The Beating Royal Heart and the Unruly Limbs

Bodily Imagery in Rauðúlfs þáttr and the Speech against the Bishops

Abstract

This article examines how two Old Norse works, Rauðúlfs þáttr and the Speech against the Bishops, use bodily imagery to convey ideas about the transient nature of earthly kingdoms and societal organization. Both texts draw from established models but adapt them uniquely. Inspired by a text attributed to Bernard of Clair­vaux, the opening of the Speech against the Bishops emphasizes the king’s supremacy over ecc­le­si­as­tical power. Rauðúlfs þáttr is more complex and enigmatic, and its overall mes­sage is ambiguous. The tale seemingly reflects a pessimistic view of Nor­way’s decline from St. Óláfr’s reign to the civil unrest of the late 12th century. The text’s por­trayal of a dream figure with pierced feet symbolizes internal conflicts among Nor­wegian throne claimants. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream with Daniel’s inter­pretation pro­vides the obvious model for Óláfr’s dream and Rauðúlfr’s inter­pretation, but while Daniel’s interpretation ends on an optimistic note, Rauðúlfr’s inter­pretation offers no such hope.