THE SCENE: In this passage about pagan Iceland, a man who becomes a vegetarian for a month is treated as such a curiosity that he becomes a tourist destination.
THE TEXT: Kjartan observed a strict fast throughout Lent, which was without precedent in this country, for it is said that he was the first man to have dry-fasted in Iceland. People thought it so remarkable that Kjartan could live so long without meat that they traveled long distances just to look at him.
– Laxdaela Saga, 13th Century AD
