Bolli Bollason

Bolli Bollason (also Bolli Bollison) was a key historical character in the Medieval Icelandic "Laxdœla saga", born around 1004. [ [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sjacobso/fam01154.htm Genealogy of Bolli Bollason] ] . He grew up in Orlygsstadir, at Helgafell on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland. [Helgafell is translated as "Holyfell" in English versions of the saga.] He divided his time between Helgafell and Tunga, the home of Snorri the Gođi. [Tunga is translated as "Tongue" in English versions of the saga.] He was held in the highest regard among the contemporary Scandinavian rulers, and also in the Byzantine Empire, where he became the first known West Norseman ["Northman" in the saga can be taken to mean "Icelander or Norwegian", as Old Norse had spilt along East/West lines. According to the "Annales Bertiniani", the Swedes had reached "Miklagarðr" (Constantinople) in the 830s, and many of them were in the service of the Empire prior Bolli's arrival.] in the Varangian Guard.Smiley] It is believed that he had reached the rank of "Manglabites" in the Byzantine army,Heath, p 38] and on his return to Iceland, his finery and recognition earned him the name "Bolli the Elegant".

His importance in the literary context of the saga is his prominence as the son of Bolli Þorleiksson and Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, the two central characters of the work. He is mentioned at the end of the "Sneglu-Hall páttur" ("The Tale of Sarcastic Halli"), and is also the subject of his own tale, the "Bollaþáttur", which was later appended to the end of the manuscripts in the early 14th century.

Laxdœla saga

Family and early life

Bolli Bollason was one of the People of Laxárdalur, born in 1006 to Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, the winter after the killing of his father, Bolli Þorleiksson. Guðrún had been courted by Þorleiksson and his foster-brother Kjartan Ólafsson, but although she preferred Kjartan, she gave herself to Þorleiksson on the basis of a false rumour that Kjartan was engaged. The consequent hostilities between the two foster-brothers ended with Þorleiksson killing Kjartan, and then he in turn being killed by Kjartan's kinsmen. Bolli Bollason grew up with his brother Thorleik, who was four years his senior, and his mother Guðrún in Helgafell, after she exchanged homes with the renowned Snorri the Goði. [ [http://omacl.org/Laxdaela/chapter56.html Chapter LVI] ]

Guðrún remarried, this time to Thorkell Eyjolffsson, who became a great chieftain in his own countryside and took over the running of the household at Helgafell. [ [http://omacl.org/Laxdaela/chapter69.html CHAPTER LXIX] ] [http://omacl.org/Laxdaela/chapter70.html CHAPTER LXX] ] This left Bolli able to spend his time both at Helgafell and with Snorri in Tunga, and Snorri became very fond of him. Thorkell was fond of both his stepsons, but Bolli was regarded as "being the foremost in all things". Thorleik journeyed abroad to Norway, and stayed with King Olaf II for several months.

When Bolli was eighteen years old he asked for his father's portion, as he intended to woo Thordis Snorradottir, the daughter of Snorri the Goði. He set out with his stepfather and a good many followers to Tunga. Snorri welcomed them, and the wedding feast took place that summer. Bolli abode at Tunga, and love grew between him and Thordis. The next summer, Thorleik returned in a goods-laden ship to White-river, "and the brothers greeted each other joyfully".

The two brothers made peace with the sons of Ólaf, Kjartan's kinsmen, at the Thorness Thing; it is not known how much money was exchanged in compensation as part of the agreement, but Bolli received a good sword, and after the assembly "both sides were thought to have gained in esteem from these affairs". [ [http://omacl.org/Laxdaela/chapter71.html Chapter LXXI] ]

Travels abroad

Bolli's later travels abroad with his brother Thorleik are well documented and notable for his role in the Varangian Guard. They departed Iceland, taking "a great deal of money abroad with him", and reached Norway in the autumn. They stayed in Thrandheim for the winter, while King Olaf II was wintering in the east in Sarpsborg. Bolli soon became highly thought of in Norway, and his arrivals at the guild meeting-places were noted for being better arrayed as to raiment and weapons than other townsfolk. Early in the spring the brothers prepared their ship and went east to meet the king. The king thought Bolli "a man of high mettle," "even peerless among men", and "the man of greatest mark that has ever come from Iceland." [http://omacl.org/Laxdaela/chapter73.html CHAPTER LXXIII] ]

Bolli boarded a trade-ship bound for Denmark, departing King Olaf in great friendship and with fine parting gifts. [Although the Muriel Press 1899 translation uses the ambiguous "trade-ship" for "knarrarbátinn", the newer 2002 Penguin edition translates it as "cog".] Thorleik remained behind, but Bolli wintered in Denmark and became as well regarded as he had been in Norway. Travelling next to Constantinople, he spent many years in the Varangian Guard; "and was thought to be the most valiant in all deeds that try a man, and always went next to those in the forefront." [http://omacl.org/Laxdaela/chapter73.html Chapter LXXIII] ] The saga also records the finery his followers received from the Byzantine Emperor (most likely Romanos III), and the influence he held after his return to Iceland, some time after the death of King Olaf II:

The right to bear a gold-hilted sword was one of the privileges of the court rank of "Manglabites", and is taken as an indicator that Bolli held this rank. In Iceland, his finery and recognition earned him the name "Bolli the Elegant". [Smiley, p 419] His return to Thordis was joyful, and he took over the manor of Tunga when Snorri died at 67 years of age. [http://omacl.org/Laxdaela/chapter78.html Chapter LXXVIII] ] Bolli had two children with Thordis: Herdis Bolladottir and Ospak Bollason.

Tales

Bolli died in the reign of Harald III of Norway, as is recorded at the end of "The Tale of Sarcastic Halli":long quotation|Harald learned of the deaths of two of his men from Iceland, Bolli the Elegant and Sarcastic Halli.He said of Boli, "The warrior must have fallen victim to spears."But of Halli he said, "The poor devil must have burst eating porridge" [Smiley, p712]

ee also

*Harald III of Norway

Footnotes

References

*cite book |first=Ian |last=Heath |title=Byzantine Armies, 886-1118 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=RgkpDKYvb48C&printsec=frontcover |location=London |date=1979 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |id=0850453062
*cite book |author=Various |others=edited by Smiley, Jane |title=The Sagas of Icelanders |url=http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141000039,00.html |date=2001 |publisher=Penguin |id=ISBN 9780141000039

External links

* [http://sunsite3.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Laxdaela/ Translation in English by Muriel Press (The Temple Classics, London, 1899)]
* [http://www.snerpa.is/net/isl/laxdal.htm Text with modern Icelandic spelling]
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17803/ Laxdæla saga] in an English translation by Muriel A. C. Press, 1899, from Project Gutenberg
* [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sjacobso/fam01079.htm Genealogy]
* [http://www.geocities.com/egfrothos/Adoption.html Byzantine & Varangian Equipment]