The Njál's Saga on Thangbrand

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 96. Of The Change Of Faith

• relationship: Thangbrand, son of Count Willibald of Saxony, was sent by King Olaf to preach Christianity in Iceland

  "The captain's name was Thangbrand. He was a son of Willibald, a count of Saxony. Thangbrand was sent out hither by King Olaf Tryggvi's son, to preach the faith."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 97. Of Thangbrand'S Journeys

• attestation: Thangbrand slew Thorkell of Staffell in single combat after Thorkell challenged the faith, bearing a rood-cross on his shield

  "Thorkell. He spoke most against the faith, and challenged Thangbrand to single combat. Then Thangbrand bore a rood-cross (1) before his shield, and the end of their combat was that Thangbrand won the day and slew Thorkell."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 98. Of Thangbrand And Gudleif

• attestation: Thangbrand and Gudleif killed Weatherlid the Skald for speaking against the faith

  "Weatherlid the Skald, and Ari his son, spoke most against the faith, and for that they slew Weatherlid"

• attestation: Thorwald the Scurvy gathered a band against Thangbrand and was killed at Hestbeck on Grimsness

  "Thangbrand shot a spear through Thorwald, but Gudleif smote him on the shoulder and hewed his arm off, and that was his death."

• attestation: Thangbrand replied that Thor would be nothing but dust and ashes without God's will

  ""I have heard tell," says Thangbrand, "that Thor was naught but dust and ashes, if God had not willed that he should live.""

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > Endnotes:

• attestation: The expression 'Wolf of Gods' refers to Thangbrand as an outlaw of heaven cast out from Valhalla

  "(4) "Wolf of Gods," the "caput lupinum," the outlaw of heaven, the outcast from Valhalla, Thangbrand."

The Story Of Burnt Njal > 1. Of Fiddle Mord > 99. Of Gest Oddleif'S Son

• attestation: Thangbrand proposed a test of three fires: heathen-hallowed, Christian-hallowed, and unhallowed, to see which the Baresark feared

  ""We will hallow two fires. The heathen men shall hallow one and I the other, but a third shall be unhallowed; and if the Baresark is afraid of the one that I hallow, but treads both the others, then ye shall take the faith.""

• attestation: Thangbrand struck the Baresark's arm with his crucifix causing the sword to fall, then stabbed him with a sword while Gudleif hewed off his arm

  "Thangbrand smote the arm of the Baresark with his crucifix, and so mighty a token followed that the sword fell from the Baresark's hand.

Then Thangbrand thrusts a sword into his breast, and Gudleif smote him on the arm and hewed it off."

• attestation: Thangbrand sailed abroad from Iceland with Gudleif in a repaired ship the heathen called 'Iron-basket'

  "He caused his ship to be mended, and heathen men called it "Iron-basket." On board that ship Thangbrand fared abroad, and Gudleif with him."