Art and ethics in Hrafnkel's saga

82 Pages·1971·5.598 MB·English

by  Hermann Pálsson

Hermann Palsson
Art and Ethics
in Hrafnkel 's Saga
MUNKSGAARD
vvr:.<: rn 1:r••1r • •' "' r:::-• ~· U'.:RARY
~:,..,_,.~, "~Gu; Mi-n.G,..H 49001
SCANDINAVIAN UNIVERSITY BOOKS
DENMARK MUNKSGAARD Copenhagen
NORWAY UNIVERSITETSFORLAGET Oslo, Bergen, Tromso
SWEDEN LAROMEDELSFORLAGEN Stockholm, Gothenburg, Lund
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----------------==~--=~- ~-
Contents
Art and E'fhics in Hrafnkel's Saga, 1. edition, 1. impression
Copyright© l97J Munksgaard, Copenhagen
All rights reserved
This work is protected by copyright,
no part of it may be reproduced
in any manner without written permission
from the publishers Preface 7
Introduction 9
Cover by Poul Breuning
Structure 22
Printed in Denmark by
Aarhuus Stiftsbogtrykkerie NS Landscape 33
Aarhus, Denmark
Freedom and action 40
ISBN 87 16 00300 4 Justice 51
Self-knowledge and pride 57
Pain and passion 62
Heroic attitudes 70
Excursus 74
Bibliography 80
Index 82
For the USA:
HUMANITIES PRESS, Inc.
303 Park Avenue South
Kew York, N.Y. 10010
--· -----
----------------==~--=~- ~-
Contents
Art and E'fhics in Hrafnkel's Saga, 1. edition, 1. impression
Copyright© l97J Munksgaard, Copenhagen
All rights reserved
This work is protected by copyright,
no part of it may be reproduced
in any manner without written permission
from the publishers Preface 7
Introduction 9
Cover by Poul Breuning
Structure 22
Printed in Denmark by
Aarhuus Stiftsbogtrykkerie NS Landscape 33
Aarhus, Denmark
Freedom and action 40
ISBN 87 16 00300 4 Justice 51
Self-knowledge and pride 57
Pain and passion 62
Heroic attitudes 70
Excursus 74
Bibliography 80
Index 82
For the USA:
HUMANITIES PRESS, Inc.
303 Park Avenue South
Kew York, N.Y. 10010
Preface
The idea that I should write this book came from Stefan
Karlsson of the i\rnamagnrean Institute in Copenhagen (now
member of the 11anuscript Institute in Reykjavik), who
thought that University students and others concerned \vith
the Icelandic sagas from a literary point of view \vould be
interested to have my observations on Hrafnkel's Saga made
available to them in English. The present work is broadly
based on my Hrafnkels saga og Freysgyi!lingar (1962) and
Sii!frmi!i Hrafnkels Sogu (1966), but I have left out many de
tails included in these publications and added a number of
ne\v ones. For illustrative purposes I have quoted some \vell
known passages from the Bible and medieval authorities, some
of which are not to be found in my previous 'vorks on H rafn
kel' s Saga, and it should be borne in mind that I have done
so only to remind my readers that the moral problems under
consideration were the business of Christian authors; \•.re have
no means of telling precisely which books the author of H rafn
kel's Saga had actually read.
I am obliged to Penguin Books Ltd. for permission to quote
from my translation of the saga. My colleague, David J. Tit
tensor read the draft of the book and gave me a number of
valuable suggestions which I have gratefully accepted. I am
J.
also indebted to Edward Cowan of the Department of
Scottish History, University of Edinburgh, for vetting the final
version of the manuscript and helping me with the proofs.
Edinburgh, November 1970.
Hermann Pdlsson.
Preface
The idea that I should write this book came from Stefan
Karlsson of the i\rnamagnrean Institute in Copenhagen (now
member of the 11anuscript Institute in Reykjavik), who
thought that University students and others concerned \vith
the Icelandic sagas from a literary point of view \vould be
interested to have my observations on Hrafnkel's Saga made
available to them in English. The present work is broadly
based on my Hrafnkels saga og Freysgyi!lingar (1962) and
Sii!frmi!i Hrafnkels Sogu (1966), but I have left out many de
tails included in these publications and added a number of
ne\v ones. For illustrative purposes I have quoted some \vell
known passages from the Bible and medieval authorities, some
of which are not to be found in my previous 'vorks on H rafn
kel' s Saga, and it should be borne in mind that I have done
so only to remind my readers that the moral problems under
consideration were the business of Christian authors; \•.re have
no means of telling precisely which books the author of H rafn
kel's Saga had actually read.
I am obliged to Penguin Books Ltd. for permission to quote
from my translation of the saga. My colleague, David J. Tit
tensor read the draft of the book and gave me a number of
valuable suggestions which I have gratefully accepted. I am
J.
also indebted to Edward Cowan of the Department of
Scottish History, University of Edinburgh, for vetting the final
version of the manuscript and helping me with the proofs.
Edinburgh, November 1970.
Hermann Pdlsson.
Introduction
The present study is an attempt to interpret Hrafnkel's Saga
in terms of thirteenth century values and attitudes, and it is
my hope that the essay will also serve to encourage a fresh
approach to saga criticism in general. The text-book image of
the fictional literature of medieval Iceland is essentially the
creation of nineteenth century romanticism, which saw the
sagas as a window on the Viking Age and treated them, often
uncritically, as sources for pagan customs and beliefs, for
heroic ideals and pre-Christian morality. The Sagas of Ice
landers, though written two or three centuries after the con
version to Christianity, were believed to preserve a faithful
picture, not only of what the heathen did, but also o( their
motives and feelings. The romanticists regarded medieval Ice
land as a repository of primitive Germanic virtues, and the
saga heroes were supposed to be life-like portraits of people
who had existed in pagan times. The art of saga writing was
treated genetically, either as an immanent quality in the Ger
manic race, or else as a legacy inherited from Celtic slaves
and settlers who made their homes in Iceland during the late
ninth and early tenth centuries.I Nativists who set out to ex
plain the origin and development of saga writing in medieval
Iceland would sooner or later arrive at the conclusion that it
must be attributed to the long winter nights, as if there were
an obvious correlation between high latitudes and literary ac
tivity.
1. For a succinct account of different theories concerning the origin
and nature of the saga literature, see Theodore M. Andersson, The
Problem of Icelandic Saga Origins, Yale University Press 1964.
"The Irish Hypothesis" is discussed on pp. 56-61.
Introduction
The present study is an attempt to interpret Hrafnkel's Saga
in terms of thirteenth century values and attitudes, and it is
my hope that the essay will also serve to encourage a fresh
approach to saga criticism in general. The text-book image of
the fictional literature of medieval Iceland is essentially the
creation of nineteenth century romanticism, which saw the
sagas as a window on the Viking Age and treated them, often
uncritically, as sources for pagan customs and beliefs, for
heroic ideals and pre-Christian morality. The Sagas of Ice
landers, though written two or three centuries after the con
version to Christianity, were believed to preserve a faithful
picture, not only of what the heathen did, but also o( their
motives and feelings. The romanticists regarded medieval Ice
land as a repository of primitive Germanic virtues, and the
saga heroes were supposed to be life-like portraits of people
who had existed in pagan times. The art of saga writing was
treated genetically, either as an immanent quality in the Ger
manic race, or else as a legacy inherited from Celtic slaves
and settlers who made their homes in Iceland during the late
ninth and early tenth centuries.I Nativists who set out to ex
plain the origin and development of saga writing in medieval
Iceland would sooner or later arrive at the conclusion that it
must be attributed to the long winter nights, as if there were
an obvious correlation between high latitudes and literary ac
tivity.
1. For a succinct account of different theories concerning the origin
and nature of the saga literature, see Theodore M. Andersson, The
Problem of Icelandic Saga Origins, Yale University Press 1964.
"The Irish Hypothesis" is discussed on pp. 56-61.
10 11
VVhat the romantically minded saga critic keeps forgetting written by Abbot Brand Jonsson (d. 1264), one of the leading
or ignoring is the simple fact that everything read in l'Vjars intellectuals in thirteenth-century Iceland.6 He \Vas for a num
'\Ve
Saga) Laxdmla Saga) Grettir's Saga, Hrafnkel's Saga and other ber of years head of the Augustinian house at Thykkvaba;r in
stories belonging to the genre, is seen through Christian eyes Ver (1247-62), and later Bishop of H6lar (1263-64). Con
and intended for Christian ears. But a new picture of these temporary sources speak of him as an outstanding Church
sagas is gradually emerging, and scholars are beginning to rea leader, teacher and peace-maker; he acted as a successful
lize how much this literature owes to the Christian tradition mediator in several bitter disputes. But it is for his contribu
of medieval Europe. 2 By the time these stories were 'i.vritten, tions to Icelandic letters that his name is chiefly remembered.
Icelandic attitudes had been moulded by Christian values, Medieval manuscripts credit him v.'ith two •vorks of consider
and for the saga authors and their public the pagan period able importance. One is the so-called Gy6inga Saga 7 ('His
was a remote and unfamiliar \Vorld, vvhich they could under tory of the Jews') which is based on several learned sources:
stand and interpret only in their OY..rn terms. The sagas I men the Antiquitates ]udaicae and De Bello ]udaico of Flavius
tioned above must be regarded as thirteenth century artifacts, Josephus (d. c. 100), the Historia Scholastica of Peter Come
created by individual authors whose identity is no longer stor (d. 1179 or 1189), and the Bible. The Icelandic version
knov.,,n, and \vhose aims and purposes can only be inferred from was probably completed before Abbot Brand took charge of
the surviving texts. In order to understand this literature we the monastery in 1247, since the manuscript attributes it to
must study it closely and read it against its immediate social 'Brand J6nsson, the Priest, Vv·ho later became Bishop of H6lar'.
and cultural background.3 The Icelandic sagas have of course About 1260, as far as \Ve can judge, Abbot Brand made a
certain artistic and historical values for the modern reader, 4 brilliant prose version in Icelandic of the t\velfth-century La
but these must never be confused with their authors' intentions, tin epic Alexandreis of Philippe Gautier de Chatillon ( d. after
and we have no right to assume that the original public re 1184). His translation, Alexander's Saga,s is one of the great
acted to the sagas in the same \vay as the modern reader does. literary monuments of medieval Iceland. It has been shown
Like all the Sagas of Icelanders, Hrafnkefs Saga is anonym that there are some notable stylistic affinities between H rafnkeF s
ous, and its precise date and provenance are a matter of Saga and the two works attributed to i\bbot Brand; the
speculation.5 It has been suggested that it may have been verbal parallels between Hrafnkel's Saga and Alexande/s Saga
are particularly striking. It has also been suggested that the
2. See e.g. Lars L6nroth, European Sources of Icelandic Saga
YVriting, Stockholm 1965; and Hans Bekker-Nielsen, Th. Damsgaard Icelandic Sagas, An essay in method. London, 1958 . .t\.n Icelandic
Olsen and Ole Widding, 1Vorron Fortmllekunst, Copenhagen 1965. edition: Ritunartimi lslendingasagna. ROk og ranns6knara0ferl5. Rey
3. This problem is discussed by Einar dl. Sveinsson, "The Ice kjavik, 1965.
landic Family Sagas and the Period in which their authors lived", 6. See my Hrafnkels saga og Freysgy!Jlingar, Reykjavik 1962.
Acta Philologica Scandinavica xii (1937-38), 71-90. 7. Edited by Gu5mundur :Porl<iksson, 1881.
4. See Einar dl. Sveinsson, "The Value of the Icelandic Sagas",
8. The best printed edition is that of Finnur J6nsson, 1925. A
Saga-Book of the Viking Society xv (1957), 1-16.
facsimile edition of one of the MSS was prepared by J6n Helgason
5. 1.1ost of the Sagas of Icelanders have proved difficult to date. for the Manuscripta Jslandica series (vol. vii) in 1966, with an excel
The best \Vork on this problem is Einar 61. Sveinsson, Dating the
lent introduction.
10 11
VVhat the romantically minded saga critic keeps forgetting written by Abbot Brand Jonsson (d. 1264), one of the leading
or ignoring is the simple fact that everything read in l'Vjars intellectuals in thirteenth-century Iceland.6 He \Vas for a num
'\Ve
Saga) Laxdmla Saga) Grettir's Saga, Hrafnkel's Saga and other ber of years head of the Augustinian house at Thykkvaba;r in
stories belonging to the genre, is seen through Christian eyes Ver (1247-62), and later Bishop of H6lar (1263-64). Con
and intended for Christian ears. But a new picture of these temporary sources speak of him as an outstanding Church
sagas is gradually emerging, and scholars are beginning to rea leader, teacher and peace-maker; he acted as a successful
lize how much this literature owes to the Christian tradition mediator in several bitter disputes. But it is for his contribu
of medieval Europe. 2 By the time these stories were 'i.vritten, tions to Icelandic letters that his name is chiefly remembered.
Icelandic attitudes had been moulded by Christian values, Medieval manuscripts credit him v.'ith two •vorks of consider
and for the saga authors and their public the pagan period able importance. One is the so-called Gy6inga Saga 7 ('His
was a remote and unfamiliar \Vorld, vvhich they could under tory of the Jews') which is based on several learned sources:
stand and interpret only in their OY..rn terms. The sagas I men the Antiquitates ]udaicae and De Bello ]udaico of Flavius
tioned above must be regarded as thirteenth century artifacts, Josephus (d. c. 100), the Historia Scholastica of Peter Come
created by individual authors whose identity is no longer stor (d. 1179 or 1189), and the Bible. The Icelandic version
knov.,,n, and \vhose aims and purposes can only be inferred from was probably completed before Abbot Brand took charge of
the surviving texts. In order to understand this literature we the monastery in 1247, since the manuscript attributes it to
must study it closely and read it against its immediate social 'Brand J6nsson, the Priest, Vv·ho later became Bishop of H6lar'.
and cultural background.3 The Icelandic sagas have of course About 1260, as far as \Ve can judge, Abbot Brand made a
certain artistic and historical values for the modern reader, 4 brilliant prose version in Icelandic of the t\velfth-century La
but these must never be confused with their authors' intentions, tin epic Alexandreis of Philippe Gautier de Chatillon ( d. after
and we have no right to assume that the original public re 1184). His translation, Alexander's Saga,s is one of the great
acted to the sagas in the same \vay as the modern reader does. literary monuments of medieval Iceland. It has been shown
Like all the Sagas of Icelanders, Hrafnkefs Saga is anonym that there are some notable stylistic affinities between H rafnkeF s
ous, and its precise date and provenance are a matter of Saga and the two works attributed to i\bbot Brand; the
speculation.5 It has been suggested that it may have been verbal parallels between Hrafnkel's Saga and Alexande/s Saga
are particularly striking. It has also been suggested that the
2. See e.g. Lars L6nroth, European Sources of Icelandic Saga
YVriting, Stockholm 1965; and Hans Bekker-Nielsen, Th. Damsgaard Icelandic Sagas, An essay in method. London, 1958 . .t\.n Icelandic
Olsen and Ole Widding, 1Vorron Fortmllekunst, Copenhagen 1965. edition: Ritunartimi lslendingasagna. ROk og ranns6knara0ferl5. Rey
3. This problem is discussed by Einar dl. Sveinsson, "The Ice kjavik, 1965.
landic Family Sagas and the Period in which their authors lived", 6. See my Hrafnkels saga og Freysgy!Jlingar, Reykjavik 1962.
Acta Philologica Scandinavica xii (1937-38), 71-90. 7. Edited by Gu5mundur :Porl<iksson, 1881.
4. See Einar dl. Sveinsson, "The Value of the Icelandic Sagas",
8. The best printed edition is that of Finnur J6nsson, 1925. A
Saga-Book of the Viking Society xv (1957), 1-16.
facsimile edition of one of the MSS was prepared by J6n Helgason
5. 1.1ost of the Sagas of Icelanders have proved difficult to date. for the Manuscripta Jslandica series (vol. vii) in 1966, with an excel
The best \Vork on this problem is Einar 61. Sveinsson, Dating the
lent introduction.