Lárentíus Kálfsson
Encyclopedia
Lárentíus Kálfsson 10 August 1267–16 April 1331) was bishop of the northern Icelandic diocese of Hólar
1324–31.
Laurentius studied first with Þórarinn kaggi, his maternal uncle, in Vellir in Svarfaðardalur and later with Jörundr Þorsteinsson, the bishop of Hólar, and became renowned for his learning. He spent much of his career, however, in dispute with various powerful churchmen. He was consecrated as a priest in 1288 and was the schoolmaster at Hólar for the following three years, after which he was priest at Háls in Fnjóskadalur from 1292–1293. Following a dispute with the bishop of Hólar, he went to Norway in 1294 and there served Archbishop Jörundr, studying law with Jón the Fleming, and finding himself making enemies among the canons of the cathedral of Nidaros
. Returning to Norway after an unsuccessful trip to Iceland in 1307-8, he was imprisoned by them, and sent back to Iceland in 1309 where he was able to join the monastery of Þykkvabær. The next bishop of Hólar was an old enemy of Laurentius's from among the canons of Nidaros, Auðunn rauði, with whom Laurentius made peace in the autumn of 1319, going on to teach Auðunn's grandson. On Auðunn's death in 1322, Laurentius succeeded him as bishop of Hólar, being consecrated in 1324.
Most of what we know about Laurentius comes from Laurentius saga, almost certainly written by Laurentius's one-time pupil and close friend Einarr Hafliðason
(1307–93).
Laurentius had a son by a Norwegian woman: Árni Lárentíusson, later a monk at Þingeyraklaustur.
Hólar
Hólar is a small community located in the Skagafjörður district and situated in northern Iceland.-Location:Hólar is located in the Hjaltadalur valley, some from the national capital at Reykjavík. Hólar has a population of around 100...
1324–31.
Laurentius studied first with Þórarinn kaggi, his maternal uncle, in Vellir in Svarfaðardalur and later with Jörundr Þorsteinsson, the bishop of Hólar, and became renowned for his learning. He spent much of his career, however, in dispute with various powerful churchmen. He was consecrated as a priest in 1288 and was the schoolmaster at Hólar for the following three years, after which he was priest at Háls in Fnjóskadalur from 1292–1293. Following a dispute with the bishop of Hólar, he went to Norway in 1294 and there served Archbishop Jörundr, studying law with Jón the Fleming, and finding himself making enemies among the canons of the cathedral of Nidaros
Nidaros
Nidaros or Niðarós was during the Middle Ages, the old name of Trondheim, Norway . Until the Reformation, Nidaros remained the centre of the spiritual life of the country...
. Returning to Norway after an unsuccessful trip to Iceland in 1307-8, he was imprisoned by them, and sent back to Iceland in 1309 where he was able to join the monastery of Þykkvabær. The next bishop of Hólar was an old enemy of Laurentius's from among the canons of Nidaros, Auðunn rauði, with whom Laurentius made peace in the autumn of 1319, going on to teach Auðunn's grandson. On Auðunn's death in 1322, Laurentius succeeded him as bishop of Hólar, being consecrated in 1324.
Most of what we know about Laurentius comes from Laurentius saga, almost certainly written by Laurentius's one-time pupil and close friend Einarr Hafliðason
Einarr Hafliðason
Einar Hafliðason , 15 September 1307–22 September 1393 was an Icelandic priest and author. He became a priest in 1334 with the benefice of Höskuldsstaðir á Skagaströnd and in 1343 the Archbishop of Nidaros granted him Breiðabólstaður í Vesturhópi, one of the best farms in the region, in what is now...
(1307–93).
Laurentius had a son by a Norwegian woman: Árni Lárentíusson, later a monk at Þingeyraklaustur.
Sources
- Páll Eggert Ólason: Íslenskar æviskrár III.
- Sigurjón Páll Ísaksson: Auðun biskup rauði og timburstofan á Hólum. Um Auðunarstofu, Hólanefnd 2004. Ritstj: Þorsteinn Gunnarsson.
- Elton, Oliver (trans.), The Life of Laurence Bishop of Hólar in Iceland (London: Rivington, 1890), available at http://www.archive.org/details/lifeoflaurencebi00einauoft.
- Árni Björnsson (ed.), Laurentius saga biskups, Rit handritastofunar Íslands, 3 (Reykjavík: Handritastofnun Íslands, 1969).
- Guðrún Ása Grímsdóttir (ed.), Biskupa sögur III: Árna saga biskups, Lárentius saga biskups, Söguþáttr Jóns Halldórssonar biskups, Biskupa ættir, Íslenzk fornrit, 17 (Reykjavík: Hið Íslenzka fornritfélag, 1998).