The Hrafnkels saga is an Icelandic saga telling of struggles between chieftains in the east of Iceland in the 10th century. The eponymous main character, Hrafnkell, starts out his career as a fearsome duelist and a dedicated worshipper of the god Freyr. After suffering defeat, humiliation, and the destruction of his temple, he becomes an atheist. His character changes and he becomes more peaceful in dealing with others. After gradually rebuilding his power base for several years, he achieves revenge against his enemies and lives out the rest of his life as a powerful and respected chieftain. The saga has been read as the story of a man who realizes that the true basis of power is not belief in the gods but the loyalty of one's subordinates. It is widely read today and appreciated for its logical structure, plausibility and vivid characters. For these reasons, it has served as a test case in the dispute on the origins of the Icelandic sagas.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

364: Valentinian I was elected Roman Emperor by officers of the Roman military at Nicaea, Bithynia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentinian_I)

1784: John Wesley, a minister of the Church of England, chartered the first Methodist Church. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism)

1935: Wallace Carothers invented nylon, a synthetic polymer. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nylon)

1947: The 228 Incident: Civil disorder in Taipei and Keelung was brutally suppressed by the Chinese Nationalist military. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/228_Incident)

1983: The final episode of the television series M*A*S*H was broadcast, and became the most-watched television program in history. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M*A*S*H_%28TV_series%29)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"Of all our infirmities, the most savage is to despise our being." -- Michel de Montaigne (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Michel_de_Montaigne)