Taylor, Paul Beekman. Njáll grómr: christian morality and Norse myth

• Author: Taylor, Paul Beekman
• Title: Njáll grómr: Christian morality and Norse myth in Njáls saga
• Published in:
• Place, Publisher: Odense : University Press of Southern Denmark
• Year: 2000
• Pages: 167-180
• E-text:
• Reference: Taylor, Paul Beekman. “Njáll grómr: Christian morality and Norse myth in Njáls saga.” Mediaeval Scandinavia 13 (2000): 167-180.

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• Key words: religion, mythology, ethics, characterisation, social reality, trúarbrögð, goðsagnir, siðfræði, persónusköpun, samfélagsmynd

Annotation

Taylor argues that Christian elements in Njáls saga are used in a way which reinforces, instead of alters, the pre-Christian native ideologies. For this he analyses some Christian elements of the saga and shows how they can be understood through the pre-Christian value-system. Then, resorting to the comparison between four characters from the saga with pagan deities, he aims to show that the typology of the saga can be linked with the mythical background and its cyclical conception of time. Taylor finishes on a reflection about the context of Njáls saga: the story takes place in a time of transition when the old traditions were still vivid, and when a syncretic relationship between Christian morality and pagan traditions developed.

Lýsing

Taylor heldur því fram að í Njálu séu kristin atriði notuð til þess að staðfesta innlendar, heiðnar hugmyndir en ekki til þess að umbylta þeim. Til þess að rökstyðja þetta greinir hann fáeina kristilega efnisþætti í sögunni og sýnir hvernig þá má skilja út frá heiðnum gildum. Hann ber síðan fjórar persónur sögunnar saman við heiðin goð og vill með því sýna að manngerðir sögunnar má tengja við goðsagnaheiminn þar sem tíminn er skynjaður sem hringrás. Að lokum hugar Taylor að þjóðfélagssamhengi Njáls sögu: hún gerist á breytingaskeiði þegar gamlar hefðir eru enn lifandi og kristið siðgæði og heiðnir siðir fléttast saman.

References

Chapter 106: lukust upp augu hans: “Here the Christian God abets Amundi’s “sin” by awarding him a power the old pagan gods were called upon to give in earlier times. The implication is that the old gods were no longer capable of performing what the new God could” (p. 168).

Chapter 129: vil eigi lifa við skömm: “In the face of Flosi’s subsequent attack on his house, the pious Njal reacts in a comparable fashion, confusing Christian thought with earlier Norse tradition. When Flosi offers quarter to him and Bergthora, Njal replies that he prefers to die, since he is too old and infirm to avenge his sons. “I do not want live in shame” he says, even though shame of one’s sinfulness is a necessary part of Christian’s salvific process. In effect, Njal faces death with a pagan honour code on his mind.” (p. 170).

Links

• Written by: Barbora Davídková
• Icelandic/English translation: