons saga
Minningar, mýtur og sagnaminni
Arons saga Hjörleifssonar er í hópi svokallaðra veraldlegra samtíðarsagna. Hún mun
upphaflega hafa verið skrifuð á fyrri hluta 14. aldar. Sagan er ekki varðveitt í Sturl-
ungu, sem er samsteypa annarra veraldlegra samtíðarsagna, heldur sérstök.
Arons saga er ævisaga einnar af hetjum 13. aldar. Samkvæmt sögunni var Aron
mikill stuðningsmaður Guðmundar biskups Arasonar í deilum hans við höfðingja,
einkum Sturlunga. Gerðu þeir Aron útlægan. Hann varð seinna hirðmaður Hákon-
ar Hákonarsonar Noregskonungs og lést í Noregi 1255.
Saga Arons vakti áhuga margra. Sagt er frá honum í Íslendinga sögu Sturlu
Þórðar sonar og Ólafur hvítaskáld, bróðir Sturlu, orti um hann. Þormóður Ólafsson
orti e.t.v. um Aron tvö kvæði. Þá er sagt frá Aroni í Guðmundar sögu biskups.
Í greininni er rætt um sambandið milli þessara heimilda um ævi Arons og minn-
ingar, mýtur og frásagnarminni sem saga hans gæti verið reist á.
Lykilorð: samtíðarsaga, söguleg frásögn, minning, mýta, frásagnarminni, Arons saga
Hjörleifssonar
A B S T R A C T
Arons saga
Memory, Myths and Motives
Arons saga is a contemporary saga written in the first half of the fourteenth cent-
ury. It was not included in the Sturlunga compilation of contemporary sagas but
preserved separately.
Arons saga is a biography of one of the renowned heroes of 13th-century Iceland,
an eager supporter of Guðmundr the Bishop of Hólar in the bishop’s controversies
with the Icelandic chieftains, not least the Sturlungs. Finally Aron was outlawed
from Iceland.
The story of Aron was of interest to many. He is mentioned in Íslendinga saga
by Sturla Þórðarson, and Sturla’s brother, Ólafr hvítaskáld, composed a laudatory
poem in his memory. A certain Þormóðr Ólafsson composed probably two poems
about Aron. Aron is also mentioned in the Saga of Guðmundr Arason.
The paper discusses the relationship between the different sources of Aron’s life
and the saga’s background in myth and memory by taking into consideration recent
theoretical approaches relevant to the material.
Keywords: contemporary saga, historical narrative, memory, myth, motif, Arons
saga
aRons saGa