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670 VON TROIL’S LETTERS ON ICELAND.
Olof Trygewaffon’s Saga, where he makes mention of a man, whofe name was Oddni,
who, being dumb, made known, by means of Runic characters, that he had been infulted
by Ivar, his father’s gueft.
After the reception of the Chriftian religion in the year 1000, the fciences took ano-
ther form. The Latin characters were immediately adopted; as the Runic alphabet,
which only confiits of fixteen letters, was found infufficient. ‘The firft Icelandic bifhop
Hfleif, founded a fchool at Skallholt ; and foon after they founded four other fchools,
in which the youth were inftructed in the Latin tongue, divinity, and fome parts of
theoretic philofophy. Jonas Ogmundffon, firft bifhop of Hoolum, fent to Gothland in
the year 1120 for one Gifle Finfon to fuperintend the fchool at Hoolum. Arngrim
Jonfon, on this occafion, mentions a remarkable circumftance in his Crymogaca,p.108:
of the architeét Thorodr, who, as he was employed in building the cathedral church at
Hoolum, paid fo much attention to the grammatical leffons given to the fchool-boys, as
to make a confiderable progrefs in them himfelf. The fame author alfo mentions, that -
the bifhop, who was a learned and zealous man, having one day furprized one of the
fcholars in reading Ovid’s letters, and book De Arte Amandi, was fo incenfed thereat
as to ftrike the book out of his hand. At atime when no great knowledge of the
Latin language could be expected even in Sweden, an Icelander however was found of
fufficient capacity and learning to inflruct the young people to read and underitand the
Latin poets. But notwithftanding the fciences were there only in their infancy, thofé
who defired to make greater progrefs in them, ftudied in foreign univerfities. . Giflur
Ifleifson ftudied at Erfurt; and many reforted to Paris, as Samundr Sigfuffon did, from
whence they were called Pariftlarkar (Paris-writers). Many, however, whofe names
are become celebrated, have only ftudied in Iceland: asa proof of which, I will only
mention the two moft famous Icelandic writers Are Frode and Snorre Sturlefon. It
may therefore be affirmed that Iceland, from the introduction of the Chriftian religion,
there till the year 1264, whenit became fubject to Norway, was one of the few countries
in Europe, and the only one in the north, where the fciences were cultivated and:held
in efteem. ‘This period of time has alfo produced more learned men than atany other
period fince. We need only read their ancient chronicles, to be convinced that they
had great knowledge in morality, philofophy, natural hiftory, and aftronomy. ‘They
had tolerably clear ideas of divinity, and ufed to read the Fathers: but their poetical
and hiftorical productions, in particular, have bid defiance to time, even when igno-
rance was again beginning to refume her empire. It would be an eafy matter to men-
tion a number of poets who diftinguifhed themfelves, not only in Iceland and the Ork-
neys, but likewife at the Swedifh, Danith, Norwegian, and Englifh courts, as the /La/-
dartal (or lift of poets) contains no lefs than two hundred and forty: but it will be
fuperfluous to mention here any more than the three principal ones, viz. Snorre Stur-
lefon, who was beheaded in the year 1241, in the fixty-third year of his age, at Reik-
holt in Iceland; Olafr Huitafkald, who died in 1259; and Sturla Thordfon, who
made his exit in 1284. Some extracts of the works of thefe authors are inferted in
fome printed and manufcript chronicles. : Vogt
Of much greater importance are their fayings or hiftories, the utility and authenti-
city of which have caufed fo many difputes: for if they have been confidered by fome
as fure and irreverfible fupporters of the hiftory of our forefathers, they have been
looked upon by others as ablurd inventions and falfehoods, which belong to. the fame
clafs as the hiftory of the knight Finke, Fortunatus, the horned Siegfried, and other old
women’s tales. This laft opinion is no lefs unreafonable, than an excefs of veneration
paid to them would be inconfiderate and rath. When they are confulted with circumfpec-
Ii tion
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