Gissur Ísleifsson
Encyclopedia
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic clergyman, who, in 1082, became the second Catholic bishop of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in the aftermath of the adoption of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
by the island's inhabitants 82 years earlier in the year 1000.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Ísleifur Gissurarson
Ísleifur Gissurarson
Ísleifur Gissurarson , an Icelandic clergyman, became the first bishop of Iceland, following the adoption of Christianity in 1000 AD.His parents were Gissur Teitsson and Þórdís Þóroddsdóttir...
, Iceland's first bishop, who established the initial episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
at the family homestead in Skálholt
Skálholt
Skálholt is an historical site situated in the south of Iceland at the river Hvítá.-History:Skálholt was, through eight centuries, one of the most important places in Iceland. From 1056 until 1785, it was one of Iceland's two episcopal sees, along with Hólar, making it a cultural and political...
and served from 1056 until his death in 1080, Gissur Ísleifsson continued his mission at Skálholt for the next 36 years, with his own death coming in the year of his 76th birthday.