Famine around the year 990

In the Saga of King Ólafur Tryggvason, it is mentioned that around the year 990, there was a famine in the country. Arnór kerlingarnefur then proposed that most, if not all, of the dogs in the country should be killed, as their large numbers meant that many human lives could be saved if the food used to feed the dogs was redirected. However, the farmers did not follow this advice, and the dogs were spared.

This chapter is part of the summaries about the history of the Icelandic sheepdog, which can be found online. Notable among these is a proposal by Guðni Ágústsson, a member of parliament, from February 15, 1994, where he presented ideas to promote the stature and respect for the Icelandic sheepdog. See my blog post and an article about Gísli Pálssons book The Icelandic Sheepdog from Morgunblaðið dated December 19, 1999.

I have long wanted to look up this story, and I spent a good amount of time on it today. I found an English version of the Saga of King Ólafur Tryggvason, and Chapter 226 on page 360 describes the events that led Arnór to make this proposal.

I have not been able to find this chapter in an Icelandic version, but it seems to me that the story is only found in Ólafs saga Tryggvasonar hin mesta ("The Saga of Ólafur Tryggvason the greatest"). This saga was composed around 1300 and is based, among other sources, on the Saga of Ólafur Tryggvason as compiled by Snorri Sturluson in Heimskringla. However, it expands the narrative with additional material. A later version of Ólafs saga Tryggvasonar hin mesta is preserved in Flateyjarbók, where the saga is significantly expanded by inserting entire stories or chapters from other sagas connected to King Ólafur Tryggvason.

I was not able to examine Flateyjarbók today to find the original Icelandic text, but perhaps that will be a task for another time—who knows? Nevertheless, I am pleased to have found the context surrounding Arnór's proposal.