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Thorvald Far-Farer | |
|---|---|
Þorvaldr inn víðfǫrli | |
 Memorial commemorating 1000 years of Christian mission in Iceland, 918–1981, with depiction of Bishop Friedrich and Thorvald. | |
| Born | Þorvaldr Koðránsson (Old Norse) c. 950 CE Stóra-Giljá, Vatnsdalur, Iceland |
| Died | c. 1005 CE |
| Siglum | Þvíðf |
| Occupation | Skald
|
| Era | Viking Age |
| Parent(s) | Koðran Eilífsson (father) Járngerður (mother) Þórdís spákona (guardian) |
Thorvald Far-Farer (Kodransson) (Old Norse: Þorvaldr inn víðfǫrli (Koðránsson); Icelandic: Þorvaldur víðförli (Konráðsson)) was an Icelandic skald, warrior, and Christian missionary. He is best known as one of the first Christian missionaries in Iceland and founder of the monastery of St. John the Baptist in Polotsk (in modern-day Belarus).
He is the protagonist of Þorvalds þáttur víðförla, a Þáttr
- Kristni þættir of the Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta
- Kristni saga
- Vatnsdæla saga
He was native to Iceland but went abroad where he was baptized by one Bishop Friedrich, a German.[1] He returned to the island in Bishop Friedrich's retinue in 981.[2] They were especially active in proselytising among the inhabitants of the northern parts of Iceland.[2] However, Thorvald killed two men in a battle and was expelled from the island in 986.[1][2]
Founded the monastery of St. John the Baptist in Polotsk (Old Norse: Pallteskja, Pallteskiuborg)
From Russian Wikipedia article at :ru:Торвальд Кодранссон:
[edit]Travel to Jerusalem and Constantinople
[edit]In 985, Torvald went through Jerusalem to Miklagard (Constantinople). He was awarded an audience with Emperor Basil II and Patriarch Nicholas II of Constantinople. The emperor granted Torvald a charter according to which he was appointed Plenipotentiary Envoy of Byzantium to "Russian princes in the Eastern Baltic countries" (probably meant Polotsk, Novgorod and Pskov).
Mission in Polotsk
[edit]In 986, Torvald, together with his colleague Stefnir Torgilsson, moving through Kenugard (Kiev) along the Nepr (Dnipro), arrived in Polotsk. On "Move Drofne" they built a church and opened a monastery of St. John the Baptist. Torvald met with another famous Viking Olav Tryggvason in Polotsk. Torvald died in Polotsk, presumably after 1002.
Later, Polotsk was visited by a skald Brand traveler, who claimed that Torvald was buried "in the mountain near the Church of John" and revered as a saint.
Memory
[edit]It was documented that the monastery of John the Baptist was in Polotsk in the 14th century ("on the Island" opposite the Polotsk Upper Castle), which was probably located on the site of the monastery founded by Torvald.
Russian researcher O. B. Loseva, Candidate of Historical Sciences, employee of the Department of Eastern Christian Churches of the Orthodox Encyclopedia Church and Scientific Center, hypothesizes that Torvald was a locally revered Orthodox saint of the Polotsk diocese (after the 11th century). She identifies him with Timothy Polotsk or Tour of Polotsk.
See also
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ a b Byock 2001, p. 294.
- ^ a b c Hjálmarsson 2012, p. 29.
References
[edit]- Byock, Jesse (2001). Viking Age Iceland. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-029115-5.
- Hjálmarsson, Jón R. (2012). History of Iceland: From the Settlement to the Present Day. FORLAGIĐ. ISBN 978-9979-53-513-3.