Iceland's Conversion

[Chris]

Just picked up the June issue of Harper's. (The cover story caught my eye . . .) Anyway.

In the Findings sections (very last page of the magazine), I stumbled across this interesting (well, I thought so) sentence:

"A massive medieval lava flow may have hastened Iceland's conversion to Christianity".

Thoughts? Comments?

Cheers,
Chris

[Nick Harbud]

IMHO, it had more to do with Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway, who first sent a couple of missionaries before resorting to economic blockade and taking hostage the sons of several prominent Icelandic chieftains.

I mean, in some parts of the world lava flows are sufficiently rare to be considered Acts of God(s), but in places like Iceland and Hawaii they are completely unremarkable.

[Jim Webster]

IMHO, it had more to do with Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway, who first sent a couple of missionaries before resorting to economic blockade and taking hostage the sons of several prominent Icelandic chieftains.

I mean, in some parts of the world lava flows are sufficiently rare to be considered Acts of God(s), but in places like Iceland and Hawaii they are completely unremarkable.

as far as I can make out the claim about the lava is one throwaway line among many, (is it sourced or expounded upon elsewhere in the magazine?) and whilst I'd be interested in an article on the topic I'd tend to stick with the Icelanders making a reasoned decision

[Dangun]

In the Findings sections (very last page of the magazine), I stumbled across this interesting (well, I thought so) sentence:
"A massive medieval lava flow may have hastened Iceland's conversion to Christianity".

It is an interesting sentence.
You can see it here https://harpers.org/archive/2018/06/findings-172/

But its part of a long shopping list of potentially-true-but-without-context-provocative statements.

I would quote it in full, but our newly appointed chief diversity officer might be offended.
So, on second thoughts.... here's a sample.

"In the Bible Belt, the negative correlation between intelligence and religiosity is weaker. A massive medieval lava flow may have hastened Iceland's conversion to Christianity. The Maya traded dogs for ceremonial purposes. The demise of cousin marriage lagged the advent of modern transportation by half a century. Wealth has very rarely translated to greater reproductive success for women, whereas for men that effect has persisted even in advanced industrial societies. An Irish philosopher considered whether human morality, having evolved during the Stone Age, has now devolved. A study of Vietnam veterans with penetrating brain injuries identified lesions that encourage altruism."

[Duncan Head]

This - https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/volcanic-eruption-influenced-icelands-conversion-to-christianity - appears to be the original story to which the incomprehensible Harper's ragbag was referring.

[Jim Webster]

the problem with claiming that it was the lava flow and associated climatic effects that brought about the conversion is that the conversion happened about 60 years after the flow had stopped. The first missionaries don't seem to have arrived until forty years after the event

Also it's hardly that Christianity came to Iceland on a wave of emotion or hysteria. From what we know it was settled by arbitration

[Duncan Head]

Read the article, Jim - it says "influenced", not "brought about". The point is that Vǫluspá refers back to memories of the eruption, and uses the imagery to represent the end of the old gods.

[Jim Webster]

Read the article, Jim - it says "influenced", not "brought about". The point is that Vǫluspá refers back to memories of the eruption, and uses the imagery to represent the end of the old gods.

The 'brought about' was my sloppy writing I'm sory

It's interesting, just reading around a little, Vǫluspá ('The prophecy of the seeress') is now being seen by some as part of the apocalyptic tradition in Northern Europe leading up to the year 1000AD. It seems that some ideas leaked out of Christianity and entered more general circulation. But where you'd expect it to merely provide a date for Ragnarök, it looks as if some at least of the Icelanders had dropped that idea and had adopted a more Christian idea of the 'end times'

[Justin Swanton]

the problem with claiming that it was the lava flow and associated climatic effects that brought about the conversion is that the conversion happened about 60 years after the flow had stopped. The first missionaries don't seem to have arrived until forty years after the event

Also it's hardly that Christianity came to Iceland on a wave of emotion or hysteria. From what we know it was settled by arbitration

I was always under the impression Iceland's conversion was sped along by a different kind of volcano - Olaf Tryggvason - who had the habit of persuading his subjects at the point of a sword that baptism was a good idea. He was a convert himself and had missed out on the finer aspects of Christian proselytism. 

[Chris]

Accepting that folks might well roll their eyes at the collection of one-liners on the last page of Harper's, and understanding that the lack of context or reference to academic studies (in the past, I believe there was very small print pointing the curious reader to at some source), I feel it is necessary to point out the word "may" in the statement.

I am not arguing that Christianity in Iceland was caused by the lava flow. I do not think the quote was making that argument either. It was simply suggesting the possibility.

Based on the responses so far, it appears evident that the statement has been refuted.

I am no expert on volcanoes or Iceland (or anything, really  ) but on reading this, I wondered about the relationship between geography and history.

Setting the "incomprehensible ragbag" of the Findings aside, I rather enjoy the occasional reading of Harper's.

Cheers,
Chris

[RichT]

It would feature in the list of unlikely conversions - higher or lower I wonder than when "on one memorable occasion a whole Kingdom was easily converted by a sparrow" (according to 1066 And All That).

I don't agree that the statement has been refuted though - "A massive medieval lava flow may have hastened Iceland's conversion to Christianity" is confirmed by the article Duncan links to - so long as it's understood it may have hastened it slightly.

Geography and history is quite a big topic. Volcanoes and history is more manageable, and still has lots of examples. Tricky coves, volcanoes.

[pegg9876]

I toured Iceland recently. It us a wonderful country. Breathtaking. As for Christianity and lava, not a clue, but the cathedral in Reykjavik is stunning and looks like basalt...😒😀