SC - Horsemeat, was Re: "cruel food"-

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Ras asks:
><< we are celebrating 1000 years of
> Christianity next year anyway >>
>
>Why?

You mean, why celebrate at all, or why celebrate next year when scholars
know we probably got the date wrong? The second one is easy - 1000 is a nice
round number, and generations of Icelanders have believed it to be the
correct year.

If you are asking - why celebrate at all - leaving religious issues aside,
well, the Christianisation of Iceland is one of the major events in our
history, it laid the ground for structural changes in our society, and
besides it happened in a pretty unique manner. Is there another instance
when a whole nation decides, without the use of force and without much
prelude, to abandon its traditional belief and accept a new faith?


The decision to convert was, according to what Ari fróði Þorgilsson wrote in
the Book of the Icelanders, made by Þorgeir (Thorgeir) Ljósvetningagoði, a
pagan chieftain who also held the position of Law Speaker – the only public
office in the Icelandic Commonwealth. He lay down under his pelt and uttered
no word for two days. At the end of this period, he called together the
Althing (this happened at Þingvellir, when the Althing was in session) and
stipulated that Icelanders should be baptised in the Christian faith, to
avoid conflict and strife. (They were, however, allowed to worship pagan
gods secretly and practice ancient customs, such as the exposure of children
and the eating of horse meat.)

So, what I personally will be celebrating next year is not the anniversary
of Christianisation, but the fact that we Icelanders have always chosen the
peaceful solution. (Well, mostly.)

Nanna



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