Remembering our violent conversion: Conflict in the Icelandic conversion narrative

Self, Kathleen

doi:10.1016/j.religion.2009.10.011

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…An exceptional event of quasi-democratic and seemingly peaceful collective conversion events happened on Iceland in the symbolic year of 1000 ce. However, the process was clearly characterized by acts of verbal aggression and violence (Self 2010), and the fact that the decisive assembly (Althing) came together was the result of King Olaf in Norway having taken all Icelanders staying there as hostages. Initially, as the report in chapter VII of The Book of the Icelanders goes, there was no agreement in sight, as "each side, the Christians and the heathens, declared itself under separate laws from the other" (Grønlie 2006: 8).…”

Section: Selected Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Demise, Dissolution and Elimination of Religions

Stausberg

2021

Numen

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While it is generally acknowledged that religions can “die” or go “extinct,” little research has been dedicated to the problem of the demise of religions. This text reviews earlier research on this topic and develops some reflections on two types of religion (ethno-specific and transcendental ones) and on the end of indigenous religions. The text stresses the importance of ruler conversions and indigenous agency in religion demise and transformation processes, introduces the category of “religiocide,” and proposes some criteria for identifying “religion death.” Finally, it introduces the articles of this special issue.

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Section: Selected Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Demise, Dissolution and Elimination of Religions

Stausberg

2021

Numen

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Conversion and Cultural Memory in Medieval Iceland

Jakobsson¹

2019

Church Hist

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Christianization was an important and traumatic event that became embedded in the cultural memory of Icelanders. Through the reconstruction of this event in historical narratives, there was an ongoing debate on the identity of Icelanders as a group as the cultural heritage of this group was institutionalized and cultivated by particular organizations and individuals. This is reflected in very different emphasis on individual agents in this process, which can be found in various historical works composed between 1070 and 1330. The general trend is that the narrative became more inclusive for a larger group with each major version, as the leading role passed from the Archbishop to a select group of few leading families to a larger group including leaders from all parts of Iceland and, finally, to the general population, the humble as well as the mighty.

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