Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines how two Old Norse works, Rauðúlfs þáttr and the Speech against the Bishops, use bodily imagery to convey ideas about the transient nature of earthly kingdoms and societal organization. Both texts draw from established models but adapt them uniquely. Inspired by a text attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, the opening of the Speech against the Bishops emphasizes the king’s supremacy over ecclesiastical power. Rauðúlfs þáttr is more complex and enigmatic, and its overall message is ambiguous. The tale seemingly reflects a pessimistic view of Norway’s decline from St. Óláfr’s reign to the civil unrest of the late 12th century. The text’s portrayal of a dream figure with pierced feet symbolizes internal conflicts among Norwegian throne claimants. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream with Daniel’s interpretation provides the obvious model for Óláfr’s dream and Rauðúlfr’s interpretation, but while Daniel’s interpretation ends on an optimistic note, Rauðúlfr’s interpretation offers no such hope.
Author: Jonas Wellendorf
Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Language: English
Subfield: Classics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4407848106