22/12/2024, by aezcr

6. A strange Christmas visitor in a (blue) cape and a hood

Religion does occasionally creep into Christmas in the saga, and does when we hear that once ‘Earl Rǫgnvaldr had ruled for two winters’… he attended a Christmas feast at his estate by the name of Knarston’. Here, on the sixth day of Christmas, a ship arrived and off the ship came ‘a man in a blue cape who had hidden his hair under a hood; he was clean-shaven around the front of his chin, but unshaven around his mouth and that hung down low. This man seemed to them somewhat strange’. Hrólfr, Rǫgnvaldr’s court priest, said that this ‘was Bishop Jón down from Atholl in Scotland’ and then,

‘the earl went to meet them and greets the bishop well. The earl placed the bishop in his high seat, and serves him himself at table, like a serving-lad. The following morning the bishop held a service very early and then he went north to Egilsay to meet bishop Vilhjálmr and was there until the tenth day of Christmas’ (chapter 77).

Despite the presence of Hrólfr, the court priest, this is perhaps less a case of religion at Christmas being highlighted by the saga writer(s) than religion accidently intruding into the saga in the guise of a strange-looking bishop. The lack of core Christmas or religious messages has more to do with what is saga-worthy, rather than reflecting the practices of the time.

Tune in tomorrow for the penultimate episode! ‘A choice: more ale or more prayers?’

Matthew Blake

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