SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

Voluspa II7
preach an entirely joyous gospel. Hallfreor dies with the
fear of Doomsday and Hell on his lips. In Kristni saga
we are told that the words of Gissurr and Hjalti at the
Alpingi of 1000 inspired such awe that none of their
enemies dared speak against them. These words become
understandable if they could state categorically that the
end of the world was at hand. It was much more
necessary to emphasise this point in the mission to
Iceland. The king's power touched men only very
lightly there, so that spiritual bullying was the only way.
Moreover, :Pangbrandr was the man to preach on that
text to no mean effect.
It is remarkable how prominent the Archangel Michael
is in Olafr Tryggvason's mission. Michael was noted for
his battle with the dragon (Rev. xii, 7), and his part in the
'Last Judgment. A fragment by Arnorr jarlaskald
demonstrates early eleventh-century ideas about him
well:
Mikall vegr, pats misgort pykkir,
manvitsir6l'5r, ok allt et g6l'5a;
tyggi skiptir sil'5an seggjum
s61ar hjalms a dzemistoli.
This corresponds completely with portraits in various
mediaeval churches, where Christ is shown at the top on
the judge's throne, below him Michael with the scales, and
on either side of him the two companies - the saved
whom an angel is leading to heaven, and the condemned
whom a devil is taking in fetters to the worse abode.
King 6lafr keeps Michaelmas Day with great solemnity,
and this solemn mass has such an impact on the Icelanders
in Norway that they embrace Christianity.?" The same
sequence occurs with :Pangbrandr in Iceland. He sings
mass on Michaelmas Day "and made a great solemnity,
for it was a great feast". He tells Hallr of Sil'5a that
"Michael shall assess all the good that you do, and he is so
merciful that he assesses higher everything that he
,. Kristni saga, ch. 10; Heimskringla, 61dfs saga Tryggoasonar, ch. 82.