Norna-Gests þáttr

Nornagests þáttr or the Story of Norna-Gest is a legendary saga about the Norse hero Nornagestr, sometimes called Gestr, and here anglicized as Norna-Gest. Nornagests þáttr is as an episode of the Longest Saga of Óláfr Tryggvason found in the medieval Icelandic manuscript Flateyjarbók as well as some other mss. The work is generally dated to the early 14th century, but the oldest manuscripts containing it date to the late 14th century. citing and

Summary

The work uses the formula of a frame story about a figure who has enjoyed tremendous longevity (here Norna-gestr) who is able to recount numerous embedded tales in the form of his memories. He is presently a guest of the Norwegian king Óláfr Tryggvasson, having arrived in the third year of the Óláfr's reign. Norna-gestr introduces himself as the son of a Danish man named (Thord Thingbiter "the contentious"), who once dwelt on the estate of Grøning in Denmark.

The frame story returns later (after recounting the many tales of his past, cf. ) to Norna-gestr (meaning "guest of the Norns") explaining that he earned his name due to what happened at his birth, when three spae-women () arrived and foretold the child's destiny. Two of them gave him good gifts. However the youngest Norn had not been consulted and was feeling belittled; what is more, the uninvited one got shoved to the ground by the crowd that gathered. Determined now to void her sisters' gifts of good fortune, she prophesied the child's life to last no longer than the burning candle standing next to the cradle. The eldest Norn instantly extinguished the flame and asked his mother to hide it well.

Wager triggers recollection A wager takes place to decide which item is more precious, the arm ring (tr. Hnituth), that once belonged to King of the Hálfsrekkar fame, presented to King Olaf by Úlfr the Red, and the piece of gold Gestr claims is in his possession. The next morning, Gestr produces out of his pouch a piece of a saddle buckle, and it is agreed Gestr's gold is better. Gestr begins telling the provenance of this buckle that came off the horse of Sigurðr Fáfnisbani the Völsung, and goes on to tell his whole life story.

Witness to legendary history Norna-Gest grew ancient as custodian of his own life-candle, and has now attained the age of three-hundred years. He recounts his visit to the Land of Franks (Rhineland) to witness its famed prince, Sigurðr the Völsung, then served as Sigurðr's liegeman, witnessing the highlights of Sigurðr's life: his tutelage under the dwarf Regin skilled in magic; how Regin crafted the sword Gramr and incited Sigurðr to kill the dragon Fáfnir who was Regin's own sibling; how Sigurðr had the sons of Hundingr to contend with, these sons of Hundingr being his father's murderers, and although his half-brother Helgi Hundingsbani had slain some of them, others like still survived and had overrun his birthright kingdom. Several eddaic lays are quoted in the telling of these stories. Sigurðr accomplishes the vendetta, more or less according to tradition (i.e., regurgitating the Edda and Völsunga saga). Whereas the Völsunga saga fails to mention Lygvi being subjected to the blood eagle, and the poem only gives a stanza where Regin states the deed was done, a fuller detail is elaborated in Nornagests þáttr, where it is alleged Nornagestr handed Regin his weapon, and Regin performed the carving ritual on Lyngvi (cf. also ).

Norna-Gest also described how the Danish (Swedish) king Sigurðr hringr sent his brothers-in-law, the sons of Gandálfr, to demand tribute from the sons of Gjúki, Gunnar and Högni while Sigurðr was staying with them. In the ensuing fight, the giant Starkaðr flees upon hearing the mention of Sigurðr Fáfnisbani's name; Sigurðr struck out two of the giant's molars hitting him in the jaw with the hilt of his sword Gramr; one of these teeth Nornagest picked up; weighing in at 7 ounces, it became a bell used at a church in Lund (cf. ).

Norna-Gest also spent time with (Sigurðr hringr's son) Ragnarr loðbrók (Ragnar "Hairy-breeches"), as well as Ragnarr's son Björn Ironside and his brothers. He was also in the company of King Erik at Uppsala, and present when King Harald Fairhair was prime-signed by King Hlöðver of Germany (Louis the Pious of the Frankish Empire: Ludwig der Fromme ("über.. Ludwig den Frommen").). Cap. X, p. 215, ""; und Glossar, , Ch. X, p. 35："Hlöthver in the land of Saxons" and Notes,

Epilogue When Norna-Gest introduced himself to King Óláfr Tryggvason, known for his effort to convert the Norse to Christianity, the king immediately reproaches Norna-gest for only being prime-signed (or rather criticizing Svein Forkbeard for allowing a man to leave Denmark unbaptized). After relating his life-story, King Óláfr returns to the issue of whether Norna-Gestr will now consent to becoming baptized. Norna-Gestr permits himself to be baptized at the king's desire, and lights his life-candle. In accordance with the Norn's prophecy, when the candle burns down, Norna-Gest too expires. "The Tháttr of Nornagest", pp. 14–37, in XII chapters.

Analogues The story of Nornagest and his candle has a counterpart in Greek mythology: the story of Meleager, who was prophesied to live only as long as a certain log was unburnt. The exhibited motif-index is "E 765.1.1 life bound up with candle"; or "765.1.2 (torch)". The story is included in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The motif is also paralleled by the late romance of Ogier the Dane (the Alexandrine version, c. 1335) and the writer of Norna-Gests þáttr may have well fused portions of Ogier's legend, as had been suggested obliquely by .

Faroese ballad

There is the Faroese ballad (kvæði) based on the þáttr (catalogued CCF 4), in 4 variants, first collected in 1818 by from Suðuroy (version A), but this lay was preserved in manuscript ( NKS 345) and not printed until it appeared in Færoensia III (1951) 53–55. Thus the first text to be published was the B version printed by Lyngbye in 1822. V. U. Hammershaimb's version (1851) (version D) has been translated by Nora Kershaw (1921), and the same version by (1934). Another translation (version A) by Helen F. Leslie‐Jacobsen and Mortan Nolsøé Jacobsen appeared in 2025.

What triggers Nornagestur into telling his life story is far less complex than the þáttr (cf. ), for in the ballad, when the king's exploit of beheading twelve oxen in a single stroke fails to impress Nornagestur, he is then challenged to recount a more impressive feat he'd witnessed. Nornagestur's reminiscences are here restricted to Sigurðr (; pronunciation: ) material.

Because in this ballad version, Nornagestur's candle of life is not carried on his person, but hid in a lead metal container (version A) or lantern (version D) sunken beneath a lake, Kershaw sees this as exhibiting the worldwide motif of the "". Phycologist and folklore collector Hans Christian Lyngbye knew of folk tradition that Nornagest's soul candle was concealed in an airtight lead box and sunk in the fjord by his parents, and in his old age, the king finally told him its whereabouts so he can choose to die.: (cf. "can, box") gives "leaden casket.. sunk in a lake". Lyngbye also compared Nornagest to Nestor of Greek mythology who lived beyond 300 years.

Performances Nornagests ríma performed by the Faroese band Tyr is recorded in the 2008 re-released version of their album, How Far to Asgaard; it is an easter egg track that occurs after a pause of silence after the bonus tracks.

Nicander Swedish poet Karl August Nicander wrote an adaption "Norna-Gest" in three parts: "The Arrival of the Guest" (); "The Fighting of the Drunkards in the Hall" (); and "The Power of the Harp" ().

Other adaptations In modern science fiction, Poul Anderson incorporated the story of Nornagest in The Boat of a Million Years, a collection of short stories about immortals.

Explanatory notes

References

Bibliography

(primary sources)

(primary—ballad) (ver. D)

(ver. B)

(ver. A)

(secondary sources) (google)

(snippet)

(PDF, )

External links

Norna-Gests þáttr in Old Norse Nora Kershaw's 1921 Translation Norna-Gest's Thattr in English Translation with Facing Old Norse Text Entry in the Stories for All Time database, with a full list of manuscripts, editions, translations, and secondary literature.

Norna-Gests þáttr

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