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
field with rich finds from both Early and Late Iron Age, such as a nice Viking Age sword. The close relationship between the Þrœndir-chieftains, hof-sanctuaries and cultic activities, may also be indicated by archaeological finds attested at farms designated hov in Trøndelag, i.e. places where possibly pre-Christian sanctuaries were erected.⁶¹ The best example is probably Hove in Åsen, in Strindafylke, where we have great monuments and exclusive finds indicating the presence of political power.⁶² Hove is surrounded by old farms such as Husby and Vang and perhaps they originally constituted one farm unite. All three sites have Viking Age burial fields and at Vang a royal burial mound was erected. The place-name Vang has been inter- preted as cultic.⁶³ This name may refer to a special kind of cultic meadows, which often was located beside the hof-sanctuaries in pre-Christian Norway (cf. Hovsvan-
finds were made indicating pre-Christian cultic activities.⁶⁴ Several pits with char cool and burned stone suggest that ritual cooking took place there, from Early Iron Age to Late Iron Age. In connection to these pits also post-holes were discovered which not were related to house foundations. Perhaps they could be related to ritual constructions. Elsewhere in Norway, it is typical that the Iron Age cultic buildings were located at the farms of the rulers and magnates as Snorri intimates. One such building was discovered at the aristocratic farm of Borg, in Lofoten.⁶⁵ At this place five gold foil figures were found in connection to a hall-room (Room C) of a large building (I:1a), over 80 meters long and dated to AD 600–950. These objects were related to the post- holes of the high-seat area. The assumed high-seat was located in the north corner of the room, where also a bronze vessel was found as well as two pottery jugs and 18 glass beakers imported from the Continental Europe and the British isles. In this hall- room there were also some unusual fireplace constructions. According to the archae- ologists they indicate that ritual cocking took place there during the Early Viking Age. It seems as if this room had two main functions; during most of the year it was an ordinary living room, but on special occasions it functioned as a banqueting hall, where ceremonial meals with drinking rituals were celebrated in the context of the chieftain. Around 950 this house was abandoned. Archaeological material from Sweden may also support that drinking ceremonies took place at the Iron Age halls of rulers and magnates. Expensive glass fragments have for instance been discovered in connection to the banqueting hall at Helgö (OSw.
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Olof Sundqvist Hælghø; ‘the holy island’),⁶⁶ in the Lake Mälaren.⁶⁷ Interestingly, there was a par- ticular concentration of them at the place interpreted as the ‘high-seat’, i.e. the place where many gold foil figures also were discovered. The glass was clearly high-status and comprised for instance fragments of cone beakers. It has been estimated that these glass fragments belonged to at least 50 beakers and bowls of different types dated to the period between the Roman Iron Age and the Viking Age. It cannot be excluded that these beakers have been used for ceremonial purposes, for instance in connection to ritual banquets. In connection to a large Late Iron Age hall building at the farm of Lunda, in Södermanland, there are also finds which may be associated with drinking rituals and ceremonial meals in an aristocratic milieu, such as broken glasses originating from Frankish beakers.⁶⁸ As in Helgö and Borg, some fragments were found close to the assumed high-seat. In connection to this hall three small phallic figures were dis- covered, which were interpreted as images representing the gods. Two of them were found in a small structure interpreted as a specific cultic house. At the famous cultic site of Uppsala a hall building was discovered. On Södra Kungsgårdsplatån, just north of the church, post-holes and a stone-construction belonging to a Vendel Period hall (50 x 12 m) were found.⁶⁹ Also on the northern plateau (Norra Kungsgårdsplatån) a building was recently excavated.⁷⁰ It was smaller than the hall on Södra Kungsgårdsplatån, but also dated to the Vendel Period. Since the hall at Kungsgården is dated to the Vendel Period and was abandoned in the Early Viking Age, it cannot be identical with the cultic building (templum/triclinium) men- tioned by Adam. Post-holes and a stone-packing indicate that a large building also was erected on the spot of the present Romanesque church. A fragment of a mould for a brooch (of the type JP 51), found in the first clay fill under the church, dated to the tenth century, indicates that activities took place there during the Viking Age.⁷¹ Else Nordahl therefore carefully suggested that the building should be dated to the Viking Age.⁷² Recent excavations indicate that the house is older.⁷³ 66 In Swedish ‘den heliga (fredade) ön’ (see Vikstrand 2001, pp. 239 ff.). 67 See Herschend 1995 and 1998. For an overview of Helgö in general, see Lamm 1999. See also Vikstrand 2001; Zachrisson 2004a, 2004b and 2011. 68 Andersson 2004; Skyllberg 2008. Cf. Larsson 2011. 69 Nordahl 1996; Gräslund 1997. Scholars have also argued that the last element in the name Uppsa- la refers to ‘banqueting halls’ (pl.) (e.g. Brink 1999, pp. 38−39 and 48−49, note 15). New excavations at Old Uppsala in the summer of 2011 indicate that the hall was 50 meter at length. 70 Oral communication from the archaeologist and chief-excavator at Old Uppsala, Hans Göthberg, August 2011 and e-mail J. Ljungkvist, October 2011. 71 Nordahl 1996, p. 63 and 73. 72 Nordahl 1996, pp. 60–62. 73 See Göthberg 2008. 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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