Old Norse Christian literature is usually considered to be unproblematic and nearly boring matter by students of Old Norse. It is taken for granted, that Old Norse Christian literature originated and developed in a similar way as the Christian literature of continental Europe, only a bit later.

                When looking closer, Old Norse Christian Literature appears to be much more complex stuff. First of all, to define Old Norse Christian literature is a subtle and complicated task. Second, the penetrating, mixing with as well as occasional opposing to the native narrative tradition originated in some highly original pieces of literature, whose counterparts we would hardly find in continental Europe.

                The lecture definitely does not promise to give definite answer to the question ‘What is Old Norse Christian literature’. Nevertheless, it will clearly delimitate the possible attempts at the definition and classification of Old Norse Christian literature and show their weak points. It will not give a definite ratio of the ‘Nordic’ and ‘Christian’ presence in Old Norse Christian literature but it will try to show some ways in which Old Norse and Christian forms and ideas mingled together and some places, where a mutual impregnation brought rather strange literary fruits.