Þáttr and Saga: The Long and the Short of Óláfr Tryggvason

This article argues that the tattir included in compilations of ÓláfsTryggvasonar en mesta do more than provide exemplary anecdotes about Óláfr Tryggvason; they are selfconsciously literary texts that engage with and challenge aspects of the main narrative. Most obviously, they contest Óláfr’s notoriously violent methods of conversion: Rögnvalds þáttr ok Rauðs can be read as a critical response to the deceit, killings, and violence that characterize saga accounts of Óláfr’s mission. Drawing on a biblical tradition of idol parody, it questions both the dangers of idolatry and the efficacy of its violent uprooting, suggesting instead that the real hindrances to conversion are guilt, secrecy, and sin. The compiler seems not only to have been aware of the tension between this þáttr and the main narrative but has drawn it out through verbal echoes, challenging his audience to reflect on these issues from different perspectives.