Gripla - 2019, Qupperneq 219

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Nonetheless the author is convinced that many readers will wonder why
he, of all people, is undertaking this task. Certainly, he says, there are those
who would be more capable of writing this piece of work, above all the late
bishop’s grandson and successor Þorlákur Skúlason, who is understandably
reluctant to undertake it because of his manifest and honourable modestia
“modesty.” Having paid this tribute to the new bishop, the author dwells
for a while upon the question why he was gradually persuaded to write the
eulogy. An important reason for Arngrímur’s acceptance of this task is that
it would be unjust if, having commemorated other men and tried to glorify
his own patriam “fatherland” in his writings, he should allow ipsum patriæ
patrem “the father of the fatherland himself,” i.e. Guðbrandur Þorláksson,
to go unmentioned by refusing to contribute a just eulogy of his name.
Having resolved to commemorate his old patron, Arngrímur promises in
a threatening, almost invective, tone not to let the supercilium “arrogance”
and invidentia “envy” of Guðbrandur’s very few but very wicked enemies
prevent him from asserting the immortality of his renown. By this re-
mark the author admits that the old bishop was not universally beloved,
although he does not elaborate either here or later in the work, except in
vague hints.
To add more weight to his decision to write about such a famous man,
Arngrímur turns to the learned world and quotes first a passage from the
Epistle to the Hebrews on how we should remember those leaders who
have spoken the word of God to us and emulate their lives.3 Secondly he
refers to Seneca on how we should cultivate virtues not only when they
are present but also when they have been removed from our sight.4 From
these general and plausible reasons for writing a commemorative work on
Bishop Guðbrandur, the author proceeds to refute the criticism that too
long a time had passed to perform such funeral obsequies, or parentatio
as he calls them here. This is done with a direct reference to Antiquity by
mentioning the feriæ Novendiales and the use of the expressions, solenne,
sollennia, parentalia and Dies parentales, illustrated by two quotations
from the second book of Ovid’s Fasti.5 Having proved with these exam-
3 Hebrews 13:7.
4 Seneca, De beneficiis. L. Annaeus Seneca. Moral Essays, vol. 3, ed. by John W. Basore (London
and New York: Heinemann, 1935), IV. 30, 3.
5 Feriæ Novendiales is generally used to denote a nine days’ festival. The adjective novendialis
also refers to what takes place on the ninth day, e.g. the offerings and feasts for the dead
TO TELL THE TRUTH – BUT NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH