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The Church in Fourteenth-Century Iceland

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The Church in Fourteenth-Century Iceland The Church in Fourteenth-Century Iceland Ecclesiastical Administration, Literacy, and the Formation of an Elite Clerical Identity Erika Ruth Sigurdson Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. The University of Leeds Institute for Medieval Studies 11 November, 2011 ii The candidate confirms that the work submitted is her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. © 2011 University of Leeds and Erika Ruth Sigurdson iii Acknowledgements A project such as this incurs many debts. I should begin by acknowledging the financial support (ORS, Tetley and Lupton scholarship) which made this project possible. To this, I will add my gratitude to my supervisors, Dr Alaric Hall and Prof. Graham Loud. Their support, constructive criticism, and generous supply of knowledge have made this thesis considerably better than it could have been without them. Prof. Andrew Wawn supervised my thesis in my first year, and was consistently generous with his knowledge and experience, as well as assistance with Icelandic translation. Additionally, I would like to convey my gratitude to the Institute for Medieval Studies. Here I must specifically thank Dr Mary Swan, whose support and advice helped me navigate the conflicting demands of a postgraduate research programme. I must also thank Dr William Flynn, who provided a sympathetic ear, as well as encouragement, advice, and much-needed optimism. The users of the LePatourel room have been a constant source of friendly encouragement and good company throughout my time at Leeds, while the University of Leeds Old Norse Reading Group has provided a venue for like-minded Old Norse enthusiasts to translate and discuss Old Norse literature and related topics. I would particularly like to thank my friends and colleagues, Sheryl McDonald and Helen Price, who have been a constant source of shared ideas and enthusiasm for Iceland in the Middle Ages. Finally, I must thank my family, friends, and especially my parents. Without their constant support I would not have been able to begin, let alone complete a project on this scale. I would also like to thank my partner, Jason Berg. He not only provided much-appreciated editorial advice, but has also been a constant support in my writing-up year. iv Abstract This thesis examines the development of elite clerical culture in fourteenth-century Iceland. Following ecclesiastical reforms of the late thirteenth century (staðamál), a small number of clerics gained access to large farms (staðir) as benefices, and gained wealth and power from their new benefices. Over the course of the century, this small group developed a shared identity, one based on clerical values such as familiarity with canon law, as well as on a shared sense of interdependence and a new, clerical set of personal networks and connections. This thesis examines the development of this shared identity, particularly as expressed through clerical narrative writing, and through the role of ecclesiastical administration at the sub- episcopal level (diocesan officers and the holders of major benefices). Chapter 1 provides an introduction to current scholarly approaches to fourteenth-century Iceland, while discussing the historical context for the study of ecclesiastical administration and clerical identity. Chapter 2 surveys the primary sources which form the basis of this thesis. Chapter 3 is a study of the structure of the Icelandic Church, with a focus on the role of individual agents in shaping the development of ecclesiastical institutions. Chapter 4 consists of a social and cultural study of the sub-episcopal elite clergy in Iceland. The first part of this chapter examines the economic and social basis for the development of an elite clergy, while the second part provides an analysis of the social and cultural history of the sub- episcopal elite, with a focus on the social networks of the sub-episcopal elite, and different types of relationship within these networks. Chapter 5 consists of a thematic study of Icelandic clergy in Norway; through an analysis of evidence for voyages to Norway undertaken by the sub-episcopal elite, I provide insight into the particular relationship between Iceland and Norway in the fourteenth century. v Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... iii Abstract ....................................................................................................................... iv Contents ....................................................................................................................... v Tables ....................................................................................................................... viii Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. ix Spelling Conventions and Translation ......................................................................... x Maps ............................................................................................................................ xi Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter One: Iceland in the Fourteenth Century ......................................................... 7 1.1. Sources and Historiography .............................................................................. 8 1.2. Government: Iceland and the Kings of Norway ............................................. 15 1.2.1. The End of the Icelandic Commonwealth ................................................ 16 1.2.2. Járnsíða and Jónsbók ............................................................................... 18 1.2.3. The Norwegian Crown and Political Restructuring 1319–97 .................. 20 1.3. The Aristocracy in Iceland and the Administration of Iceland ....................... 23 1.3.1. The Administration of Iceland after 1264 ................................................ 24 1.3.2. Leiguhirðstjórar (the rental governors) ................................................... 28 1.4. The Icelandic Church 1264–1300 ................................................................... 32 1.4.1. Staðamál ................................................................................................... 34 1.4.2. Bishop Árni‘s New Church Law .............................................................. 37 1.5. Defining the Period ......................................................................................... 38 1.5.1. Currency ................................................................................................... 41 1.6. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 42 Chapter Two: Sources and Authorship: The Intellectual Milieu ............................... 44 2.1. Source Criticism .............................................................................................. 45 2.2. Bishops‘ Sagas ................................................................................................ 53 2.2.1. Árna saga ................................................................................................. 56 2.2.2. Guðmundar saga D (Guðmundar saga Arngríms Brandssonar) ............. 57 2.2.3. Jóns þáttr Halldórssonar ......................................................................... 60 2.2.4. Exempla and Romance ............................................................................. 63 2.3. The Annals ...................................................................................................... 65 2.3.1. Skálholtsannáll ......................................................................................... 67 2.3.2. Brot af Skálholtsannáll ............................................................................. 68 2.3.3. Lögmannsannáll ....................................................................................... 69 2.3.4. Flateyjarannáll ......................................................................................... 70 vi 2.3.5. Gotteskálksannáll ..................................................................................... 70 2.4. The Annals as Narrative Sources .................................................................... 72 2.5. Documentary Sources ..................................................................................... 76 2.6. Authorship and the Intellectual Milieu ........................................................... 78 2.7. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 80 Chapter Three: Structure of the Icelandic Church ..................................................... 81 3.1. The Icelandic Church ...................................................................................... 82 3.1.1. Parish Church Structure ........................................................................... 84 3.1.2. Tithes and Taxes ...................................................................................... 87 3.1.3. Staðir, Bændarkirkjur, and Major Churches ............................................ 89 3.1.4. Monasteries .............................................................................................
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