The Vinland Sagas in a Contemporary Light

Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir and the nunnery at Reynistaðr

Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir is a prominent figure in "Grœnlendinga saga" and this is even more the case in "Eiríks saga rauða’s" where she is effectively the principal character. Ólafur Halldórsson has argued persuasively that her origins and pre-history as set out in that saga are pure fabrication. In "Grœnlendinga saga" she arrives in Greenland almost out of the blue as the wife of Þórir, a shipwrecked Norwegian merchant (Olafur Halldórsson 1986:239-246). The available oral traditions may not have explained whether she originally came from Iceland or Norway. Yet even though her origins are not explained she is a central figure in the saga, along with her husband Þorfinnr karlsefni.

It is appropriate to ask why the two sagas pay so much attention to Guðríðr. The most common explanation is that at the end of both works, as we have already noted, she is identified as the ancestor of three twelfth-century Icelandic bishops. But the same is true of Þorfinnr, who is also represented as an ancestor of the same bishops and who also figures prominently in "Grœnlendinga saga". The expansion of the role of Guðríðr in "Eiríks saga rauða’s" is striking and requires further explanation. It seems to me that the foundation of a nunnery in Reynistaðr in 1295 offers a way of accounting for this emphasis. At the end of his copy or redaction of Eiríks saga Haukr Erlendsson traces his own ancestry back to Guðríðr and refers to Hallbera Þorsteinsdóttir, the abbess at Reynistaðr, with whom he shared a common great-grandfather. He also traces her ancestry back to Guðríðr (Hauksbók 1892-1896, 444; Sagorna, 81). It is worth reflecting on why Haukr did this; there must after all have been several other noble women at that time among Guðríðr's many descendants. The answer may lie in the fact that, along with

Bishop Jörundr Þorsteinsson at Hólar, the wealthy Hallbera founded the Reynistaðr nunnery and Haukr may well have viewed her as a kind of Guðríðr figure, and seen Guðríðr as her predecessor, so to speak, at Reynisnes (or Reynines). Like her, Hallbera was in charge at Reynisnes, which became known as Reynistaðr. Others may also have noted the parallels between Hallbera and Guðríðr, and this in turn could have led to the expansion of Guðríðr's role in "Eiríks saga rauða’s". It seems to me perfectly plausible that "Eiríks saga rauða’s" could have been viewed as appropriate reading matter for the Benedictine nuns at Reynisnes and indeed as a guide for noble women generally. After all, according to the saga, Guðriðr was always Christian, behaved with great circumspection, and lived a thoroughly respectable and dignified life in a hazardous world. Though it has been suggested that "Eiríks saga rauða’s" was probably composed by someone familiar with Snæfellsnes in the west of Iceland, it seems possible that the saga's origins may lie further to the north in the foundation of the nunnery at Reynistaðr.

Grœnlendinga saga maintains that Guðríðr 'went south', by which is probably meant 'journeyed to Rome', and that in her old age she was both a nun and hermit at her home in Skagafjörðr. Puzzlingly, Eiríks saga rauða’s makes no mention of this. Moreover, Grœnlendinga saga states that Guðríðr lived at Glaumbær in Skagafjörðr, and not at Reynisnes where the nunnery was later built. […] It is true that the descendants of Þorfinnr and Guðríðr did live in Reynisnes but the fine farm at Glaumbær was not in the possession of that family, as far as we know. Glaumbær is interesting in this connection since it only became a seat for chieftains in the 1280s. In the Sturlung Age a wealthy farmer lived there (Hallr Þorsteinsson in Sturlunga saga), but we have no indication that he was related to the chieftain families. By c. 1285, Hrafn Oddsson, the most important secular chieftain in Iceland, had made Glaumbær into his residence and subsequently Hrafn Jónsson also lived there—he was almost certainly the grandson of Hrafn Oddsson. Hrafn Jónsson, known as Glaumbæjar-Hrafn, was obviously a force to be reckoned with; he was the leading figure in Skagafjörðr around 1315 (Biskupa sögur 111:162, 339, 340, 391, 394). It is tempting to see the reference in "Grœnlendinga saga" to Glaumbær as an attempt to valorise the farm and flatter the residents. If "Grœnlendinga saga" is the older of the two sagas—as many scholars believe, for all the absence of conclusive evidence, as we have seen—it is possible to construct the following scenario: "Eiriks saga rauða" was written at the instigation of someone who felt that the foundation of the Reynisnes nunnery was a good reason to highlight the role of Guðríðr, whose name could help to establish a prestigious pre-history for the new foundation and could also serve to promote the reputation of Abbess Hallbera, the founder. "Grœnlendinga saga" was later altered in the light of this: Reynisnes was replaced by Glaumbær, and elements such as the church at Glaumbær, Guðríðr's becoming a nun, and her 'journeying south' were all added to the text.

"Eiríks saga rauða’s" radiant light prophecy relating to Guðríðr has its counterpart in "Grœnlendinga saga" and is possibly based on the putative vita of Bishop Björn Gilsson. As Iceland's Nobel prize novelist Halldór Laxness once pointed out, this is the only monastic or clerical reference in "Grœnlendinga saga", and seems in keeping with the tone of "Eiríks saga rauða’s" (1969:46). The wording of the prophecies is similar: 'bjart folk' in "Grœnlendinga saga", and yfir ættkvíslum þínum mun skína bjartur geisli' [over your descendants will shine a bright light] in "Eiríks saga rauða’s". This prophecy is obviously an important feature of Eiríks saga rauða’s; it is referred to twice, which may suggest that it featured in the original work. [...]

Bibliography

Hauksbók. 1892-1898. Eds Eirikur Jónsson and Finnur Jónsson, Hauksbók udgiven efter de arnamagnæanske håndskrifter no. 371, 544 og 675, 4° samt forskellige papirs-håndskrifter. Copenhagen: Kongelige Nordiske Oldskrift-selskab.

Olafur Halldórsson. 1978. Greenland í miðaldaritum. Reykjavik: Sögufélag. 1985. 'Formáli', Eiriks saga rauda. Texti Skálholtsbókar AM 557 4 to, 333-400.

Olafur Halldórsson ed. Viðauki við Islenzk fornrit 4. Reykjavik: Hið islenzka forn ritafélag. 1986. 'Lost tales of Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir.' Sagnaskemmtun. Studies in Honour of Hermann Pálsson. Ed. Rudolf Simek, Jónas Kristjánsson, Hans Bekker-Nielsen. Wien: Hermann Bohlaus Nachf.