Snorri Sturluson as a historian of religions: The credibility of the descriptions of pre-Christian cultic leadership and rituals in Hákonar saga góða Abstract
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Snorri Sturluson as a historian of religions
indirect) sources are also useful in this investigation, such as Icelandic prose which is older than Hákonar saga góða and some ecclesiastical texts in Latin.
Hákonar saga góða is a part of Snorri’s Heimskringla. Heimskringla is thought to have been written about 1230, and it is preserved in three major witnesses: (1) Kringla: AM 35 fol. is a copy of Kringla made by Ásgeirr Jónsson c. 1700, and provided with cor- rections made by Árni Magnusson. (2) Codex Frisianus: AM 45 fol., was written by an Icelander c. 1325. (3) Jǫfraskinna: AM 37 fol. is the oldest and best copy of Jǫfraskinna, unfortunately defective, made by Bishop Jens Nielssön c. 1567–68 (J1). AM 38 fol. is a copy of Jǫfraskinna made by Ásgeirr Jónsson 1698 (J2). A good text critical edition was published by Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson in Íslenzk fornrit, and it will be used in present study.
In one passage of Hákonar saga góða, chapter 13 to 18, the text describes ceremo- nial feasts in Viking Age Trøndelag. Snorri writes thus (in ch. 14): Sigurðr Hlaðajarl var inn mesti blótmaðr, ok svá var Hákon, faðir hans. Helt Sigurðr jarl upp blót- veizlum ǫllum af hendi konungs þar í Þrœndalǫgum. Þat var forn siðr, þá er blót skyldi vera, at allir bœndr skyldu þar koma, sem hof var, ok flytja þannug fǫng sín, þau er þeir skyldu hafa, meðan veizlan stóð. At veizlu þeiri skyldu allir menn ǫl eiga. Þar var ok drepinn alls konar smali ok svá hross, en blóð þat allt, er þar kom af, þá var kallat hlaut , ok hlautbollar þat, er blóð þat stóð í, ok hlautteinar , þat var svá gǫrt sem stǫkklar, með því skyldi rjóða stallana ǫllu saman ok svá veggi hofsins útan ok innan ok svá støkkva á mennina, en slátr skyldi sjóða til mannfagnaðar. Eldar skyldu vera á miðju gólfi í hofinu ok þar katlar yfir. Skyldi full um eld bera, en sá, er gerði veizluna ok hǫfðingi var, þá skyldi hann signa fullit ok allan blótmatinn, skyldi fyrst Óðins full – skyldi þat drekka til sigrs ok ríkis konungi sínum – en síðan Njarðar full ok Freys full til árs ok friðar. Þá var mǫrgum mǫnnum títt at drekka þar næst bragafull. Menn drukku ok full frænda sinna, þeira er heygðir hǫfðu verit, ok váru þat minni kǫlluð. ⁸
what modified): ‘Sigurðr Hlaðajarl, was most ardent heathen worshipper, as had been Hákon his father. Sigurðr jarl maintained all sacrificial feasts there in Trøndelag on the king’s behalf. It was an- cient custom, that when sacrifice was to be made, all farmers were to come to the hof and bring along with them the food needed while the feast lasted. At this feast all were to take part in the drinking of ale. Also all kinds of livestock were killed in connection with it, horses also; and all the blood from them was called hlaut, and hlautbolli, the vessel holding that blood; and hlautteinar, the sacrificial twigs. These were fashioned like sprinklers, and with them were to be smeared all over with blood the stallar and also the walls of the hof, within and without, and likewise the men present were to be sprinkled with blood. But the meat of the animals was to be boiled and to serve as food at the ban- quet. Fires were to be lighted in the middle of the hof floor, and kettles hung over them. The sacrificial beaker was to be borne around the fire, and he who made the feast and was chieftain, was to bless the beaker as well as all the sacrificial meat. Óðinn’s toast was to be drunk first – that was for victory Brought to you by | Stockholms Universitet Authenticated | 10.248.254.158 Download Date | 9/18/14 2:50 PM
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Olof Sundqvist Snorri also states that Earl Sigurðr was generous and that he once made a great sac- rificial feast at Hlaðir, defraying all expenses himself. He supports his narrative with a stanza brought from Kórmakr Ǫgmundarson’s Sigurðardrápa (960 AD) (see the text below) where Earl Sigurðr is praised. In the frame story Snorri recounts how King Hákon the Good had a Christian upbringing in England. He was unenthusiastic about the pagan cult in Norway, and wanted to convert the Norwegians gently. The farmers of Trøndelag opposed him and at the Frostaþing required the king to take part in the traditional rituals: “The farmers said that it was their wish that the king should make sacrifice to procure for them good crops and peace, as his father had done”.⁹ Later, during the fall, the king came to the annual sacrificial feast at Hlaðir. Snorri states thus (in ch. 17):
¹⁰
vanr, ef hann var staddr þar, er blót váru, at matask í litlu húsi með fá menn. En bœndr tǫlðu at því, er hann sat eigi í hásæti sínu, þá er mestr var mannfagnaðr. Sagði jarl, at hann skyldi eigi þá svá gera. Var ok svá, at konungr sat í hásæti sínu. En er it fyrsta full var skenkt, þá mælti Sigurðr jarl fyrir ok signaði Óðni ok drakk af horninu til konungs. Konungr tók við ok gerði krossmark yfir. Þá mælti Kárr af Grýtingi; ‘Hví ferr konungrinn nú svá? Vill hann enn eigi blóta?’ Sigurðr jarl svarar: ‘Konungr gerir svá sem þeir allir, er trúa á mátt sinn ok megin, ok signa full sitt Þór. Hann gerði hamarsmark yfir, áðr hann drakk.’ Var þá kyrrt um kveldit. Eptir um daginn, er menn gengu til borða, þá þustu bœndr at konungi, sǫgðu, at hann skyldi eta þá hrossaslátr. Konungr vildi þat fyrir engan mun. Þá báðu þeir hann drekka soðit. Hann vildi þat eigi. Þá báðu þeir hann eta flotit. Hann vildi þat ok eigi, ok var þá við atgǫngu. Sigurðr jarl segir, at hann vildi sætta þá, ok bað þá hætta storminum, ok bað hann konung gína yfir ketilhǫdduna, er soðreykinn hafði lagt upp af hrossaslátrinu, ok var smjǫr haddan. Þá gékk konungr til ok brá líndúk um hǫdduna ok gein yfir ok gékk síðan til hásætis, ok líkaði hvárigum vel. ¹¹ and power to the king – then Njǫrðr’s and Freyr’s, for good harvest and peace. Following that many used to drink a bragi-beaker. Men drank toasts also in memory of departed kinsfolk – that was called minni.’ 9 Bœndr segja, at þeir vilja, at konungr blóti til árs þeim ok friðar, svá sem faðir hans gerði (Heimskringla (Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson 1941–51), 1, p. 170). 10 So has K; F and J have vetrnóttum. 11 Heimskringla (Bjarni Aðalbjarnarson 1941–51), 1, pp. 171 f. Hollander’s translation: ‘In the fall, at the beginning of winter, there was a sacrificial feast at Hlaðir and the king attended it. Before that, if present at a place where heathen sacrifice was made, he accustomed to eat in a little house apart, in the company of few men. But the farmers remarked about it that he did not occupy his high-seat when there was the best cheer among the people. The earl told him that he should not do that; and so it came that the king occupied his high-seat [on this occasion]. But when the first beaker was served, Sigurðr jarl proposed a toast, dedicating the horn to Óðinn, and drank to the king. The king took the horn from him and made the sign of the cross over it. Then Kárr of Grýtingi said ‘Why does the king do that? Doesn’t he want to drink of the sacrificial beaker?’ Sigurðr jarl made answer, ‘The king does that all do who believe in their own might and strength, and dedicated his beaker to Þórr. He made the sign of the hammer over it before drinking.’ People said no more about it that evening. Next day when people had seated themselves at the table, the farmers thronged about the king, saying that now he must eat the horse meat. That, the king would not do under any condition. Then they asked Brought to you by | Stockholms Universitet Authenticated | 10.248.254.158 Download Date | 9/18/14 2:50 PM Yüklə 209,35 Kb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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