menu_book Chapter 36

Chapter 36 of History of the Norwegian People, Volume 1 by Knut Gershet. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 36, Introduction of Christianity on the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The Fagershina says that Olaf Tryggvason Christianized Norway, and also several other lands, the Orkneys, the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands, Hjotland, Iceland, and Greenland.

Whether he Christianized the Shetland Islands is doubtful, and missionary work seems to have been done in the Orkneys before his reign, but it is quite certain that through his efforts Christianity was introduced in the Faroe Islands and in Iceland, and probably also in Greenland. The Faroe Islands had in course of time become a Norwegian dependency, but in Håkon Jarl's days, the powerful and cunning chieftain Trondi Gata had gained complete control of the islands.

He was the head of the Gatishjäger, the most powerful family in the islands, who traced their descent from King Olaf the White of Dublin and his queen, Aude the Deep-minded. The chivalrous Sigmund Bresteson, the national hero of the islands, whose father had been slain by Trond, and who had subsequently spent a long time in exile in Norway, received aid from Håkon Jarl and returned to the Faroe Islands where he defeated Trond. He received the islands as a fief

from Håkon and became his landermonde. Sigmund was now the most powerful and popular chieftain in the islands. He resembled Olof Tryggvason in prowess and accomplishments and was highly admired by his people. Even at this time he seems to have been among those who had practically repudiated the pagan faith. When Håkon Jarl asked him concerning his religious views, he answered that he believed in his own strength and power. Olaf invited Sigmund to come to Norway. Here he

was baptized, and at the request of the king he undertook to introduce Christianity in the Faroe Islands. But the task was made difficult by his old rival and enemy Trondigata, who stirred up the people against him and troubled and embarrassed him in every way. Finally, on a dark and stormy night, Sigmund, with thirty followers, proceeded to the rocky island of Austri, where Trond was dwelling, took him prisoner, and forced him to receive baptism. The work of Christianizing the

islands was now quickly accomplished, but this form of conversion brought with it no great change of heart. Though the outer forms of Christianity had been accepted, life long continued to be heathen in spirit in these islands. The time had been when the Christian faith was not wholly unknown in Iceland. Many of the early settlers came from the colonies in the British Isles, where they had spent a great part of their life in more or less close contact with the native Christian population,

and not a few had been so far influenced by the new faith and culture that they were regarded as Christians, at least by their own countrymen, while some, no doubt, were baptized. The Landnommabok says, It is said by men who are well informed that many of the Landnommsmeind, who had migrated to Iceland, were baptized, especially of those who came from the west across the sea.

Among these are mentioned, and many others who came from the west across the sea. And some of these remained Christians till their death day, but their descendants did not long continue in the faith, for even the sons of some erected temples and sacrificed to the gods.

The land was entirely heathen for well nigh a hundred years. Those who at this time were regarded as Christians must, however, have been comparatively few in number, and as they lived scattered among a heathen people, they could not have exercised any marked influence on the life of their fellow countrymen. A German bishop, Friedrich, and his

friend, the Icelander Thorvald Vídfjörða, who had traveled far and wide, were the first missionaries to Iceland. They arrived there in 981, and succeeded in baptizing a few persons, but when Thorvald ventured to preach at the Allthing, he was so twitted and ridiculed that he slew two of his antagonists, and both he and the bishop were outlawed and had to leave the island. Many Icelanders came to Norway every year.

There were generally influential men at home, and King Olaf Tryggvason used every opportunity to win them for the Christian faith. The sagas mentioned many leading Icelanders who in this way became Christians. The most notable instances of this kind were probably the conversions of the poet Halfrud Vansredeskald and of Kjartan Olofsson, a hero famous in saga literature and one of the leading

men in Iceland. In 996, King Olaf sent Stevna Thorgilsson as missionary to Iceland. He marched about the country with an armed force, destroying the temples, pulling down the altars and raiding the country in true Viking fashion. This was Stevna's idea of missionary work.

The all thing passed a law that anyone who spoke disrespectfully of the gods or harmed their images should be outlawed. In accordance with this measure, Stevna was outlawed and had to leave Iceland. But Olaf did not abandon the idea of Christianizing Iceland. The priest Thangbrand, who had come with all love to Norway, had aroused the king's displeasure by

his violent and unchristian conduct, and as a punishment he was ordered to go to Iceland as a missionary. Thangbrand spent the first winter with the thoughtful and influential Siduhall at Thotha in eastern Iceland, and Hall was baptized together with his family. The next spring, 998, Thangbrand began the missionary work in earnest. He was a strong and courageous man, always ready for a fight whenever he encountered opposition. The Saugus say that he carried a crucifix before his

shield, a wise thing to do, no doubt, or he might have been mistaken for a real Viking. More than once it came to blows, and Thangbrand killed many persons, but the people were impressed by his rough and ready way of dealing with his opponents, and many of the leading men accepted the Christian faith. Dissatisfaction with his methods was nevertheless growing, and he was finally outlawed and had to return to Norway. King Olaf was very angry when he learned that

Thangren's mission also had proved a failure, but two leading Icelanders, Gysir Fythe and Hjálta Sjægeson, who were then staying in Norway, promised the king to return home and renew the attempt. In the year 1000 they set sail for Iceland, accompanied by the priest Thormund. The Christians had already become so numerous that they met at the Althing as a strong and well-organized party, but the hostility between the adherents of the two religions was so intense

that when Gysir and Hjálta spoke in favor of Christianity, civil war was with difficulty averted. The wise and moderate Sidhu Hall and the still heathen Lo Sigmund, Torgir dos Vietningagoda, succeeded in bringing about a compromise between the contending factions. Torgir spoke about the evils which would attend a civil war. Perhaps he pointed out to them also what effect it might have on their future autonomy if they continued to resist King Olaf in this matter. He suggested a

way of settling the difficult question, to which both factions finally agreed. All the people of the islands should accept Christianity and be baptized, the heathen temples should be destroyed, and anyone who sacrificed publicly to the gods should be outlawed for three years. But anyone might sacrifice to the gods privately, eat horse meat, and expose infants as heretofore. Christianity was now the officially acknowledged religion of Iceland, but in thought and spirit

the greater part of the people were yet heathen. Generations were still to pass before the precepts of Christian teaching gained full and general recognition. That no greater change was affected in the people's life and ideas by the first preaching of Christianity was of importance to the development of the saga literature. Had the change been deep and sudden, this literature could never have been produced. The period 930-1030 is known as the Great Saga Age.

In this period lived the greater number of the renowned persons and families about whom the sagas have been written, such as Egil Skala Grimson, Olov Poh, Kjartan Olovson, Njal Poh Begtersval, Gunnur Polly Durende, Siduhol, Snorregode, Bergthorach, Holgerd, Gudrunus Vistotter, Aud the Deep-Minded, and Helga the Fair. Commerce was maintained, not only with Norway and Denmark, but also with Ireland, England, and Normandy. It was a time of enterprise and great

achievements, and wealth and luxury could be found among the better families in Iceland in those days. The Lájtöla saga tells us that the sons of Hjálta of Hjáltaðal entertained 1,200 guests at their father's funeral. When Haskal Dallakolson died, his son, Olof Pa, invited all the leading men in that part of Iceland to the funeral. 900 guests came, and the festival lasted for two weeks. Olof built himself a fameless residence, Hjardarholt, the walls of which were decorated

with wood carvings representing myths of the Asa religion. The pictures were later described in the poem Hustrapa. The proud memories of this great age were preserved by oral tradition for a couple of centuries, the greater number of the best sagas were not written until in the period 1200 to 1300, which is regarded as the classic period of Old Norse prose literature. When pagan life is still so perfectly reflected in the sagas, and the Old Norse literary style is found in its classic

purity, unmarred by Latin influence, it is due to the fact that paganism survived in Iceland for centuries after Christianity had been officially recognized as the state religion. King Olav had reunited and Christianized Norway, and all colonial possessions had pledged their submission and loyalty to the mother country. As king, he was strong and popular, but the integrity and independence of the kingdom were threatened by powerful enemies. The Danish king was still

looking for an opportunity to recover Víken, and the kings of Sweden had reluctantly surrendered their claims to the border province of Rönrike, or Bohulslen, between Svinnesund and the Goethe River. Erik and Sven, the sons of Hakun Jarl, had sought refuge in Sweden and Denmark after leaving Norway, and were trying to form a powerful alliance against King Olaf, the daughter of the Swedish king Erik Siersail, and Sven married Gide, the daughter of King Sven Tugersheg of

Denmark. Olaf seems to have been aware of the impending danger. He formed an alliance with Jarl Ragenwald Olfsson of Westergötland, and gave him his sister Ingeborg in marriage, a step which he would scarcely have taken without some political motive. The same is probably true of his courtship to Queen Sigrid Storhader, widow of the Swedish king Erik Siersail. Both affairs reveal a desire to strengthen the friendly relations with the neighbor state.

Sigrid is described as a rich and powerful queen, very proud and haughty. The marriage had been arranged, says the saga, and she came to meet King Olaf at Kunghella, in southeastern Norway. But when he asked her to accept the Christian faith, she refused, whereupon he struck her in the face with his glove and called her a heathen.

This ungallant act aroused the temper of the proud queen, and she retorted angrily that it might cost him his life. She returned home and soon afterward married King Sven-Hugusheg of Denmark, while Olaf married Thira, Sven's sister, as it appears without her brother's consent. From this time on, Sigrid continually plotted against King Olaf from motives of revenge.

Through her efforts, an alliance was formed against him by the kings of Denmark and Sweden and the jarls Erik and Sven. It is true that Sigrid married King Sven of Denmark and that Olaf married Thira, but the story that Olaf struck Sigrid in the face with his glove because she refused to accept Christianity is a bit of conventional fiction used in various forms, also about other persons both in Norse and

Irish sagas. Neither does it seem to be true that the alliance against King Olaf was the work of the revengeful Sigrid. The warlike and ambitious Sven Tugesheg was, no doubt, the prime mover in the affair. Already as prince he returned to paganism and rebelled against his father. He hated King Olaf, and felt especially offended because he had married Thera without obtaining his consent. But the chief motive was his desire to reconquer Viken, and possibly all Norway.

The time for forming an alliance was especially opportune. His queen, Sigrid, was the mother of the young king of Sweden, Olof Skötkunung, and the Jarls Erik and Sven were ready to join in an undertaking which gave them hope of regaining their power and possessions in Norway. Sigvald the Jarl of Jimsborg, who had suffered defeat in Hüringvåg, also became a secret partner to the compact. In the harbor of Nidaros, Olaf Tryggvason had for several years been busy building a new fleet of ships of a size and elegance in equipment hitherto never seen in the north.

Especially conspicuous were the ships Trannan, the crane, Orminkorte, the short serpent, and Orminklonga, the long serpent. In the year 1000, he sailed with a fleet of 71 ships southward to Wendland for the purpose, as the Saugus have it, of collecting an inheritance belonging to his queen Thira, who had formerly been married to Duke Miesko of Poland. The larger ships especially were manned by the most select warriors in Norway at that time. Olaf's brother-in-law, Erling Shorgsson of Sohle, commanded a squadron of the fleet. His other brothers-in-law, Torgir and Herning, and his half-brother, Torko Nevia, were with Olaf on the Long Serpent.

Here were also a band of distinguished chieftains, such as Ulf Röde, Kolbein Stålera, Torgum Thjoldovsson of Finn, and Einar Tembarskjelver, a giant in strength and the best archer in Norway, though only 18 years of age. Queen Thira also accompanied Olaf on the expedition. What the real purpose of the expedition may have been is not apparent, though it seems reasonable to suppose that it was something more weighty than the collection of the queen's inheritance.

The Historia Norwegiae states that Olaf had 40 missionaries with him on the Long Serpent. This gives it, to some degree, the appearance of a crusade undertaken, possibly for the purpose of Christianizing the Wends. Certainly it is that Olaf formed an alliance with Boleslav, king of Poland, doubtless against King Sven of Denmark.

He also negotiated with Sigvald de Jarl of Jumsberg, who treacherously promised to aid him, being at the time a secret ally of the Danish king. Unconscious of danger, Olaf set sail for the homeward voyage. He allowed a great part of his fleet, consisting of the lighter and swifter vessels commanded by Erling Schulk, son of Sola, to proceed at full speed and thus to separate from the squadron of heavier vessels under his own command. Sigvald the Jarl, who was playing the role of a friend and ally, followed the king's squadron with a number of ships and succeeded in decoying him into the estuary of Svalder, where the kings of Sweden and Denmark and the Jarl's arrogant Sven with a great fleet lay ready to attack him.

Too late King Olaf discovered the plans of his enemies, but he scorned to seek safety in flight. He quickly placed his ships in order of battle, and on the 9th of September, in the year 1000, was fought the memorable Battle of Svolder, still famous in the Songs and Annals of the North. Though overwhelmed by numbers, King Olaf and his men fought with prodigious valor until his enemies finally boarded the king's ship, the Long Serpent, and Olaf leaped overboard with his few remaining

followers. Queen Thera is said to have died of grief a short time afterward. Thus ended Olau Friigvason's short but brilliant career, and the unity and independence of the kingdom of Norway perished with him. He came from the unknown and disappeared in the dark, says Alexander Bugge, but his reign was of epoch-making importance. It represents the transition from the Viking Age to the Middle Ages. After the Battle of Svolder, Norway was divided

among the victors. King Sven of Denmark got vegan, accepting the province of Rönrike, which was incorporated in the kingdom of Sweden. The Swedish king also received the four fylker in Intröndelagen, together with Nordmöhr, Romsdal, and Sundmöhr. These possessions he gave as a fief to Svein Jarl, who had married his sister Honfried. Erik Jarl became independent sovereign over the whole coast region, from Finnmarken to Lindesnes. Ramorike and Vingelmark, and two districts in

Viken, he received as a fief from his father-in-law King Sven Tügesheg. In Upplenene, the kings regained their old autonomy and the island possessions too, drifted away from the mother country in a period of disintegration and weakness which was now inaugurated. Jarl Sigurd Lovesson ruled the Orkney and Shetland Islands as an independent prince, and in the Faroe Islands the old pagan party, led by Trondigata, rose against Sigmund Brestesson, who was finally slain. Trond gained

full control in the islands and paid no heed to Norway, which was now divided among foreign princes and self-seeking Jarls, a dismembered kingdom with an empty throne. End of chapter 36