Old Norse narrative perspectives on the conversion (mainly Iceland)

Question 1

Three topics for Icelandic/ Old Norse narrative perspectives on the conversion

Answer 1

• The ‘noble heathen’ ancestor
• Typological understanding of Scandinavian history
  (— To what extent does Ari’s typological history compromise his value s a historical source)
• The Myth of Voluntary conversion
  (— Why does Snorri depict Tryggvason and Haraldsson using force and the threat of violence to convert the Norwegians?)

Question 2

2nd 4 KEY Primary source examples

Answer 2

• Ari’s depiction of Raganor Lothbrook having one good and one bad son
• Njal’s Saga
• Sölar Thattr
• Landnamabok and Laxdaela’s disagreement on Auth the Deep Minded

Question 3

How many KEY Primary source examples are there for examining old norse source crit and narratives?

Answer 3

Nine

— split into 5 and 4 on here

Question 4

First 5 KEY Primary source examples

Answer 4

• Story of Tryggvason killing Jarnskeggi and ruining the temple in the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason
• Saga of Erik the wide-traveller
• Temple at Hofstathir described in Eyrbyggja Saga
• Story of Gudrun and Herdis and the Old spirit woman in Laxdælla Saga
• Example of Kjartan refusing to be forcibly converted in Laxdælla Saga

Question 5

How are the pagan gods depicted in the saga of Erik the wide-traveller?

Answer 5

• As being like bad people who are now in hell, not deities at all- everything is happening within a Christian cosmos. -
• They were actually people who lived bad lives and who are now being punished forever—this is a different view of paganism to what we saw in Heimskringla—what are the politics of this?

Question 6

How does the saga of eirik the wide traveller present the role of the king?

Answer 6

• The emperor has more power, unequal balance of power and it makes those he converts his spiritual children.
• But, in reality, it wasn’t kings who were doing the religious education, but clerics, so why present the king as educating Erik? It implies that kings can be preachers and develops the idea that kings have some form of divine right to act as charismatic priests. This is a way of showing how positively God looks down on the Norwegian dynasty. Even though the kings cant themselves baptise anyone.
• This is a manuscript that was being put together more than 100 years after Iceland lost its independence- so there is a change of tact towards Norway.

Question 7

How does the saga of eirik the wide traveller present the role of the king?

Answer 7

• The emperor has more power, unequal balance of power and it makes those he converts his spiritual children.
• But, in reality, it wasn’t kings who were doing the religious education, but clerics, so why present the king as educating Erik? It implies that kings can be preachers and develops the idea that kings have some form of divine right to act as charismatic priests. This is a way of showing how positively God looks down on the Norwegian dynasty. Even though the kings cant themselves baptise anyone.
• This is a manuscript that was being put together more than 100 years after Iceland lost its independence- so there is a change of tact towards Norway.