Snorri Sturluson as a historian of religions: The credibility of the descriptions of pre-Christian cultic leadership and rituals in Hákonar saga góða Abstract
Yüklə 209,35 Kb. Pdf görüntüsü
|
| Olof Sundqvist Snorri Sturluson as a historian of religions: The credibility of the descriptions of pre-Christian cultic leadership and rituals in Hákonar saga góða Abstract: This study investigates the credibility of the descriptions of pre-Christian cultic leadership and rituals in Snorri Sturluson’s Hákonar saga góða. The perspective is one taken from the study of the history of religions. By using a comparative method, one which combines source criticism and philology, ancient ideas may be detected even within Snorri’s reconstruction. Scholars have interpreted these ideas by setting them in a wider source context. Here it is argued that several ideas in Snorri’s descrip- tion in Hákonar saga góða may be attested in sources which are closer to the Viking Age, such as Skaldic poetry, runic inscriptions and archaeological finds. For instance, the idea that political leaders such as kings and earls were involved in public cults may be one based on ancient traditions. Snorri, too, was probably on firm ground when he stated that the rulers (at least the king) were supposed to take part in certain rituals while attending sacrificial feasts: rituals such as drinking ceremonies and meal customs perhaps such as the eating of horseflesh. That these ceremonies some- times took place in some kind of cultic building or banqueting hall, such as described by Snorri, seems also likely. It is emphasized, however, that some elements in his text must be seen as suspect, as Olaf Olsen, Ernst Walter and Klaus Düwel have noted. These elements include certain religious terms, as well as the act of making the sign of the hammer over the horn. Generally, however, it is argued that Hákonar saga góða, if treated with care, may still be used as a source for pre-Christian religion. The mythical and historical writings of Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241) have been debated in research for more than one hundred years. Snorri’s texts have sometimes been felt to be almost useless when reconstructing ancient Scandinavian religion and Viking Age history.¹ This type of source-critical approach has deep roots in the study of Old Norse philology and religion as well as in the general study of histo- ry.² One prominent representative for this skeptical position was the German scholar Walter Baetke. Some of his ideas have been instrumental in establishing the modern treatment of Snorri’s texts. Baetke argued, for instance, that Snorri revised the old mythical traditions in accordance with learned medieval models and his own imagi- 1 See e.g. Olsen 1966; Düwel 1985. 2 See e.g. Bugge 1881–89; Mogk 1923 and 1932; L. Weibull 1948; C. Weibull 1964. Brought to you by | Stockholms Universitet Authenticated | 10.248.254.158 Download Date | 9/18/14 2:50 PM 72
Olof Sundqvist nation. For example, Snorri frequently used medieval euhemerism when describing ancient myths. This method was a common feature of ecclesiastic apologetics, where the pagan deities were considered as ancient human rulers and thus not ‘real gods’. Because of this approach and other rewritings of the traditions, Baetke considered Snorri’s descriptions of myth to be unreliable when reconstructing pagan religion.³ A similar stand was also taken by the Norwegian philologist Anne Holtsmark.⁴ This critical attitude against Snorri is also reflected in more recent research concerning his historical writing in Heimskringla. It has been stated that Snorri was “not at all reluc- tant to adapt his sources as he sees fit and even write whole new chapters of his own in order […] to clarify connections and make his narrative more alive”.⁵ Even if Snorri’s writings have not satisfied the stern criteria of source criticism, several scholars have felt they should not be completely discarded as sources of knowledge for Viking Age religion and culture.⁶ Some of them incorporate oral tradi- tions which may reach back to the Viking Age. Some traditions have probably been reworked by Snorri and other medieval scribes, by means of medieval thinking and artistic enthusiasm. This reworking is no reason to dismiss them altogether. Snorri and the medieval writers probably had access to more direct sources than the modern historian has, and most likely they were better suited to interpret them when making their historical reconstructions.⁷ The present paper will investigate the credibility of the descriptions of pre-Chris- tian cultic leadership and rituals in Snorri’s Hákonar saga góða. My perspective here is taken from the history of religions. By using a comparative method which com- bines source criticism and philology, I will try to detect ancient notions in Snorri’s reconstruction. These notions can be interpreted by setting them in a wider context of sources. In these comparisons mostly direct sources will be applied, that is, skaldic poetry, runic inscriptions, and especially archaeological finds. When such compari- son is not possible (due to scarcity of direct sources), the absence of similar ideas and customs in contemporary Christian culture is taken as support for the reliability of medieval statements on ancient Scandinavian tradition. Other independent (and
and 2008; Steinsland 2000 and 2005; Schjødt 2008; Hedeager 2011. 7 Preben Meulengracht Sørensen made the following observations when considering Snorri’s nar- rative about Hákon the Good and sacrifices in Trøndelag: “History is not the data extracted from the sources, but the syntheses created out of the data, and historical writings are not the reestablishment of past reality, but the creation of historical probabilities. In this perspective the medieval narrative historiographic texts should be considered primary sources, since their authors had better access to authentic sources than the modern historian and were presumably better suited to interpret them” (Meulengracht Sørensen 1991, p. 244). 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:
|