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13 - History of Iceland by Knut Gjerset · History of Iceland

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Speaker 1: Chapter twelve of History of Iceland by knutka Ursit. This
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Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. English commerce with Iceland,
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Speaker 1: the Icelandic Church, intercourse of the Hanseatic Cities with Iceland.
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Speaker 1: In thirteen ninety seven, Iceland and all the Norwegian dependencies
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Speaker 1: entered into the Union between Norway, Sweden and Denmark established
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Speaker 1: at Kalmar, but no change was made regarding Iceland's relation
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Speaker 1: to the general government. Only gradually did the effects of
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Speaker 1: the union become noticeable in the choice of Danes as
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Speaker 1: bishops and higher officials, and the extension of Danish commercial
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Speaker 1: and administrative policy to the colony. During the fourteenth century,
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Speaker 1: the old intellectual life and national vigor were waning, and
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Speaker 1: in the fifteenth literary activity ceased almost completely. Various causes
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Speaker 1: contributed to this growing national exhaustion, but the most conspicuous
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Speaker 1: was the Black Death, which ravaged the island in fourteen
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Speaker 1: o two to fourteen o four. The popular estimate that
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Speaker 1: the epidemic carried away two thirds of the entire population
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Speaker 1: may be an exaggeration, but the loss of life was
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Speaker 1: nevertheless enormous. Many districts were almost depopulated, Whole families died out,
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Speaker 1: farms relying idle, and all activities suffered a severe setback.
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Speaker 1: Poverty increased, and as the land was now in the
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Speaker 1: hands of the clergy and a few rich proprietors, the
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Speaker 1: people had to live as renters in misery and want.
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Speaker 1: After the ravages of the Black Death in Norway about
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Speaker 1: the middle of the fourteenth century, the trade with Iceland declined.
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Speaker 1: This trade, which now embraced the whole intercourse with the colony,
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Speaker 1: had been gradually monopolized by the merchants of Bergen, with
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Speaker 1: whom the king had entered into a sort of partnership.
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Speaker 1: He owned fourth of every merchant vessel licensed to trade
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Speaker 1: with Iceland without paying any part of ship or cargo.
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Speaker 1: Under more favorable circumstances, a lucrative, monopolized trade with the
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Speaker 1: colony might have been established. But the prosperity of the
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Speaker 1: Bergen merchants, who were slowly recovering from the depressive effects
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Speaker 1: of the Black Death, was again destroyed by the ravages
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Speaker 1: of the Vittle Brothers, a powerful organization of pirates who
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Speaker 1: sacked and burned Bergen in thirteen ninety three and thirteen
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Speaker 1: ninety four, and again in fourteen twenty eight and fourteen
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Speaker 1: twenty nine. Under these circumstances, of course, with Iceland could
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Speaker 1: be only feebly maintained. But since Icelandic economic life was
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Speaker 1: paralyzed as a result of the ravages of the Black Death,
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Speaker 1: the need of imports was now more keenly felt than
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Speaker 1: ever before. In the already mentioned memorial address to the
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Speaker 1: King in fourteen nineteen, the people stated that they had
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Speaker 1: been obliged to trade with foreign merchants who visit visited
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Speaker 1: Iceland and violation of the government decrees. These merchants were
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Speaker 1: English fishermen and traders, who were now beginning to carry
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Speaker 1: on a clandestine traffic with Iceland. The intercourse with the
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Speaker 1: British Isles, which had existed during earlier periods of Icelandic history,
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Speaker 1: ceased during the latter part of the thirteenth century. During
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Speaker 1: the fourteenth no trade seems to have been carried on
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Speaker 1: between Iceland and the British ports e. Foreign trade had
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Speaker 1: hitherto been in the hands of Scandinavian, Venetian, Genoese, Ansiatic,
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Speaker 1: Flemish and other foreign merchants, but from the beginning of
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Speaker 1: the fifteenth century, the English merchant adventurers entered into competition
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Speaker 1: with these maritime states for the control of their own
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Speaker 1: commerce and the extension of English trade into new fields.
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Speaker 1: These bold mariners made their appearance also in Iceland, tempted
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Speaker 1: by the rich fisheries and prospective lucrative trade. English merchants
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Speaker 1: in Iceland are first mentioned in the Icelandic Annals in
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Speaker 1: fourteen twelve, but they had probably made voyages to Iceland
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Speaker 1: even in the fourteenth century. In fourteen thirteen, an English
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Speaker 1: trader by the name of Richard came with a ship
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Speaker 1: to Iceland, says the analyst. He had letters from the
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Speaker 1: King of Norway granting him permission to sail unhindered in
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Speaker 1: the realm, and many bought goods from him when he
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Speaker 1: came to port in southern Iceland. During this period, buccaneering
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Speaker 1: and lawlessness were everywhere prevalent upon the high seas. Even
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Speaker 1: merchants who were engaged in legitimate trade might turn pirates
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Speaker 1: on more distant voyages and seas defenceles merchant vessels with
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Speaker 1: their cargoes along the coasts and in the harbors. Little
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Speaker 1: heed was paid to the rights of private citizens or
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Speaker 1: the laws of the land by the rude master mariners
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Speaker 1: trained in a service which knew few principles but daring
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Speaker 1: and prowess. It is not strange, then, that in so
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Speaker 1: distant and unprotected a country's Iceland, Englandlish sailors and sea captains,
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Speaker 1: in an effort to penetrate into a new field of enterprise,
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Speaker 1: should be guilty of many violent and lawless acts. The
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Speaker 1: first English vessels which visited Iceland trafficked with the people
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Speaker 1: in a peaceful way and sought to establish a friendly intercourse.
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Speaker 1: The later buccaneering activity of English traders, resulting in outrages,
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Speaker 1: unusual even when measured by the standards of those times,
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Speaker 1: was due partly to the character of the English mariners
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Speaker 1: and seamen, but partly also to the annoying interference of
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Speaker 1: the Royal government in a feeble effort to maintain a
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Speaker 1: monopoly of Icelandic trade. From the beginning of the fifteenth century,
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Speaker 1: the English engaged extensively in fisheries in Icelandic waters. In
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Speaker 1: fourteen thirteen, the annals record that thirty English fishing smacks
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Speaker 1: came to Iceland. The same year, five English merchant vessels
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Speaker 1: also arrived at vest men Nesiar. One of these, a
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Speaker 1: royal vessel, brought letters from King Henry the fifth to
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Speaker 1: the government and best men of Iceland, asking their permission
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Speaker 1: to carry on trade in their harbors. But Eric of Purmurania,
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Speaker 1: king of the United Scandinavian Realms, protested against English traders
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Speaker 1: visiting Iceland without his permission. In fourteen fifteen, the same
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Speaker 1: protests was renewed, but English trade with Iceland continued to grow.
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Speaker 1: In that same year, six English ships entered the harbor
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Speaker 1: of half Norfjord. One of these was loaded for the
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Speaker 1: return voyage with codfish and a large sum of money,
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Speaker 1: with which the Royal hearth stu Yori vigfuss Iverson himself
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Speaker 1: sailed to England. The protests of King Eric finally moved
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Speaker 1: Henry the fifth to issue instructions to his subjects forbidding
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Speaker 1: all trade with Iceland and fisheries in Icelandic waters, except
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Speaker 1: in the manner which had obtained from earlier ages. But
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Speaker 1: the aggressive English merchants paid little heed to the royal orders,
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Speaker 1: and the number of English vessels in icelandic wards continued
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Speaker 1: to grow, so that on April thirteenth, fourteen nineteen, according
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Speaker 1: to the Annals, twenty five English ships were wrecked on
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Speaker 1: the coasts of Iceland in a storm which lasted only
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Speaker 1: three hours, that the Icelanders should welcome this trade was
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Speaker 1: quite natural. The earthstyori Arnfinn Thorstenson issued a permit to
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Speaker 1: English fishermen to carry on fisheries in Icelandic waters, and
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Speaker 1: at the all thing he joined with the lawmen and
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Speaker 1: the people in a protest to the King against the
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Speaker 1: attempts to exclude English traders from Iceland. To this remonstrance,
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Speaker 1: they added a petition requesting the King's permission to trade
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Speaker 1: with the foreigners who brought them the goods which they needed,
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Speaker 1: but the King refused to grant them such a privilege.
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Speaker 1: This interdiction of foreign trade may have provoked many of
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Speaker 1: the deeds of violence since forth perpetrated by English traders
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Speaker 1: in Iceland. In fourteen twenty, they attacked Bessstadir, arrested the
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Speaker 1: royal official Hans Polsen, and killed his assistant to Deck Becker.
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Speaker 1: In northern Iceland, the crews of three English ships landed
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Speaker 1: in full battle array, killed the royal official yan ib Ill,
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Speaker 1: treated the overseer of the estates of the hol Bishopric
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Speaker 1: in the presence of the bishop, and committed various other
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Speaker 1: outrages at best manna Yar, English ships commanded by John
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Speaker 1: Morris and Rawlins Terrington, seized and carried away large quantities
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Speaker 1: of codfish belonging to the king. When thorlief Arnason set
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Speaker 1: sail for Norway to report these outrages to the government,
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Speaker 1: he was attacked on the sea by an armed English vessel,
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Speaker 1: and was able to escape only with great difficulty. The
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Speaker 1: English buccaneering traders were emboldened in their aggression by the
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Speaker 1: knowledge that the government of the United Realms was unable
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Speaker 1: to control affairs in Iceland. Queen Margaret had suffered the
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Speaker 1: naval power of her kingdoms to fall into complete decay,
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Speaker 1: and the weakened world This Eric of Pomerania, who succeeded
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Speaker 1: her on the throne, devoted his attention chiefly to bootless
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Speaker 1: foreign wars, which lasted from fourteen sixteen till fourteen thirty five.
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Speaker 1: Intercourse with Greenland had now ceased completely, and the Norse
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Speaker 1: colonies on that distant island disappeared. Iceland might have suffered
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Speaker 1: a like fate but for the timely advent of the
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Speaker 1: English traders, who, in spite of their lawlessness, proved of
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Speaker 1: distinct benefit to Iceland. Untrembled by royal decrees, they continued
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Speaker 1: their operations on a growing scale, with constantly increasing violence
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Speaker 1: by lawless terror directed especially against the helpless government officials.
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Speaker 1: They were able for a time to exercise almost complete
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Speaker 1: control over Icelandic trade. In fourteen twenty two, two English captains,
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Speaker 1: claiming that they had been denied the privilege of trading
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Speaker 1: with Iceland, attacked bess Stadir and killed some people. The
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Speaker 1: following year, English buccaneers ravaged northern Iceland, robbed and burned
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Speaker 1: the churches of Harisi, Husavik and Grimsey, seized a number
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Speaker 1: of sheep and cattle, and even carried away many people
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Speaker 1: into slavery abroad. In fourteen twenty four, besses Tadir was
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Speaker 1: again attacked and plundered by bands led by the buccaneering
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Speaker 1: sea captains John Percy, John Pastal and Thomas Dale, and
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Speaker 1: several government officials were abducted. Another band, under the leadership
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Speaker 1: of John Selby, landed at Flee Yacht in northern Iceland
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Speaker 1: and seized a well to do proprietor, brand Halldorson, who
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Speaker 1: had to ransom himself with the payment of a large
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Speaker 1: quantity of codfish. The vest Man Nayar especially seemed to
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Speaker 1: have been a favorite rendezvous for English traders. In a
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Speaker 1: report to the King regarding the aggression of the British
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Speaker 1: merchants their hearth, Stuyori Hans Paulsen wrote in fourteen twenty five,
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Speaker 1: there is an island near the coast of Iceland called
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Speaker 1: vest Many, which belongs entirely to the King of Norway,
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Speaker 1: with all rightas so that no one except the King
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Speaker 1: has any authority over it. To this island, the English
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Speaker 1: have come every year since this harmful traffic began on
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Speaker 1: the island. They built houses, erect large tents, dig up
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Speaker 1: the ground, carry on fishery, and make use of everything
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Speaker 1: as if it were their own property. They have neither
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Speaker 1: sought for nor ever obtained permission from the King's officials,
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Speaker 1: but occupied the place by force, and do not permit
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Speaker 1: the fish belonging to the King or any other persons
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Speaker 1: to be shipped from the island before they have loaded
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Speaker 1: their own vessels according to their pleasure. In his report
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Speaker 1: he also complains of various outrages committed by British traders
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Speaker 1: on the island. Nicholas Dalstan, who in fourteen twenty killed
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Speaker 1: to Decca Becker at besse Stadir, and had carried away
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Speaker 1: large quantities of fish belonging to the king. Continued to
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Speaker 1: be a leader of the English traders, many of whom
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Speaker 1: were guilty of various crimes. In fourteen twenty five to two,
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Speaker 1: Hearth stood jorar Or. Royal governors Hanswer and Balthasar von
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Speaker 1: Domen went to the best manay Yar to arrest the
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Speaker 1: intruders and seized their vessels, but this attempt miscarried completely.
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Speaker 1: When they arrived, they were attacked by the English, who
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Speaker 1: broke their boats so that they could not even leave
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Speaker 1: the island. They retreated to a favorable position and sought
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Speaker 1: to defend themselves, but the English attacked them in battle
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Speaker 1: array with those and arrows and other weapons. They were
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Speaker 1: soon forced to surrender on the condition that they should
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Speaker 1: be allowed to leave the island. Captain Dalston sanctioned this agreement,
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Speaker 1: leaving the difficulties to be settled by the kings of
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Speaker 1: Denmark and England. But when the officials prepared to depart,
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Speaker 1: they were again attacked and robbed of all their belongings.
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Speaker 1: Their followers were finally allowed to leave, with the exception
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Speaker 1: of one who was treacherously slain, but Hans Paulson and
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Speaker 1: Balthasar von Domen were brought as prisoners on board the
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Speaker 1: British ship and carried to England. Hans Paulson's report of
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Speaker 1: their affair was submitted to the English Council and Admiral
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Speaker 1: Duke of Exeter. It was also confirmed as correct by
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Speaker 1: a commission assembled and burgened to investigate the affair. Such
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Speaker 1: outrages were frequently repeated along the Icelandic coast. Officials were intimidated, slain,
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Speaker 1: or carried out of the country. Trade and fisheries not
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Speaker 1: carried on by Englishmen were obstructed, and boats and fishing
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Speaker 1: tackle were destroyed. So bold were the raids on seaports
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Speaker 1: and settlements, and so helpless were the government officials that
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Speaker 1: Iceland virtually passed under the complete control of the merchants
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Speaker 1: of Hall Lynn, York, London, Bristol and other English cities,
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Speaker 1: which could keep large fleets of trading vessels on the sea.
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Speaker 1: Many of these outrages seemed to have been committed for
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Speaker 1: the purpose of intimidating the people and the royal officials,
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Speaker 1: in order that complete control over Icelanding commerce might be
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Speaker 1: established In spite of these serious disturbances, most of the
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Speaker 1: English trade with Iceland was undoubtedly carried on in a
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Speaker 1: peaceful way, but the analysts, who usually report only special events,
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Speaker 1: paid but little attention to general conditions. In fourteen thirty
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Speaker 1: one one, King Eric again made complaint to the King
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Speaker 1: of England of the damage done his subjects through unlawful
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Speaker 1: trade with Iceland and by robberies committed by English traders
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Speaker 1: during a period of twenty years. For these encroachments, he
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Speaker 1: asked an indemnity of forty thousand pounds. From English state documents,
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Speaker 1: it appears that the King of England had tried repeatedly
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Speaker 1: to stop this unlawful trade. In an agreement made by
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Speaker 1: the two sovereigns at Copenhagen in Denmark December twenty fourth,
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Speaker 1: fourteen thirty two, he promised to punish those of his
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Speaker 1: subjects who had committed robberies or other depredations in Iceland
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Speaker 1: or elsewhere in the Danish Norwegian realm. All persons who
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Speaker 1: had been abducted should be returned to Iceland and work
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Speaker 1: to receive a fair compensation for the services which they
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Speaker 1: had been forced to render in England. The Royal Orders
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Speaker 1: against unlawful trade with Iceland were to be renewed and enforced.
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Speaker 1: On April twenty eighth, fourteen thirty three, King Hamrgy the
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Speaker 1: sixth issued an order prohibiting trade with Iceland. This proved
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Speaker 1: effective to the extent that no more outrages were committed,
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Speaker 1: but illicit trade was not wholly discontinued. In fourteen forty
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Speaker 1: King Henry issued licenses to two ships belonging to the
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Speaker 1: Bishop of Skalholt to buy goods in England, but since
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Speaker 1: these were Icelandic vessels, this permission would not contravene his
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Speaker 1: previous order. Christopher Bavaria was elevated to the throne of
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Speaker 1: the United Northern Kingdoms in fourteen forty two and ruled
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Speaker 1: till fourteen forty eight, when he was succeeded by Christian
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Speaker 1: the First of Oldenburg. In fourteen forty nine, a new
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Speaker 1: treaty was negotiated between Christian the First and Henry the sixth,
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Speaker 1: prohibiting English trade in Iceland and hal Low, Gland and
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Speaker 1: Finmark and without permission from the King of Denmark Norway.
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Speaker 1: The treaty to remain in force till fourteen fifty one,
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Speaker 1: that English trade with Iceland continued in spite of these measures.
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Speaker 1: Appears from the following provision in a law promulgated by
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Speaker 1: King Christian at the time of his coronation in fourteen
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Speaker 1: fifty We declare all Englishmen and Irish who trade with
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Speaker 1: Iceland to be outlawed and their property to be confiscated
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Speaker 1: unless they have sealed permit, and they may be lawfully
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Speaker 1: seized anywhere by new prohibitory elders. King Henry the six
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Speaker 1: sought to restrain his subjects from the unlawful trade, but
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Speaker 1: the licenses already granted he permitted to remain in force.
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Speaker 1: Like his predecessors, King Christian became involved in useless and
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Speaker 1: expensive foreign wars. Dynastic interests received his attention to such
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Speaker 1: a degree that commercial and colonial affairs were almost completely neglected.
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Speaker 1: In fourteen fifty three, he appointed the chieftain Bejorn Thorleif's son,
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Speaker 1: governor of Iceland and instructed him to resist the British
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Speaker 1: traders as vigorously as possible. But how such an order
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Speaker 1: was to be carried out seems to have been no
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Speaker 1: part of King Christian's royal forethought, as no effort was
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Speaker 1: ever made to aid the governor on a voyage to
16:54
Speaker 1: Iceland in fourteen fifty six, Beyond and his wife were
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Speaker 1: seized by the British and carried to England. After a time,
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Speaker 1: they were released and were finally able to reach their destination.
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Speaker 1: But in his attempt to carry out the royal instructions,
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Speaker 1: Beyond was finally slain by the angry British merchants in
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Speaker 1: a clash which led to serious difficulties. In fourteen sixty three,
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Speaker 1: King Christian the First issued an ordinance forbidding Icelanders to
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Speaker 1: trade with foreign merchants who did not pay the sek
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Speaker 1: yagg yauld or duty levied on icelandic goods imported to Norway.
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Speaker 1: Two years later, he concluded a treaty of friendship with
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Speaker 1: Edward the Fourth of England, which should remain in forced
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Speaker 1: during the lifetime of both sovereigns. Regarding trade with Iceland.
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Speaker 1: This document contains the following provision. The King of England
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Speaker 1: shall see to it that, unless they ask and receive
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Speaker 1: permission from the King of Norway, his subject shall not
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Speaker 1: trade with Iceland, nor shall they sail thither or to
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Speaker 1: Hallowgland or thin Marken, unless they be driven thither by storm,
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Speaker 1: and they shall not then carry on any trade. That
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Speaker 1: that these often repeated agreements led to any definite results
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Speaker 1: does not appear. The attempts to prevent trade only rouse
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Speaker 1: the anger of the English merchants, who cared little for
18:10
Speaker 1: treaties which the King of Denmark Norway was in no
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Speaker 1: position to enforce. In the harbor of Riff in Snaefels Law,
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Speaker 1: they had established themselves in large numbers and were carrying
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Speaker 1: on a lively trade. In fourteen sixty seven they seemed
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Speaker 1: to have laid careful plans to attack the governor, Bijorn
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Speaker 1: Thorliff's son, who was especially hated because he had been
18:33
Speaker 1: very active in collecting the duties imposed on foreign trade.
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Speaker 1: When he arrived at Riff with a large escort, they
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Speaker 1: fell upon him and slew him together with seven of
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Speaker 1: his men. As already noted, twenty men made their escape,
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Speaker 1: but his son was taken prisoner. As soon as Olaf,
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Speaker 1: Bijorn's wife was able to secure the release of her
18:51
Speaker 1: son by paying a large ransom, she gathered forces and
18:54
Speaker 1: attacked the lawless merchants at Riff. Three of their ships
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Speaker 1: were seized after a struggle in which any of the
19:00
Speaker 1: sailors were killed. Fifty others who were taken prisoners were
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Speaker 1: released after being held in custody for a short period.
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Speaker 1: Four In fourteen sixty eight, Olaf sailed to Denmark with
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Speaker 1: her son and reported these events to King Christian, who
19:14
Speaker 1: is said to have complimented her as a spectabilis moulier,
19:20
Speaker 1: that is, a woman pleasant to behold. A new governor,
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Speaker 1: thorlif Farrison, was then sent to Iceland. British subjects who
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Speaker 1: sailed to Iceland without the King's permission were outlawed, and
19:31
Speaker 1: four English vessels were seized in the Sound as compensation
19:34
Speaker 1: for the loss suffered by the king and beyond Thorliff's
19:37
Speaker 1: son's widow. The English government, thinking that the Hanseatic League
19:41
Speaker 1: had brought about the seizure of the English merchantmen, arrested
19:45
Speaker 1: all the Hanseatic merchants in London. War broke out between
19:48
Speaker 1: England and Denmark Norway in fourteen sixty nine, but he
19:52
Speaker 1: was not carried on with vigor by either side, and
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Speaker 1: does not seem to have interfered with English trade with Iceland,
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Speaker 1: which was still carried on as before by the peace
20:01
Speaker 1: treaty negotiated in fourteen seventy four, the old relations between
20:04
Speaker 1: the two realms were restored by a new treaty of
20:07
Speaker 1: friendship concluded between the two kings. In fourteen ninety, the
20:10
Speaker 1: English received the privisi of free trade with Iceland for
20:13
Speaker 1: the period of seven years. The English merchants paid high
20:16
Speaker 1: prices for herring and codfish, Iceland's chief articles of export
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Speaker 1: during this period. The goods which they brought to the
20:24
Speaker 1: country were of good quality, consisting of commodities most needed
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Speaker 1: by the people. Their trade was therefore of the greatest
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Speaker 1: value to the Icelanders, and might have been still more
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Speaker 1: advantageous if the Danish Norwegian government had permitted free and
20:37
Speaker 1: peaceful intercourse and had limited its interference to the maintenance
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Speaker 1: of law and order in the island. The lack of
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Speaker 1: wisdom and efficiency wished to characterize the civil administration in
20:47
Speaker 1: Iceland at this time found its counterpart in the incompetence
20:51
Speaker 1: and worldly mindedness shown in the management of ecclesiastical affairs.
20:56
Speaker 1: During intervals, one or both of the bishoprics might be
20:59
Speaker 1: left vacant because new bishops were not appointed, but this
21:02
Speaker 1: was scarcely as harmful as repeated appointments to the leading
21:06
Speaker 1: positions in the Church of uninterested foreigners and incompetent o men,
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Speaker 1: or of unprincipled adventurers who used their high ecclesiastical offices
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Speaker 1: for the most mercenary and selfish ends. From fourteen three
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Speaker 1: to fourteen fifteen or fourteen nineteen, the whole art bishopric
21:23
Speaker 1: remained vacant for reasons not known. Bishop Vilchen of Skellholt
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Speaker 1: went to Norway in fourteen o six and died there
21:30
Speaker 1: the same year, and as his successor Jan did not
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Speaker 1: arrive in Iceland till fourteen o eight, the country remained
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Speaker 1: without bishops for a period of two years. Bishop Yon
21:40
Speaker 1: died in fourteen thirteen and was succeeded by Arnie Olof's son,
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Speaker 1: a native Icelander who seems to have belonged to some
21:46
Speaker 1: monastic order. During his stay in Norway, he had been
21:50
Speaker 1: chaplain in the home of the rich nobleman Hakon sigurdson
21:53
Speaker 1: of Gisk. He had visited Rome and was consecrated bishop
21:58
Speaker 1: in Lubbeck by order of the Pope. He is described
22:01
Speaker 1: as athletic, generous, and capable in everything which he undertook.
22:05
Speaker 1: He loved display and showed great talent as a flattering
22:08
Speaker 1: courtier and a collector of money. As a royal favorite,
22:11
Speaker 1: he succeeded in being appointed earth still Yuri over all Iceland,
22:16
Speaker 1: and he was also placed in charge of the vacant
22:19
Speaker 1: bishopric of Whole Law. He was thus able, upon his
22:23
Speaker 1: arrival in his diocese in fourteen fifteen, to exercise the
22:26
Speaker 1: highest authority both in church and state. But as he
22:29
Speaker 1: had only his own interest at heart, this extraordinary official
22:32
Speaker 1: authority only gave him the opportunity to display the rapacity
22:36
Speaker 1: and love of power which characterized his whole career. On
22:39
Speaker 1: a journey through the whole Art diocese, he collected property
22:42
Speaker 1: of all kinds and had it brought to his residence
22:45
Speaker 1: as Scalhold. He caused expensive improvements to be made in
22:49
Speaker 1: the Scalhold Church and bishop's residence, and costly furniture was bought.
22:53
Speaker 1: Because of his liberality, he was nicknamed the Generous. Saving
22:57
Speaker 1: was no part of his administrative policy, as he could
22:59
Speaker 1: alway to secure more goods and money on new journeys
23:02
Speaker 1: through his dioceses. Such government could only be extremely oppressive.
23:07
Speaker 1: But since Bishop Arney conducted himself in all respects as
23:10
Speaker 1: a chieftain, the people condoned his voibles to such an
23:13
Speaker 1: extent that he even enjoyed some degree of popularity. In
23:17
Speaker 1: fourteen nineteen he went to Norway, probably for the purpose
23:22
Speaker 1: of rendering an account to the royal government, as he
23:24
Speaker 1: owed the King's treasury a large sum of money. How
23:27
Speaker 1: this difficulty was finally adjusted is not known, but he
23:30
Speaker 1: never returned to Iceland. His successor was the unworthy royal
23:34
Speaker 1: favorite Jan Gerrickson John Jerrick Keeney, who, through the King's influence,
23:40
Speaker 1: had been chosen Archbishop of Uppsala in Sweden, but because
23:43
Speaker 1: of his vicious life, was tried by order of the
23:46
Speaker 1: Pope and forced to resign from his archdiocese. The King,
23:49
Speaker 1: who still favored him, caused him to be elected Bishop
23:52
Speaker 1: of Skalholdt, though it must have been apparent to all
23:55
Speaker 1: that he was wholly unfit to hold a hire ecclesiastical office.
24:00
Speaker 1: He came to Scalhold from England in fourteen twenty five,
24:03
Speaker 1: accompanied by a band of followers, which he seems to
24:05
Speaker 1: have gathered in the British Isles, unprincipled adventures so devoid
24:09
Speaker 1: of moral character that he could not have controlled them
24:12
Speaker 1: even if he had desired to do so. With this
24:15
Speaker 1: band of rowdies, he traveled from one district to another,
24:18
Speaker 1: as Bishop gudmant Aurison had done two centuries earlier. All
24:22
Speaker 1: sorts of deeds of violence were committed, even against the
24:25
Speaker 1: leading men of the country. Tit Gun Logson, one of
24:29
Speaker 1: the most prominent young men in eastern Iceland, and Thorvard Lops,
24:33
Speaker 1: son of the powerful lopt Guders, mason of mode rue
24:38
Speaker 1: Beller in the northern districts, were seized without cause and
24:41
Speaker 1: imprisoned at Scalhold and subjected to all sorts of indignities.
24:45
Speaker 1: After making their escape, they laid a plot to revenge
24:47
Speaker 1: themselves on the bishop and his band. In this undertaking,
24:50
Speaker 1: they were stimulated to redouble their efforts by new provocations.
24:55
Speaker 1: The bishop's illegitimate son, Magnus, the leader of his unruly
24:58
Speaker 1: band of followers, had been wooing Margaret Vigo's daughter, one
25:03
Speaker 1: of the most prominent young ladies in all Iceland. She
25:06
Speaker 1: ignored him, as might be expected. In order to revenge himself,
25:09
Speaker 1: he proceeded to her residence kirk Hubull, killed her brother
25:13
Speaker 1: and set fire to her house. Margaret saved her life
25:16
Speaker 1: only with great difficulty, and vowed that she would marry
25:19
Speaker 1: no one but the man who possessed sufficient courage to
25:22
Speaker 1: wreak vengeance upon her assailant. Thorvard Lopson appeared as her
25:27
Speaker 1: champion and suitor, and Bishop Beyond began to realize that
25:31
Speaker 1: serious trouble was brewing, but when Magnus fled from Iceland,
25:34
Speaker 1: he thought that the storm might blow over without dangerous consequences.
25:38
Speaker 1: In July, Thorvard Lobson and his associate Tight united their
25:43
Speaker 1: forces in the neighborhood of Skalholdt, where many people were
25:46
Speaker 1: gathering to celebrate the Loachsmus. A number of tents had
25:50
Speaker 1: been erected in Thorvard and his men were able to
25:52
Speaker 1: approach unobserved. When Tight and his band are also arrived
25:56
Speaker 1: and the bishop learned of their presence, he fled to
25:59
Speaker 1: the church with his priests and associates. Attired in his
26:02
Speaker 1: priestly vestments, he began to sing the masts before the
26:05
Speaker 1: church altar. The fifty men, led by Arnie magnuson of
26:08
Speaker 1: Dao effected and entrance, dragged him from the church titan
26:12
Speaker 1: in a sack and drowned him in the river brew Aurora.
26:16
Speaker 1: His followers were hunted down and slain. No actions seemed
26:19
Speaker 1: to have been taken against the slayers of the bishop,
26:21
Speaker 1: either by the Church or by the royal government. Thorvard
26:24
Speaker 1: Lopsen married Margaret Vigfu Studer, and both he and his
26:29
Speaker 1: associate Tite Goon Logsen lived long and enjoyed the people's
26:33
Speaker 1: highest esteem. After Yon Gerrickson's death, won Yon and later
26:40
Speaker 1: Godsven became bishops of Scalholt. Godsfin died or left Iceland
26:45
Speaker 1: in fourteen forty and was succeeded by a German ecclesiastic
26:49
Speaker 1: by the name of Marcellus, a royal favorite, who was
26:52
Speaker 1: made Bishop of Skalholt through the influence of King Christian
26:55
Speaker 1: the First, though he was found unworthy by the Roman
26:58
Speaker 1: Curia to become Archbishop of Nardaurus. Marcellus did not even
27:03
Speaker 1: visit his diocese, but use it as a source of
27:05
Speaker 1: income till his death in fourteen sixty. During his incumbency,
27:09
Speaker 1: the affairs of the diocese were administered by Goutz colch
27:14
Speaker 1: Gotz Colxen of Holar, who acted as vicarious and with
27:18
Speaker 1: the consent of the King and the Archbishop of Nadaurus,
27:21
Speaker 1: exercised supreme authority both in ecclesiastical and secular affairs. In Iceland.
27:26
Speaker 1: After the death of young Stephenson Crabb Marcellus successor in
27:30
Speaker 1: fourteen sixty five. Three native Icelanders succeeded one another as
27:35
Speaker 1: bishops of Skalholt Spine Peterson fourteen sixty five to fourteen
27:40
Speaker 1: seventy five, Magnus I Joffsen fourteen seventy seven to fourteen
27:44
Speaker 1: ninety and Stephen Johnson fourteen ninety one to fifteen eighteen.
27:48
Speaker 1: Bishop Stephen Johnson was a man of high moral character
27:51
Speaker 1: and active and able administrator who kept up the cathedral
27:55
Speaker 1: school and created system and order in his diocese. He
27:58
Speaker 1: was succeeded by Augmann Pausen, the last Catholic Bishop of Skalholt,
28:03
Speaker 1: in fifteen twenty one. Olagh Rogna Malson, Bishop of Holar,
28:08
Speaker 1: who died in fourteen ninety five, was a harsh and
28:11
Speaker 1: autocratic man who was constantly involved in lawsuits, in which
28:14
Speaker 1: he was usually the aggressor. He did not spare his opponents,
28:18
Speaker 1: but forced them to pay heavy fines, and in his
28:20
Speaker 1: efforts to enrich himself, he seize their property and estates.
28:24
Speaker 1: His successor, god skulk Nico Lawson was equally harsh and greedy.
28:29
Speaker 1: He lived in concubitta, and it seems to have been
28:33
Speaker 1: his chief care to acquire property for himself and his children.
28:36
Speaker 1: In his relations with the people of his diocese, he
28:39
Speaker 1: showed an arrogance and despotic temper, which brought him into
28:42
Speaker 1: serious conflicts with the leading men. Clashes had often occurred
28:46
Speaker 1: between the chieftains and the churchmen who sought to establish
28:49
Speaker 1: the supremacy of the Roman hierarchy, but the bishops had
28:52
Speaker 1: usually been moved by a desire to promote the interest
28:55
Speaker 1: of the church by enforcing the principles of ecclesiastical ascendancy.
28:59
Speaker 1: No such deeming features of principles or churchly interests to
29:02
Speaker 1: be found in the conduct of prelates like Olig rog
29:06
Speaker 1: Walsen or gods Kalk Nicholson. Entrenched in the power of
29:11
Speaker 1: their high ecclesiastical office, they used it ruthlessly only to
29:15
Speaker 1: gain their own mercenary and selfish ends. The noted controversy
29:19
Speaker 1: between Bishop God's Skulk and the law man Jan Sigmunsen
29:23
Speaker 1: shows how completely they rejected all spirit of fairness and
29:26
Speaker 1: reconciliation in attempting to enforce their own arbitrary dictates. Claiming
29:32
Speaker 1: that he had found that an unpermissible degree of blood
29:35
Speaker 1: relationship existed between Jan and his wife, who, according to
29:39
Speaker 1: the Bishop's contention with third cousins. He summoned Jan to
29:42
Speaker 1: appear before him at Holar. When Yon disregarded the summons,
29:46
Speaker 1: he caused heavy fines to be imposed on him. Yan
29:48
Speaker 1: was able to clear himself up most of the charges
29:51
Speaker 1: brought against him by the bishop, but this only increased
29:53
Speaker 1: the restlessness of an angry prelate. He laid Yon in
29:57
Speaker 1: ben and summoned his wife to appear at Holar. She
30:00
Speaker 1: was forced to confess to the bishop, to part from
30:02
Speaker 1: her husband and to pay a fine of three hundred
30:05
Speaker 1: hundredth as she did not have the courage to resist.
30:09
Speaker 1: But even this did not satisfy Bishop Godskulk. He again
30:13
Speaker 1: cited Yan to appear before him, laid him in the
30:15
Speaker 1: highest ban of the church, and impose new fines upon him.
30:19
Speaker 1: Jan now went abroad to plead his case to the
30:21
Speaker 1: king and the archbishop. As he was able to show
30:24
Speaker 1: that Bishop Godskalk had extorted much property from him and
30:28
Speaker 1: had seized many of his estates, and had laid him
30:31
Speaker 1: in band wrongfully. The archbishop decided that the spe Bishop
30:35
Speaker 1: Stephen Johnson should examine his case. The Crown Prince, who
30:39
Speaker 1: was acting as regent, appointed him lawmen in the northern
30:42
Speaker 1: and western districts of Iceland, and ordered that Bjorn Goodness
30:47
Speaker 1: lawmen in Western Iceland should decide concerning the estates which
30:51
Speaker 1: the bishop had seized. On Jan's return to Iceland, Bishop
30:54
Speaker 1: Stephan Johnson confirmed the decree of Bishop Goldskok against him
30:58
Speaker 1: Bjorn Goodness and decided that Yan's estates should be returned
31:01
Speaker 1: to him, but this decision was annulled by a Bishop Skulk.
31:06
Speaker 1: In order to settle the controversy, Yan finally agreed to
31:08
Speaker 1: pay the bishop two hundred hundredth and to swear him
31:11
Speaker 1: an oath that he would obey all rules which he
31:14
Speaker 1: might establish. He was now freed from all the band,
31:17
Speaker 1: but the agreement did not last long. On a visit
31:19
Speaker 1: to Holar, Jan was attacked and wounded with a knife,
31:22
Speaker 1: but the bishop paid no attention to the outrage committeed. Instead,
31:25
Speaker 1: he summoned John to appear before him to receive absolution
31:28
Speaker 1: for his sins. When Yan refused, he was laid in
31:30
Speaker 1: band by both bishops. He now retired to Western Iceland
31:33
Speaker 1: to his friend beyond Udnissen, and the two sought to
31:37
Speaker 1: aid one another in the struggle with Bishop god Skulk.
31:40
Speaker 1: Jan's son Einar was also accused by the bishop having
31:43
Speaker 1: aided his father. He was laid in band and the
31:46
Speaker 1: estates were seized. Jan again went abroad to lay his
31:48
Speaker 1: case before the King. He received a royal letter of protection,
31:52
Speaker 1: and the king also issued instruction to the Governor of
31:55
Speaker 1: Iceland that Yam's estates should be returned to him. But
31:58
Speaker 1: when the governor arrived in Iceland, it is said that
32:01
Speaker 1: the bishop, through bribes, turned him against Yan. At the
32:05
Speaker 1: off thing, it was decided that Jan should not be heard,
32:07
Speaker 1: as they would only tend to disturb the peace. Bishop
32:10
Speaker 1: god Skulk also tried to kill him by having him
32:13
Speaker 1: shoved from a narrow bridge into the river. Yan fell
32:16
Speaker 1: in but was rescued. The chieftains had tried to form
32:19
Speaker 1: a confederation to protect themselves against the aggression of the bishops,
32:23
Speaker 1: but this to prove feudal, as the Church exercised so
32:26
Speaker 1: complete control over the minds and conscience of the people
32:29
Speaker 1: that they did not dare to resist the bishops for
32:31
Speaker 1: fear of ban and excommunication. When Bejorn Goodness and died.
32:36
Speaker 1: Jan Sigmundsen stood friendless and alone. Deprived of his wife
32:40
Speaker 1: and stripped of his property, he died in poverty in
32:42
Speaker 1: fifteen twenty the same year Bishop god Skulk Nico Lawson
32:47
Speaker 1: also died. He was succeeded by John Erison, the last
32:51
Speaker 1: Catholic Bishop of Holar, who was consecrated bishop in fifteen
32:54
Speaker 1: twenty four. In the struggle for suprepency, the bishops had
32:58
Speaker 1: at last won a decisive but it weakened rather than
33:01
Speaker 1: strengthen their position as leaders in the Church. Upon the
33:04
Speaker 1: advent of the Reformation. They soon discovered that they were
33:07
Speaker 1: waging a losing fight, as they found themselves antagonized by
33:10
Speaker 1: their former influential opponents. Their greed and arrogance deprived them
33:14
Speaker 1: of their support of the best men and hastened the
33:17
Speaker 1: overthrow of Catholic hierarchic rule. In the period fourteen thirty
33:23
Speaker 1: to fourteen forty, the Germans also began to trade with Iceland.
33:26
Speaker 1: This trade is first mentioned in the Hans Recess or
33:29
Speaker 1: official records of the Hanseatic Merchants in the year fourteen
33:33
Speaker 1: thirty four to fourteen thirty five. The first German merchants
33:36
Speaker 1: who came to Iceland were from Lubeck and Danzig, but
33:39
Speaker 1: in fourteen seventy six the Hamburgers also dispatched two vessels
33:43
Speaker 1: to Iceland. Then they soon grew strong enough to outstrip
33:46
Speaker 1: their competitors. King Christian the First of Denmark Norway, who
33:49
Speaker 1: was always in difficult financial straits and needed the good
33:52
Speaker 1: will of the German merchants, granted them the privilege to
33:55
Speaker 1: trade directly with Iceland without submitting the question to the
33:58
Speaker 1: Council of the Realm. According to a royal decree of
34:02
Speaker 1: fourteen eighty they were not allowed to stay in Iceland
34:05
Speaker 1: over winter, but their trade increased so rapidly that in
34:07
Speaker 1: fourteen eighty two the Hansiatic merchants in Bergen made complaints
34:11
Speaker 1: to a meeting of Hanseatic representatives and Lubek of these
34:15
Speaker 1: new competitors in the trade of the North. The Hamburgers
34:18
Speaker 1: replied that the privileges of the merchants in Bergen did
34:21
Speaker 1: not extend to the region north of Bergen, that the
34:23
Speaker 1: king had a right to grant the Hamburg merchants the
34:26
Speaker 1: privilege to trade with Iceland. At that time, the Icelandic
34:29
Speaker 1: articles of export were of far more importance to European
34:32
Speaker 1: trade than in later periods, when the same goods could
34:35
Speaker 1: be obtained in many other countries. The chief staple was fish,
34:39
Speaker 1: for which there was a great demand throughout continental Europe
34:42
Speaker 1: before the discovery of the rich Newfoundland codfisheries. Iceland and
34:46
Speaker 1: Norway were the chief sources of supply of this important commodity.
34:50
Speaker 1: Sulfur was another product obtained for a long time, chiefly
34:53
Speaker 1: in Iceland. Falcons, eiderdown, wool and woolen cloth, mutton, sheep skins, butter,
34:59
Speaker 1: tallow and train oil were also important articles of export.
35:03
Speaker 1: The goods most needed in Iceland were green and flour, timber, iron, linen,
35:07
Speaker 1: pitch and tar. Beer. Malt, sugar and honey were also
35:10
Speaker 1: general articles of import, as the export from Hamburg tended
35:14
Speaker 1: to create shortage and high prices at home. Such dissatisfaction
35:18
Speaker 1: resulted that in fourteen eighty three the city Council was
35:21
Speaker 1: forced to pass an ordinance prohibiting trade with Iceland. The
35:24
Speaker 1: ordinance was formally obeyed, but ships for Iceland were loaded
35:28
Speaker 1: in other places and the traffic continued. King Hans of
35:31
Speaker 1: Denmark Norway, who succeeded as Father Christian the First in
35:34
Speaker 1: fourteen eighty two and signed a convention with the Swedish
35:38
Speaker 1: and Norwegian councils that he would forbid the Hansiatic merchants
35:41
Speaker 1: to engage in Icelandic trade. In fourteen ninety he sought
35:46
Speaker 1: to limit their commerce by allowing the English and Hollanders
35:49
Speaker 1: to trade with Iceland, but the Hollanders never engaged extensively
35:53
Speaker 1: in this traffic, and the English intercourse with Iceland was
35:56
Speaker 1: rapidly declining. King Ahn's successor, Christian the Second, was an
36:00
Speaker 1: avowed enemy of Hansiatic merchants. In fifteen thirteen, he issued
36:04
Speaker 1: an ordinance prohibiting their trade with Iceland. He sought to
36:08
Speaker 1: create a strong Scandinating trading association which could compete successfully
36:12
Speaker 1: with the Hanseatic merchants, but the plan came to naught
36:15
Speaker 1: as a revolt drove him from his throne in fifteen
36:18
Speaker 1: twenty three. During the reign of Febric the First, the
36:21
Speaker 1: German trade with Iceland entered a new phase of development.
36:24
Speaker 1: English and German merchants took part in the deliberations of
36:27
Speaker 1: the all Thing and succeeded in passing a resolution modifying
36:31
Speaker 1: the ordnance, which prohibited foreign traders from remaining in Iceland
36:35
Speaker 1: over winter. Young boys and persons who were not engaged
36:38
Speaker 1: in trade were now allowed to remain over winter in
36:41
Speaker 1: the island. This participation of foreigners in the deliberations of
36:45
Speaker 1: the all things aroused such resentment in Norway that Archbishop
36:49
Speaker 1: of Engel Rexton of Nadaros, in fifteen thirty one complained
36:54
Speaker 1: that the Hamburgers held Iceland and the Pharaohe Islands as fiefs.
36:59
Speaker 1: At this time they seemed to have gained the upper
37:01
Speaker 1: hand in Iceland, but they were not yet sole masters
37:03
Speaker 1: of Icelandic trade. The English were vigorously resisting their encroachments.
37:08
Speaker 1: From fourteen eighty six till fifteen thirty two, eight severe
37:12
Speaker 1: clashes are known to have occurred between English and German
37:15
Speaker 1: traders in Iceland. The severest of these took place in
37:19
Speaker 1: fifteen thirty two. Winen English trading vessel that Peter Gibson
37:23
Speaker 1: from London, commanded by John Bryer, came to the harbor
37:27
Speaker 1: of Grindevich in Iceland, where it remained for twenty days.
37:31
Speaker 1: The Englishmen carried on fishing and sold the goods which
37:34
Speaker 1: they had brought, but Briar quarreled with the royal hearth
37:38
Speaker 1: the yury refusing to pay the required toll. Trouble also
37:42
Speaker 1: rose between the English and German traders, the outcome of
37:46
Speaker 1: which was a severe fight. Two hundred and eighty men
37:48
Speaker 1: from eight German vessels attacked the English at two o'clock
37:52
Speaker 1: at nine, killed fifteen men and robbed the ships, so
37:55
Speaker 1: that the English merchants suffered a loss of fifteen hundred pounds.
37:59
Speaker 1: King and the Eighth turned to the government at Hamburg
38:02
Speaker 1: and demanded an indemnity, But since King Frederic the First
38:06
Speaker 1: of Denmark Norway supported the Hamburgers, he was unable to
38:10
Speaker 1: secure a satisfactory settlement. The trade of the Hamburg merchants
38:15
Speaker 1: with Iceland reached its height about fifteen thirty, but we
38:18
Speaker 1: possessed no statistics regarding the volume of this trade at
38:21
Speaker 1: this time or of the number of ships engaged in it.
38:24
Speaker 1: The laws forbidding foreign merchants to remain in Iceland over
38:28
Speaker 1: winter were now little heated. The growing influence of the
38:31
Speaker 1: Germans in Iceland can be seen also from the fact
38:34
Speaker 1: that at this time a German church was built of
38:37
Speaker 1: half Norfjord. In fifteen thirty eight, the Luebeckers resumed their
38:41
Speaker 1: trade with Iceland, but the Hamburgers, who regarded them as rivals,
38:45
Speaker 1: sought to lay hindrances in their way. In fifteen forty,
38:48
Speaker 1: King Christian the third of Denmark Norway took energetic steps
38:52
Speaker 1: to prevent foreigners from trading with Iceland and from keeping
38:55
Speaker 1: their own fishing boats in the island. In fifteen forty seven,
39:00
Speaker 1: Iceland to the Mayor of Copenhagen for a certain yearly tax.
39:04
Speaker 1: His policy with regard to Iceland, like that of his predecessors,
39:08
Speaker 1: was wholly dictated by considerations of revenue. The rich sulfur
39:13
Speaker 1: deposits in Iceland were sought by the Hamburg merchants, but
39:16
Speaker 1: the King decided to stop the export of this commodity.
39:19
Speaker 1: The Hamburgers sent a delegation to see the King, but
39:22
Speaker 1: without results. When they attempted to ship sulfur from Iceland
39:25
Speaker 1: contrary to royal orders, he seized their vessels in the
39:28
Speaker 1: Sound and elsewhere and forced them to pay a fine
39:31
Speaker 1: of ten thousand toller. This led the king to forbid
39:34
Speaker 1: also the sale of other Icelandic commodities. In fifteen sixty five,
39:38
Speaker 1: he offered to open to the Hamburger's ten Icelanden decarbors
39:42
Speaker 1: if they would loan him one hundred thousand toller. As
39:46
Speaker 1: they feared that ultimately they would have to pay the
39:48
Speaker 1: whole sum, they rejected the offer, though he threatened to
39:51
Speaker 1: stop their entire trade. During the last decades of the
39:55
Speaker 1: sixteenth century, the merchants of Bremen also entered into sharp
39:59
Speaker 1: competition with Hamburg to obtain trade privileges in Iceland. They
40:04
Speaker 1: complained that the Hamburgers forced them out of Iceland in
40:07
Speaker 1: an unfriendly and unnighborly way. Also between Lubec and Hamburg,
40:12
Speaker 1: there was constant rivalry and contention. About fifteen sixty, Danish
40:17
Speaker 1: merchants began to trade with Iceland and competing cities obtained
40:21
Speaker 1: from the King the privilege who entered different Icelandic harbors.
40:25
Speaker 1: Since Amberg and the King of Denmark Norway quarreled constantly,
40:28
Speaker 1: the king found opportunity to thwart the Hamburgers in regard
40:32
Speaker 1: to their traffic with Iceland. In fifteen seventy two, all
40:36
Speaker 1: Icelandic harbors were closed to them. Two years later, the
40:39
Speaker 1: regulation was made that the fish which had hitherto been
40:42
Speaker 1: sent to Hamburg should be brought to England by such measures.
40:46
Speaker 1: German trade with Iceland was destroyed in the next few years.
40:50
Speaker 1: What this interference with commercial intercourse would ultimately mean to
40:54
Speaker 1: the Icelanders, the King does not seem to have seriously considered,
40:58
Speaker 1: but in fifteen seventy nine trade relations were finally restored.
41:02
Speaker 1: The volume of this trade at that time is shown
41:04
Speaker 1: to some extent by the number of vessels engaged in it,
41:07
Speaker 1: though the size of the vessels is not known. During
41:10
Speaker 1: some years few German vessels would come to Iceland, but
41:13
Speaker 1: in fifteen ninety seventeen ships arrived. During the years fifteen
41:16
Speaker 1: ninety five to fifteen ninety eight, the yearly number was fourteen, sixteen, fifteen,
41:21
Speaker 1: and seventeen vessels, respectively, an average which was quite well
41:25
Speaker 1: maintained for many years subsequent. In the reign of Christian,
41:30
Speaker 1: the fourth German trade with Iceland ceased. In a letter
41:33
Speaker 1: of July the twenty fourth, sixteen oh one, the King
41:35
Speaker 1: notified the Hamburg merchants that he wished to reserve the
41:38
Speaker 1: Icelanding trade for his own subjects. A like notice was
41:42
Speaker 1: also given the Council of Bremen. In Vain, the Hamburgers
41:45
Speaker 1: sought to persuade the King to restore their trading privileges.
41:48
Speaker 1: In sixteen o two, he granted the cities of Copenhagen,
41:51
Speaker 1: Malmay and Helsinger the Icelandic trade as a monopoly. The
41:56
Speaker 1: Germans could no longer carry on trade with Iceland directly,
41:59
Speaker 1: but they adapted themselves as far as possible to the
42:02
Speaker 1: altered conditions by engaging in the Icelandic trade for the
42:06
Speaker 1: interest and under the control of Danish merchants. Smuggling was
42:10
Speaker 1: also carried on not only by the Germans, but also
42:12
Speaker 1: by the Hollanders and the English. Toward the close of
42:15
Speaker 1: the reign of Christian Fourth, the Hamburgers again sought to
42:18
Speaker 1: obtain the right to trade with Iceland. In sixteen forty five,
42:21
Speaker 1: they offered to lease the island for the sum of
42:24
Speaker 1: five hundred thousand dollar, but the king seemed to have
42:26
Speaker 1: stipulated conditions which they would not accept. Thirty years later
42:30
Speaker 1: the matter was again considered, but without results. The period
42:33
Speaker 1: fourteen hundred to fifteen fifty was an era of retrogression
42:37
Speaker 1: and decay in Iceland. The Black Death had sapped the
42:40
Speaker 1: people's strength. At the bishop's seat of Skalholt, all learned
42:43
Speaker 1: men died except Bishop Bilchin himself. In the bishopric of Holar,
42:47
Speaker 1: only the six priests, three deacons, and a monk remained.
42:51
Speaker 1: Of all men possessing learning, the monastery stood empty. The
42:55
Speaker 1: interruption of commercial intercourse with the mother country tended to
42:58
Speaker 1: increase the growing economic distress, and although the traffic of
43:02
Speaker 1: English and German traders brought some relief, the terror and
43:04
Speaker 1: lawlessness usually accompanying it could only tend to disrupt the
43:09
Speaker 1: weakened intellectual and social life. The old literary activity ceased,
43:14
Speaker 1: and religious life struggled under the evil incubus of indifferent
43:17
Speaker 1: foreign and mercenary bishops. For a period, even the school
43:20
Speaker 1: seemed to have died out, as nothing has heard of
43:22
Speaker 1: any institution of learning in Iceland. From thirteen ninety three
43:26
Speaker 1: till fourteen seventy four. Only in the monasteries could any
43:29
Speaker 1: attention be given to learning, but even here it must
43:32
Speaker 1: have been done only in a feeble and inefficient way.
43:35
Speaker 1: In fourteen eighty eight, Lopt Johanssen sold the estate ron
43:39
Speaker 1: knaf Narbaki to the abbot of the monastery of Halgofel,
43:44
Speaker 1: on the condition that he should instruct Lop's son so
43:47
Speaker 1: that he could receive consecration as subdeacon. The next abbot
43:51
Speaker 1: of the monastery Narfi fifteen eleven is known to have
43:54
Speaker 1: devoted a part of his time to teaching, and the
43:57
Speaker 1: same was done in other monasteries. In fifteen Hndre jon Arson,
44:00
Speaker 1: the later Bishop Scalholdt, received instruction from Honor then Dickson,
44:06
Speaker 1: abbot of the monastery of the Vera, and Ghisli Johnson,
44:11
Speaker 1: Bishop of Skalholt from fifteen fifty eight till fifteen eighty
44:15
Speaker 1: seven received instruction from Alexius Paulsen, abbot of the of Viti.
44:20
Speaker 1: Towards the close of the fifteenth century, some efforts were
44:23
Speaker 1: made to revive the schools in the cathedral churches. Stefan Johnson,
44:28
Speaker 1: Bishop of Skalholdt fourteen ninety one to fifteen eighteen, established
44:31
Speaker 1: a school at his bishop's seat, but it was not
44:34
Speaker 1: continued by his successor Agman Paulsen. School is also said
44:38
Speaker 1: to have been held at Holar at the time of
44:40
Speaker 1: Bishop Godskulk Nicholson fourteen ninety eight fifteen twenty, but this
44:47
Speaker 1: work was not continued in the days of Jan Arrison,
44:50
Speaker 1: the last Catholic bishop of the diocese. In fifteen forty two,
44:54
Speaker 1: Latin schools were to be established at the monasteries of
44:56
Speaker 1: Vitti and helge Fell according to royal degree, but little
45:00
Speaker 1: progress was made till fifteen fifty two, when a permanent
45:03
Speaker 1: Latin school was organized at each bishop's seat. At first
45:07
Speaker 1: these schools were not very efficient, as the leading teachers
45:10
Speaker 1: were foreigners in the native teachers lacked the necessary education,
45:14
Speaker 1: but interest in learning was reviving from the latter part
45:17
Speaker 1: of the fifteenth century till the establishing of the Reformation.
45:20
Speaker 1: Many Icelanders again went abroad to study. Speine Petersen, bishop
45:24
Speaker 1: of Skalholdt fourteen sixty five to fourteen seventy six, and
45:27
Speaker 1: his brother Od had received the degree of m A
45:30
Speaker 1: ANDBA respectively. In fourteen seventy two, Stefan Johnson went to
45:34
Speaker 1: France to study. Augman Paulsen traveled in England and the Netherlands,
45:38
Speaker 1: and Olav A Jaltisen is said to have spent six
45:41
Speaker 1: years at the Latin school in Bergen, Norway fifteen fifteen
45:45
Speaker 1: to fifteen twenty one. Odd Skulsen had also studied in Norway.
45:50
Speaker 1: Giveser Einarsen studied in Germany, and Jon Inersen, together with
45:55
Speaker 1: the two brothers Martin Inerson and Claire Rauga Petter travel
46:00
Speaker 1: vote and studied in Germany and England. After the Reformation,
46:03
Speaker 1: the Icelanders who sought higher education usually studied at the
46:06
Speaker 1: University of Copenhagen or in Germany in the field of literature. History.
46:10
Speaker 1: Writing had ceased before fourteen hundred. After that time, prose
46:14
Speaker 1: production was limited to letters and documents mal degar and
46:18
Speaker 1: a few animals, important only as historical material, shedding some
46:22
Speaker 1: light upon an age about which so little information exists.
46:27
Speaker 1: The rhymer or ballad poetry continued to flourish. Professional rhapsodists
46:31
Speaker 1: appeared to travel from house to house singing rhymer for pay.
46:35
Speaker 1: So popular became this form of amusement that the clergy
46:38
Speaker 1: felt called upon to inveigh energetically against it as inimical
46:42
Speaker 1: to public morals. At wakes and other gatherings, and likewise
46:45
Speaker 1: at weddings and parties, there was scarcely any other form
46:48
Speaker 1: of amusement or entertainment than this nonsensical poetry, which God pity,
46:53
Speaker 1: says good brand Thorlaxen in the introduction to his hymn
46:57
Speaker 1: book fifteen eighty nine. Religion j songs in scalding verse
47:01
Speaker 1: were produced in Iceland ever since Christianity became permanently established,
47:05
Speaker 1: but during the period of national decadence also this form
47:08
Speaker 1: of literary activity languished until shortly before the Reformation. In
47:12
Speaker 1: the fifteenth century, a revival of religious interests resulted in
47:15
Speaker 1: the production of a new religious poetry written in rhyme verse,
47:19
Speaker 1: evidently according to the pattern of Latin hymns, as in
47:22
Speaker 1: the case of the rhymer and other folk poesy melodies
47:26
Speaker 1: were soon provided also for the religious songs. The singing
47:29
Speaker 1: of hymns as a part of religious worship took its
47:31
Speaker 1: beginning in Iceland already in this century. No Icelandic hymnal
47:35
Speaker 1: exists from the Catholic period, but the number of religious
47:38
Speaker 1: songs about Virgin Mary and other saints was growing rapidly
47:42
Speaker 1: in the period immediately preceding the Reformation. Besides the two
47:46
Speaker 1: national saints of Iceland, Bishop Jon Agmundsen of Holar who
47:50
Speaker 1: died in eleven twenty one and Bishop thor Thorlaksen of
47:53
Speaker 1: Skalholte who died in eleven ninety three, many other saints
47:57
Speaker 1: were venerated. Saint Oluf, King of Norway, who fell in
48:00
Speaker 1: the Battle of Stiklestad in ten thirty was especially popular.
48:04
Speaker 1: Fifty two churches were dedicated to him in Iceland, and
48:07
Speaker 1: sagas and other literary works were written about him. Virgin
48:11
Speaker 1: Mary was the most generally venerated of all saints in Iceland,
48:14
Speaker 1: as elsewhere. About one hundred and fifty churches were dedicated
48:17
Speaker 1: to her. The great number of songs written to her
48:20
Speaker 1: also testified to the popularity of this cultus. Of the Apostles,
48:24
Speaker 1: Peter was the most popular saint. To him. Sixty churches
48:27
Speaker 1: were dedicated, twenty were dedicated to Saint Down the Apostle,
48:30
Speaker 1: twenty to j Saint Down the Baptist, thirteen to Saint Andrew,
48:33
Speaker 1: and three to Saint Paul. About these and other apostles,
48:36
Speaker 1: many songs are found. The cross was generally venerated throughout
48:40
Speaker 1: Iceland and Catholic times. Crosses, which were regarded as especially
48:43
Speaker 1: sacred were found in many districts, the most noted being
48:46
Speaker 1: the one at call the Darnis, to which pilgrimages were
48:50
Speaker 1: made from all parts of southern Iceland, especially at Crossmas
48:54
Speaker 1: September fourteenth. All pilgrims brought voted offerings to the cross,
48:58
Speaker 1: unless they were beggars, sick persons who were unable to walk,
49:02
Speaker 1: were glad if they could get far enough to see it,
49:04
Speaker 1: as they thought that this would be sure to bring
49:06
Speaker 1: them relief. In fifteen eighteen, the pilgrims going to Kyle
49:10
Speaker 1: Deadonis met with a great accident. About fifty persons were
49:14
Speaker 1: drowned in the Old Fusa, among others the priest Bodvar
49:18
Speaker 1: johnson of godar in Aldanis and his daughter. The veneration
49:22
Speaker 1: of the Kyle de Darnas Cross seems to have culminated
49:26
Speaker 1: shortly before the Reformation. In fifteen forty eight, the cross
49:29
Speaker 1: was removed by the first Lutheran bishop, gizzer Inerson and
49:32
Speaker 1: stored in an obscure place. It was later destroyed by
49:35
Speaker 1: Bishop GISLI Johnson in fifteen sixty. End of Chapter twelve