Scalding Koðráns soothsayer

Bishop Friðrekr and Þórvaldr

Foreword:

Þórvaldr is a right proper lad, and he and the Saxon bishop travel around Iceland, trying to convert the heathens. Unsurprisingly, people are hestitant to give up their ancestral faith, resulting in... Killings! And accusations of depraved sodomy put to verse! I guess we will never know if bishop

The text:

Þorvalds þáttr víðförla, 13th century. Bonus info: It clocks in at 0,63 Hrafnkels.

Location:

Iceland.

Translation:





"But now it shall first be told, how he [Þórvaldr] led his father and his fathers' household to the right faith. At a certain festival when bishop Friðrekr with his clerics held service and divine sacrament, Koðrán almost stopped due to curiosity of their customs more than he was was willing to admit to his companions. But when he heard the sound of bells and the beautiful singing of the clerks, and felt the sweet smell of incense and saw the magnificient bishops ornate garments and all those serving him clad in white clothes with bright appearences, and with much light from beautiful wax-candles all around the house, and the other things belonging to the holytide-service, and he liked all these things.





And on the same day, he came to his son Þórvaldr and said: "Now I have seen and been somewhat encouraged by how serious a service you give your god, though I now understand how very different it is from our faith. For it seems to me that your god is gladdened by the light, but our gods are terrified of it. But if it is as I think, then the man you call bishop is your soothsayer, for I know that you learn from him of all the things that you tell us of your god. But I have me another soothsayer, who aids me with much benefit. He tells me many things before they happen. He watches over my cattle and reminds me of what I should do and who to watch out for, and therefore I grant him much support and have worshipped him for a long time, but you seem very ill to him, and so do your soothsayer and your customs, and therefore he wont allow me reach an agreement with you, and least of all accept your belief as my own".





Þórvaldr said: "Where does your soothsayer dwell?"





Koðrán answered: "He lives here a short way from my farm in a large and magnificient stone".





Þórvaldr asked how long he had lived there.





Koðrán said he had lived there for a lifetime.









Koðráns' holy stone (by Carsten Lyngdrup Madsen).





"Then I will", said Þórvaldr, "propose an agreement between us, father. You claim your soothsayer is very powerful and say you have much faith in him. The bishop you call my soothsayer is easy to grip and not very strong, but if he by the power of the heaven-god that we believe in is able to drive your soothsayer away from his strong lodging, then it's only right that you abandon him and turn to the strongest god, your creator, who is the true god and whom no force can defeat. He lives in eternal light, thither he leads all who believe in him and serve him faithfully, so they may there live in unspeakable bliss without end. And if you will turn to this glorious heaven king, then you would soon understand, that the one who tempts you to believe in him, is your complete betrayer [ON: svikari] and he desires to drag you with him away from the eternal light and into perpetual darkness. And if it seems to you, that he does you any good deeds, then it it's only so that he may more effortlessly deceive you, if you believe him to be good and necessary".





Koðrán answered: "It's evident to me, that different is the understanding of him and your bishop, but nevertheless, I understand that each pursue their cause with great vigour. And all the things you say about him, he says the same about you. But what good is it to speak more of this? This agreement that you've proposed will prove the truth".





Þórvaldr was gladdened by his fathers words, and told the bishop of circumstances and their conversation. The next day the bishop hallowed water, and travelled with prayers and psalms to the farm, poured the water around the stone, and then he threw it down on top of the stone, and all of the stone got wet.





The following night, Koðráns' soothsayer came to him in his sleep, with a sorrowful face and trembling of terror, and said to Koðrán: "You did ill when you invited those men here, who by a deceitful agreement with you seek to drive me away from my home , by pouring boiling water over my dwelling so my children have to endure much torment from the burning drops that run through the roof. And even though such does little harm to me, it's hard alone to listen to the toddlers screaming at the table".





But when morning came, Koðrán told his son, asking about all these things. Þórvaldr rejoiced by this and urged the bishop to carry on as before.





The bishop went to the stone with his men, and did everything as the day before, and eagerly prayed for the almighty god to drive the devil [ON: fjandann] away, and lead the man to salvation.





The next night, the deceitfull soothsayer seemed very hostile to Koðrán, for earlier he used to reveal himself to Koðrán with a bright and gentle appearance, exquisitly clad, but now he was in black and shabby skin shirt, dark and foul of face, and said to the farmer with a sorrowful and trembling voice: "These men strongly strive to rob us both of our luck and benefits, they intend to chase me away from my own inheritance and snatch you from our loving care and far-seeing prophecies. Now you must manfully drive them away so we don't need to give up all good things for their faithlessness, for never will I flee, though it's heavy to endure all their ill-deeds and uncomfort any longer".





All these things and many others the devil [ON: fjandi] had told Koðrán, he told to his son in the morning.





The bishop went to the stone the third day with same intent as before.





And then the malicious spirit [ON: illgjarni andi] showed himself to the farmer on the third night with sorrowful appearance, and said to him this with sobbing voice: "That wicked traitor, the Christian mens' bishop, have taken all my property from me. He has destroyed my dwelling, poured boiling water on me, wettened my clothes, it's all torn and useless. He has condemned me and my household to unforgivable burning, and driven me forcefully away into desolation and outlawry. Now we'll have to break up both kinship and friendship, and all this because of your faithlessness. Consider now who'll preserve your belongings henceforth as faithfully as I have earlier. You are called a just and faithful man, but ill have you repaid me".





Then Koðrán answered: "I have worshipped you as a beneficial and strong god while I was ignorant of the true god. But now that I have proven you deceitful and very weak, it is right and without sin that I leave you and flee to the protection of that gods dominion that is much better and stronger than you".





With this they parted with emnity and no gentleness.





After this Koðrán and his wife Járngerðr and all of their household was baptized, except his son Ormr, who would not be baptized at this time".



