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

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Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen, Part one of History of Iceland by Canute Yeerset.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Reformation
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Speaker 1: in Iceland, the Lutheran Reformation, which was gaining a firm
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Speaker 1: footing everywhere in the North, was brought to Iceland during
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Speaker 1: the period of lowest ebb in Icelandic national life. If
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Speaker 1: it had come as a religious revival in response to
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Speaker 1: a spontaneous public sentiment, it might have produced a new
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Speaker 1: awakening in Iceland, as it had done in many other lands.
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Speaker 1: But the Icelanders had hitherto remained wholly untouched by the
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Speaker 1: movement of religious reform and the intellectual renaissance which accompanied it.
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Speaker 1: They clung faithfully to the established doctrines and the forms
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Speaker 1: of Catholic worship, which had become a system of intellectual
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Speaker 1: and social life, as well as of religious belief. The
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Speaker 1: old ways were still dear to them, and since no
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Speaker 1: desire for any change existed, the Reformation was not welcomed
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Speaker 1: as the dawn of a new era. It was thrust
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Speaker 1: upon the people almost as a surprise, in the form
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Speaker 1: of royal decrees, backed by military force, promoted by methods
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Speaker 1: which reminded us of the introduction of Christianity forced on
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Speaker 1: an apathetic populace under the frowning brows of an angry king.
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Speaker 1: In the establishing of the Reformation, similar scenes were enacted
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Speaker 1: again the royal government bent itself to the task of
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Speaker 1: forcing upon the Icelanders the king's religion. The first effect
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Speaker 1: of this procedure could only be negative, resulting in the
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Speaker 1: destruction of what still remained of ancient culture. But it
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Speaker 1: cannot be denied that the Reformation, even in this unattractive form,
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Speaker 1: proved so powerful a stimulus to the weakened energy of
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Speaker 1: the Icelandic people that after its introduction, traces were soon
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Speaker 1: seen of new intellectual vigor and literary life. As already noted,
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Speaker 1: the two last Catholic bishops in Iceland were Augmund paulson
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Speaker 1: of Skalholt and Jan Erison of Hoholar, both very interesting
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Speaker 1: as types of Icelandic chieftains of this period rather than
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Speaker 1: as representatives of the Catholic clergy. Bishop Augmund, the elder
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Speaker 1: of the two, had sought to hinder Jan's election, and
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Speaker 1: a hostile feeling existed between the two prelates. Augmund, who
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Speaker 1: was an able and energetic administrator, acted no less as
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Speaker 1: ruler than as bishop of his diocese. Though proud and ambitious,
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Speaker 1: he was on the whole well meaning and generous, but
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Speaker 1: withal an arrogant chieftain, violent of temper, and wholly unable
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Speaker 1: to brook a position. Jan Rison was a chieftain to
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Speaker 1: a still higher degree, more gifted than his rival, dignified
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Speaker 1: in appearance, charming in manners, cheerful and spirited in conversation.
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Speaker 1: He was a born leader, highly admired by his adhies parents,
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Speaker 1: but a firebrand against all opponents. Yan was born at
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Speaker 1: Gerrita in Ayafjord, probably in fourteen seventy four. At the
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Speaker 1: age of thirty four, he became priest at Algaestadir and
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Speaker 1: two years later fifteen ten at ra Vaganagil. Upon the
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Speaker 1: death of Bishop god Skulk Nikolausen, he became provost and
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Speaker 1: acting bishop in the hoolardiocese. In fifteen twenty four he
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Speaker 1: was consecrated bishop. The statement in the Biscu Passugur that
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Speaker 1: he knew no Latin is probably erroneous, as he is
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Speaker 1: said to have received instruction in his youth from the
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Speaker 1: learned Einar Bendicson, Abbot of the monastery of Thevera. It
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Speaker 1: must be assumed that he also studied Latin, which in
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Speaker 1: those days was the principal subject of instruction in all schools,
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Speaker 1: but he was probably no Latin scholar. From youth up
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Speaker 1: he lived in concubinage with Elga Sigurd Stoder and reared
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Speaker 1: a family of sons and daughters. But this relation seems
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Speaker 1: to have been tolerated at this time even within the church.
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Speaker 1: Although priests were not allowed to marry, says the saga writer,
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Speaker 1: holy in God fearing fathers would permit them I know,
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Speaker 1: indeed not with what authority to have concubines instead of
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Speaker 1: wedded wives. And as the priestly office was then held
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Speaker 1: in much higher esteem than in these degenerate times, it
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Speaker 1: was easy for the priests to get women, so that
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Speaker 1: they often got the daughters, sisters, and relatives of chieftains
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Speaker 1: for their helpmates. Proper and lawful agreement was entered into
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Speaker 1: by both parties, so that nothing was lacking of real
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Speaker 1: marriage but the name. It was not thought proper for
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Speaker 1: them to enter into Holy Weblock, which was otherwise solemnized
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Speaker 1: in church in presence of the congregation, but the binding
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Speaker 1: of the agreement with festivals, documents and formal betrothals was
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Speaker 1: not forbidden. Though the domains of the two bishops were
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Speaker 1: clearly limited to their respective dioceses, clashes between them were
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Speaker 1: unavoidable whenever they met at the all thing. At their
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Speaker 1: first meeting in fifteen twenty six, Agmen was accompanied by
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Speaker 1: an escort of thirteen hundred men, Jan brought nine hundred armed.
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Speaker 1: Conflict between the two hostile groups was averted only through
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Speaker 1: efforts of the parish priests, who succeeded in maintaining peace
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Speaker 1: on the condition that the controversy should be settled by
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Speaker 1: a fight between two champions selected for the purpose. This dual,
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Speaker 1: contrary even to Icelandic civil law, was fought on an
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Speaker 1: island in the Oxara, in the presence of the two
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Speaker 1: bishops and their adherents. Augman's representatives succeeded in throwing his
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Speaker 1: opponent and was declared the victor, but Yan and his
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Speaker 1: party were not well satisfied. The following day, the cathedral
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Speaker 1: church at Skalholt was destroyed by fire, a calamity which
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Speaker 1: almost overwhelmed Bishop Augment, as he considered it a chastisement
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Speaker 1: from heaven. It soltened his enmity towards his opponent. He
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Speaker 1: soon set to work with great energy to rebuild the church,
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Speaker 1: and the task was almost completed before his death. The
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Speaker 1: progress of the Lutheran Reformation in the North, the friendly
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Speaker 1: attitude of King Frederick the First of Denmark Norway to
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Speaker 1: the new movement, and the fact that his son Christian
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Speaker 1: heir imparent to the throne and other leading men openly
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Speaker 1: accepted Luther's doctrines soon made the Icelandic bishops forget their
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Speaker 1: personal rivalries and draw closer together in mutual support against
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Speaker 1: the danger threatening the Catholic hierarchy. Even in Iceland, traces
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Speaker 1: of Lutheran influence began to appear. Direct communication with Germany
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Speaker 1: was maintained by the Hanseatic merchants trading in Iceland, who
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Speaker 1: brought Lutheran books from Hamburg. Jan Heinersen, priest at Skalholt,
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Speaker 1: who had read some of Luther's writings, had been so
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Speaker 1: impressed by them that in a sermon at Candlemas he
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Speaker 1: inveighed against the veneration of saints, which he called idolatry.
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Speaker 1: When Bishop Agmun reprimanded him, he defended himself and quoted
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Speaker 1: further from the epistles of the Apostle Paul in support
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Speaker 1: of the view that priests had the right to marry.
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Speaker 1: Still more aggrieved was Bishop augment by the apostasy of
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Speaker 1: Giezer Inersen from the Catholic faith. For several years, Gizer
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Speaker 1: had remained in the bishop's household as a special friend,
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Speaker 1: and had been sent by him to school in Hamburg.
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Speaker 1: After hearing Luther and Melanchthon preach in Wittenberg, he had
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Speaker 1: accepted the Lutheran faith. Upon his return home, he was
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Speaker 1: repudiated by Augmund, who had learned what had happened. By
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Speaker 1: still pretending to be a Catholic, Gizer succeeded in regaining
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Speaker 1: the favor and confidence of the bishop, who was growing
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Speaker 1: old and was more than ever in need of able
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Speaker 1: assistance under the growing difficulties. Another young man in whom
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Speaker 1: Augmund had placed great confidence was od God Gaul's son
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Speaker 1: of God Skull Nicholson, former Bishop of holar Ad, had
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Speaker 1: been reared in Norway, where he had been trained for
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Speaker 1: the priesthood. Later, he had studied in Denmark and Germany
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Speaker 1: and had become a secret convert to the Lutheran faith.
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Speaker 1: On his arrival in Skalholt. He became Bishop Augmann's private secretary.
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Speaker 1: He was secretly engaged in translated the Bible into Icelandic,
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Speaker 1: but he made the bishop believe that he was busy
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Speaker 1: copying Catholic theological works and church laws. One day, Augmann
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Speaker 1: discovered the nature of his literary work, snatched Luther's translation
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Speaker 1: of the New Testament from his hand and berated him
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Speaker 1: in angry words. Also in the political field, new dangers
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Speaker 1: and difficulties arose at this time. In Denmark Norway, the
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Speaker 1: dethronement of the tyrannical Christian the Second and the struggle
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Speaker 1: between the Catholic hierarchy and the adherents of the Reformation
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Speaker 1: caused the greatest confusion. In fifteen twenty four, Frederick the
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Speaker 1: First had been placed on the throne by the nobility,
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Speaker 1: but upon his death in fifteen thirty three, the question
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Speaker 1: of the choice of a new king precipitated the bitterest
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Speaker 1: party strife in Norway. The Catholics, led by Archbishop Olaf Engelbrexton,
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Speaker 1: president of the Council of the Realm, favored the choice
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Speaker 1: of Count Frederick of the Palatinate, but they were opposed
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Speaker 1: by the powerful noble Benchentce Lungey and his party, who
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Speaker 1: supported the Lutheran Duke Christian, son of King Frederic the First.
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Speaker 1: In Denmark, the Catholics, who had first favored Prince Hans,
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Speaker 1: a younger son of Frederick the First, finally united in
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Speaker 1: an effort to recall the dethroned King Christian the Second.
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Speaker 1: They allied themselves with the lou Beckers, who, in an
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Speaker 1: effort to maintain their supremacy in the Baltic region, sent
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Speaker 1: an army into Denmark commanded by Count Christopher of Oldenburg.
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Speaker 1: The people of Jutland rose in a rebellion against their
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Speaker 1: feudal lords and proclaimed Christian the Second. King Christian was
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Speaker 1: finally elevated to the throne by the Council as Christian
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Speaker 1: the Third, but war broke out between the two parties,
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Speaker 1: and if Duke Christian wished to reign, he had to
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Speaker 1: win his kingdom with the sword. During this period of
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Speaker 1: war and turmoil, which lasted till fifteen thirty six, the
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Speaker 1: administration of publicas affairs in Norway was conducted by the
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Speaker 1: Council of the Realm. On January thirty, fifteen thirty three,
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Speaker 1: the Icelandic all Thing passed a decree dohmer um Land
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Speaker 1: sins now though Sinnyor signed by Bishop Agmund of Skalholt,
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Speaker 1: Bishop Beyond of Hola and the bestmen of Iceland, in
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Speaker 1: which they pledged their allegiance to the King of Norway
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Speaker 1: and the Catholic Church. It was evidently the plan of
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Speaker 1: the Icelandic bishops to seek the support of Norway and
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Speaker 1: the Archbishop of Nadarus in the struggle against the Reformation.
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Speaker 1: Immediately after the close of the all Thing, Bishop Agmann
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Speaker 1: went to Norway to confer personally with the Archbishop. He
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Speaker 1: returned to Iceland the following year after the all Thing
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Speaker 1: decree had been sanctioned by the Council of the Realm.
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Speaker 1: Bishop yon Irisen also sent his sin Sigurd on an
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Speaker 1: important mission to Norway and the continent. What the mission
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Speaker 1: was is not known, but it is likely that an
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Speaker 1: effort was made to determine what support could be obtained
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Speaker 1: from Emperor Charles the Fifth and the Norway Agent Council.
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Speaker 1: It is said that Bishop Yon also caused a printing
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Speaker 1: press to be brought to Iceland for the purpose of
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Speaker 1: combating the Reformation by printing and distributing Catholic religious literature.
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Speaker 1: The question which one of their rival claimants to the
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Speaker 1: Danish Norwegian throne, or whether any of them was to
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Speaker 1: be considered the legitimate king, soon caused serious difficulties also
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Speaker 1: in Iceland. Archbishop Engel Rexen of Nadaros, president of the
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Speaker 1: Counts of the Realm, instructed the Icelandic bishops to collect
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Speaker 1: the revenues of the crown in their respective dioceses. Christian
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Speaker 1: the third are Duke Christian s he was still called
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Speaker 1: in Iceland, commanded the Royal Governor Didri v Minden to
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Speaker 1: take charge of the revenues for his account, and Count
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Speaker 1: Christopher of Oldenburg, acting as representative of Christian the send
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Speaker 1: letters to the Icelanders announcing that he had appointed Marcus
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Speaker 1: Meyer herth Styori for all Iceland. Conflicting demands were presented
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Speaker 1: to the all Thing by the two lawmen. In fifteen
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Speaker 1: thirty five, a decision was rendered in favor of the
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Speaker 1: claim made by Archbishop Olaf Engelbrexton. Since the Norwegian Crown
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Speaker 1: has chosen no king, and we have taken the oath
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Speaker 1: of allegiance to the King and Crown of Norway, said
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Speaker 1: the members of the Low Greta in their decision. In
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Speaker 1: fifteen thirty six, King Christian the third sent Klaus the
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Speaker 1: Merwitz to Iceland as Hearthstori or royal governor. Bishop Augment
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Speaker 1: of Skalholt, who was still seeking to maintain connections with
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Speaker 1: Archbishop Owulaf, dispatched Gizzar Inersen as a special representative to Norway.
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Speaker 1: But though he was able to find the archbishop, the
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Speaker 1: position of that prelate in his opposition to the victorious
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Speaker 1: king was now so hopeless that he could give the
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Speaker 1: Icelandic bishops no assistance. With this discouraging news, Givezzer returned
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Speaker 1: to Iceland, and Bishop Augmund was forced to make his
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Speaker 1: submission to the King and the royal governor. While his
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Speaker 1: difficulties were thus accumulating, the bishop also had the misfortune
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Speaker 1: to become totally blind. It is said that while on
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Speaker 1: a journey, he seemed to notice that darkness was gradually falling.
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Speaker 1: In speaking of this to his companions, they said that
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Speaker 1: the sun was still shining brightly. Then goodbye world, he said,
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Speaker 1: you have served me long enough. As the choice of
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Speaker 1: a successor now became urgent, he selected for this position
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Speaker 1: as nephew Sigurd Anderson, who went to Norway in fifteen
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Speaker 1: thirty six, and is said to have been consecrated bishop
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Speaker 1: at Nandars shortly before Archbishop Olaf Engel b Rexton was
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Speaker 1: forced to flee from his archdiocese, but Sigurd fell sick
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Speaker 1: and died immediately after his consecration. When this news reached Iceland, Augmund,
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Speaker 1: who still had confidence in Gizzer Anderson, secured his election
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Speaker 1: as assistant bishop and successor to the diocese, but Gizer
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Speaker 1: hastened to Denmark to have his election sanctioned by the
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Speaker 1: Lutheran Christian the Third, who was now acknowledged that as
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Speaker 1: the rightful king in Denmark Norway. Many leading nobles supported
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Speaker 1: the Reformation from no higher motive than a desire to
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Speaker 1: despoil the Catholic Church of its lands and possessions. The
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Speaker 1: secularization of the monasteries, which had begun already in the
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Speaker 1: time of Christian the Second and Frederick the First, was
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Speaker 1: continued under Christian the Third. The lands were granted as
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Speaker 1: fiefs to nobles and royal favorites, and by fifteen fifty
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Speaker 1: five the total extinction of the monasteries had been accomplished.
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Speaker 1: That the royal official should pursue a light policy. Also
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Speaker 1: in Iceland was natural. Didndrik v Menden, the representative of
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Speaker 1: the Royal governor residing at Bassste, a German by birth,
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Speaker 1: was a rapacious and tyrannical official, thoroughly hated by the people.
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Speaker 1: In fifteen thirty nine, he proceeded to Viti, in the
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Speaker 1: absence of the abbot, drove out the monks and seized
14:51
Speaker 1: the monastery with all its belongings at the old Thing,
14:54
Speaker 1: Bishop Agmun demanded to know whether he had acted in
14:58
Speaker 1: accordance with royal orders. To the this inquiry, no answer
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Speaker 1: was given. The bishop appealed the case to the courts,
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Speaker 1: but the defiant official were remarked that the pestilence might
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Speaker 1: take the laws. Shortly after the meeting of the all Things,
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Speaker 1: Didric set out from besse Deir to seize the monasters
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Speaker 1: of Thick the Beer and kirk u Bier. On the way,
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Speaker 1: it occurred to him that he would visit Bishop Augment
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Speaker 1: at Skalholt. He was courteously received and remained at the
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Speaker 1: bishop's residence overnight. The next morning, Augment again asked him
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Speaker 1: if he intended to seize the monasteries without royal orders.
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Speaker 1: Didric would not answer this question, but berated the blind
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Speaker 1: old bishop in abusive language. Augmund ordered him to leave
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Speaker 1: the house. He offered even to supply him with provisions
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Speaker 1: for the journey, but asked him to remember that blind
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Speaker 1: and helpless as he was, he could not control his
15:49
Speaker 1: people if they were unduly provoked. When Didric only answered
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Speaker 1: with new insults, the priest Jan Hads, an counselor at
15:59
Speaker 1: the bishop's seat, secretly sent word to the people of
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Speaker 1: the district telling them what was taking place at Scalholt.
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Speaker 1: In a short time, an armed force of angry ben
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Speaker 1: deu assembled, The house was surrounded and Didric v. Menden
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Speaker 1: was slain with all his followers August ten, fifteen thirty nine.
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Speaker 1: Bishop Bagmann claimed that this was done without his will
16:19
Speaker 1: or consent. The case was tried before a jury of
16:22
Speaker 1: twelve men at the Laksa whole Thing. The farmers who
16:27
Speaker 1: had taken part in the affair were acquitted and the
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Speaker 1: decision was rendered that no vir guilt should be paid
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Speaker 1: for Didric or his men, as they had fallen as
16:35
Speaker 1: common criminals. The governor, clausby Mervitz, paid no attention to
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Speaker 1: the decision of the court, but reported the affair to
16:42
Speaker 1: the King in a most biased way, laying the blame
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Speaker 1: on Bishop Agmund, whom he accused of having instigated the attack.
16:49
Speaker 1: Gizer Einarsen's election as bishop was sanctioned by the king
16:53
Speaker 1: March fifteen, fifteen forty. Upon his return to Iceland, he
16:57
Speaker 1: was welcomed by the clergy of the Diocese of Scalhold,
17:00
Speaker 1: though he was suspected of being a convert to the
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Speaker 1: Lutheran faith. At the meeting of the All Thing, he
17:05
Speaker 1: read a declaration stating that he would rule the diocese
17:08
Speaker 1: in accordance with the old Church laws in so far
17:10
Speaker 1: as they did not contravene God's own ordinances. This he
17:14
Speaker 1: undoubtedly considered necessary, as it became evident that the people
17:18
Speaker 1: would not tolerate a Lutheran bishop or accept the Lutheran doctrine.
17:22
Speaker 1: In fifteen thirty seven, King Christian the third had given
17:25
Speaker 1: his sanction to a new code of Church laws embracing
17:28
Speaker 1: the Lutheran Reformation. The code was sent to Iceland the
17:31
Speaker 1: following year, but the bishops augment and jan took no
17:35
Speaker 1: steps to have it introduced. In a letter of March twelve,
17:38
Speaker 1: fifteen thirty nine to the people of the Scalholt diocese.
17:42
Speaker 1: Bishop Augment appealed for protection to the Pope and the Emperor.
17:46
Speaker 1: He also wrote a letter to the King saying, we
17:48
Speaker 1: will keep the faith in church service which our wisest
17:51
Speaker 1: and most learned men agreed to, in which are not
17:54
Speaker 1: contrary to the Norwegian laws. But if your Lordship's officials
17:58
Speaker 1: shall undertake to establish a doctrine contrary to our understanding,
18:02
Speaker 1: then we humbly beseech your Royal majesty to grant us
18:06
Speaker 1: permission to leave with our movable belongings, that we may
18:09
Speaker 1: seek refuge in some land which God may show us.
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Speaker 1: It was evident that the new Church Code would not
18:15
Speaker 1: be adopted unless more stern measures were employed. In fifteen
18:20
Speaker 1: forty one, the King appointed Christopher, who it felt, governor,
18:23
Speaker 1: and despatched him to Iceland with two warships. The mission
18:27
Speaker 1: of the governor was to secure the adoption of the
18:30
Speaker 1: new Church code, to prevail on the people, to take
18:32
Speaker 1: the oath of allegiance to Christian the Third, and to
18:35
Speaker 1: grant him a new tax the lands Yelp. As he
18:39
Speaker 1: had been forced to carry on expensive wars to win
18:43
Speaker 1: the throne. It seems to have been a part of
18:45
Speaker 1: the plan also to break the power of resistance of
18:48
Speaker 1: the Catholic clergy by seizing and deporting the bishops, especially
18:52
Speaker 1: Bishop Augment, who was accused of complicity in the attack
18:56
Speaker 1: on De dic v Menden, the author of fifteen forty
19:01
Speaker 1: one assembled under the drawn swords of foreign military forces.
19:05
Speaker 1: The land sh yap was granted and the new church
19:08
Speaker 1: code was adopted for the Diocese of Skalholt, but Bishop
19:12
Speaker 1: young Arrison and the clergy of the Diocese of Holar
19:16
Speaker 1: were not present to give their consent. Bishop Agmun of
19:19
Speaker 1: Skalholt was treacherously seized shortly after the arrival of huet
19:24
Speaker 1: Felt's expedition upon invitation from the governor Gizzer Anderson. He
19:29
Speaker 1: said to have gone to besset Tadir, where the plot
19:32
Speaker 1: for the capture of the bishop seems to have been laid,
19:34
Speaker 1: but doubt exists as to the complicity of Gizer in
19:37
Speaker 1: the plot. The people of the neighboring districts were ordered
19:41
Speaker 1: to send horses for the transportation of goods to Skalholt.
19:44
Speaker 1: When these arrived, a band of armed men were mounted
19:47
Speaker 1: and sent to arrest the bishop He had been warned
19:50
Speaker 1: by his friends to retire to the monasteries of thick
19:54
Speaker 1: Bay Bier or kirk Yeobier while the military forces were
19:59
Speaker 1: in the land, but an apparently friendly letter from Gizzer
20:02
Speaker 1: had so far reassured him that. On his journey to
20:05
Speaker 1: the monasteries, he stopped at Hayali, near the mouth of
20:08
Speaker 1: the Old Fusa, to visit his sister asdes Here, the
20:13
Speaker 1: armed man sent by Wheatfelt, seized the eighty year old
20:17
Speaker 1: blind bishop while he was still in bed, and brought
20:20
Speaker 1: him on horseback, thinly clad, to Besetadir, where he was
20:25
Speaker 1: placed on board a dainty's ship. By holding out the
20:28
Speaker 1: hope that he might be liberated upon the payment of
20:31
Speaker 1: a large ransom, his captors secured his sister's money and
20:35
Speaker 1: persuaded the old prelate to deed them all his property.
20:38
Speaker 1: The promise was a mere bruce. After gaining possession of
20:41
Speaker 1: his lands and property, they carried him away. According to
20:44
Speaker 1: some authorities, he was brought to Denmark and placed in
20:47
Speaker 1: the monastery of Soru, where he died shortly after, but
20:51
Speaker 1: it is more probable that he died on the voyage
20:53
Speaker 1: before reaching Denmark. The deportation of Bishop Augman removed a
20:58
Speaker 1: great obstacle to the Reformation, but Bishop jan Erison of
21:02
Speaker 1: Holok proved to be a still more formidable opponent. The
21:05
Speaker 1: capture of Augmund, which took place shortly before the meeting
21:08
Speaker 1: of the All Thing, did not become known in the
21:11
Speaker 1: northern diocese before Bishop Yan, with priests and followers, was
21:14
Speaker 1: on his way to thing Valeur on June fifteen, fifteen
21:19
Speaker 1: forty one. He had assembled a church council in his diocese.
21:23
Speaker 1: The priest promised to pay the king the lands hill
21:26
Speaker 1: yelp and agreed to assist the royal officials if they
21:29
Speaker 1: maintained for us and the people of the Norwegian and
21:31
Speaker 1: Icelandic laws, old liberties and lawful customs, such as we
21:35
Speaker 1: are church and the people should have. When Bishop Yan
21:38
Speaker 1: and his men reached the burger Fjord and heard what
21:42
Speaker 1: he had happened in the Skalholt diocese, they did not
21:45
Speaker 1: proceed to the All Thing, but sent instead a letter
21:48
Speaker 1: from Ko Menstunga saying we will honor, swear allegiance to
21:54
Speaker 1: and hold the high born Christian Fredericksen as our liege,
21:58
Speaker 1: Lord and King of Norway and pay all taxes and
22:01
Speaker 1: dews which the Thanes owe the rightful Norwegian King, according
22:04
Speaker 1: to the sworn agreement which we and our forefathers have
22:07
Speaker 1: agreed to. This summer we received a letter with our
22:10
Speaker 1: Lord the king seal stating that his officials would keep
22:13
Speaker 1: the laws and good old Christian customs which have been
22:16
Speaker 1: observed in our land. Trusting to this, we began our
22:20
Speaker 1: journey to the All Things from the northern quarter to
22:23
Speaker 1: kao Man's Tunga in Borgarfjord. There we receive the news
22:28
Speaker 1: that Bishop Augment had been made prisoner against his will,
22:31
Speaker 1: and that his property had been taken without judicial proceedings. Therefore,
22:36
Speaker 1: it appears to us that the provisions in the royal
22:38
Speaker 1: letter which his Lordship this year assent have not been kept.
22:42
Speaker 1: And this we know forsooth that the liberty, privileges and
22:45
Speaker 1: sworn agreements have often been disregarded by the King's officials
22:49
Speaker 1: in our land. For this reason, the people will in
22:52
Speaker 1: no wise allow that we write to the All Thing
22:54
Speaker 1: at this time, but we will subscribe to the covenants
22:58
Speaker 1: entered into by the best men of the All Things,
23:00
Speaker 1: which are not contrary to the Norwegian and Icelandic laws.
23:04
Speaker 1: We will also support an own allegiance to the royal
23:07
Speaker 1: governor appointed for our land in all matters possible, if
23:11
Speaker 1: he will keep for us and the people of the
23:13
Speaker 1: Northern Quarter the laws and customs of the land according
23:16
Speaker 1: to the provision contained in the King's letter. Bishop Yon's
23:21
Speaker 1: son Ari Johnson, lawman in the Northern Quarter, also tendered
23:25
Speaker 1: his resignation to the governor, who accepted it and appointed
23:29
Speaker 1: a new law man. It seems to have been who
23:32
Speaker 1: he Felts hoped that Bishop Yon could be persuaded to
23:35
Speaker 1: visit Denmark. He brought royal letters inviting him and Bishop
23:39
Speaker 1: Gizzer Anderson to come to Denmark to consult with the
23:42
Speaker 1: King regarding the Reformation, but Yon would not undertake the
23:46
Speaker 1: voyage and Gizzer did not deem it expedient to leave
23:49
Speaker 1: his diocese. Under the circumstances, the next tax, the landsha
23:54
Speaker 1: Yelp was paid for the Scalhold Diocese, partly in coin
23:57
Speaker 1: and partly in silver, and precious article was taken from
24:00
Speaker 1: the cathedral church. With these treasures, whet Felt returned to
24:05
Speaker 1: Denmark after the close of the accession of the all Thing.
24:08
Speaker 1: Though Gizzar Inerson had embraced the Lutheran faith and sought
24:12
Speaker 1: to establish the new Church laws in his diocese. Such
24:15
Speaker 1: friendly relations still existed between him and Bishop Yon that
24:18
Speaker 1: they promised to aid one another. In fifteen forty two,
24:22
Speaker 1: Gizzer went to Denmark, pursuant to the King's request by Yan,
24:25
Speaker 1: who was afraid to make the voyage because of his
24:28
Speaker 1: advanced age, sent three personal representatives, who, on his behalf,
24:32
Speaker 1: took the oath to obey the new church laws. The
24:35
Speaker 1: following summer, Gizzer returned to Iceland. Yan still maintained a
24:39
Speaker 1: friendly attitude. He thanked Gizzer for the assistance given his
24:43
Speaker 1: representatives in Denmark, but at heart he was as bitterly
24:47
Speaker 1: opposed to the Reformation as ever. In a letter to Gizzar,
24:50
Speaker 1: he took occasion to revive an old claim to the
24:53
Speaker 1: estate beyond Maynus in the Scalhold diocese and requested a
24:58
Speaker 1: personal interview in regards to the matter. Gizzer sought in
25:02
Speaker 1: a polite way to avoid a clash by promising to
25:04
Speaker 1: give the question his careful consideration. In fifteen forty four
25:08
Speaker 1: he did not go to the old thing, probably in
25:11
Speaker 1: order to avoid trouble with Bishop beyond. The case was
25:14
Speaker 1: submitted to a court of arbitration consisting of six judges,
25:18
Speaker 1: three being chosen by each side, but as no agreement
25:21
Speaker 1: was reached, the matter was finally submitted to the King.
25:24
Speaker 1: Without awaiting the decision, Yan sees biarn Nunnis and refused
25:29
Speaker 1: to surrender it even when it was formally granted Gizzer
25:32
Speaker 1: by the King. This terminated the rather hollow friendship which
25:36
Speaker 1: had hitherto existed between the two bishops. Yan did not
25:39
Speaker 1: yet venture to break openly with the king. Evidence exists
25:43
Speaker 1: showing that in fifteen forty five he even paid the
25:45
Speaker 1: royal taxes levied on the Bishopric of Holar, but events
25:50
Speaker 1: were hastening to a final clash between the two parties,
25:53
Speaker 1: which could not long exist side by side. In Iceland.
25:57
Speaker 1: Gizzer worked diligently for the furtherance of the reface. The
26:01
Speaker 1: church service was simplified, priests were encouraged to marry, crosses
26:05
Speaker 1: and images were removed, and old superstitions eradicated. In February
26:10
Speaker 1: fifteen forty eight, he rode to the cross at the Darnis,
26:13
Speaker 1: to which pilgrimages been made from all southern Iceland, and
26:17
Speaker 1: caused it to be removed, but before his return home
26:20
Speaker 1: he fell sick and died in March of the same
26:23
Speaker 1: year after a short illness. As bishop, Gizzer had proved
26:26
Speaker 1: himself able and energetic, but in his dealings with his
26:30
Speaker 1: former friend and benefactor, Bishop Agmund, he had shown a
26:33
Speaker 1: craftiness for which he was justly censured. Bishopyon Erison thought
26:39
Speaker 1: that the time had now come for a decisive step.
26:42
Speaker 1: Luther died at isle Ben in fifteen forty six. Gizzer,
26:46
Speaker 1: the chief supporter of the Reformation in Iceland, had passed away.
26:50
Speaker 1: On the continent, war had broken out between Emperor Charles
26:53
Speaker 1: the Fifth and the Schimmalcaldic League of Protestant princes, to
26:58
Speaker 1: which also King Christian the Third belonged. The overwhelming defeat
27:02
Speaker 1: of the Protestant forces at Muehlberg and the capture of
27:05
Speaker 1: the leaders, Philip of Hesse and John Frederick, Elector of Saxony,
27:09
Speaker 1: made many think that the complete overthrow of the Lutheran
27:12
Speaker 1: Reformation was imminent. On the death of Gizzer, Jan went
27:16
Speaker 1: to the bogar Fjord district and announced that he would
27:19
Speaker 1: take charge of the Scalholdt diocese, but he received little
27:23
Speaker 1: welcome in southern Iceland, he was not well liked by
27:26
Speaker 1: the clergy, and still more unpopular was his son, Bjorn Johnson,
27:30
Speaker 1: and ambitionous and haughty priest who aspired to become Gizzer
27:33
Speaker 1: Heinerson's successor. Even while the all Thing was in session,
27:37
Speaker 1: the priests and many leading men of the diocese met
27:40
Speaker 1: at Scalhold to elect a new bishop. Those who clung
27:43
Speaker 1: to Catholicism selected as their candidate Abbot Sigur of thick
27:48
Speaker 1: bay Bear, but the Lutherans, who were in the majority,
27:51
Speaker 1: elected the pious and learned priest Martin Heerson. The election
27:55
Speaker 1: seems to have taken place without Yan's knowledge, and as
27:58
Speaker 1: he could not annul it, he declared himself in favor
28:01
Speaker 1: of the minority candidate, the Catholic cigarette of thick Baber,
28:05
Speaker 1: whom he persuaded to Hasten to Denmark to obtain the
28:08
Speaker 1: King's sanction. He also succeeded in prevailing upon the all
28:12
Speaker 1: Thing to pass a resolution by which he himself was
28:15
Speaker 1: put in charge of the diocese until the new bishop
28:18
Speaker 1: could enter upon his duties. But the priests, who had
28:21
Speaker 1: been placed in authority by Martin Anderson refused to heed
28:25
Speaker 1: the decree of the All Things. As Jan could not
28:28
Speaker 1: take Scalhope by force, he returned to Holart to make
28:31
Speaker 1: more careful preparations. King Christian the third seems to have
28:34
Speaker 1: feared that Jan might attempt to make himself master of
28:38
Speaker 1: all Iceland. In the summer of fifteen forty eight, he
28:41
Speaker 1: summoned him to Denmark, issuing a safe conduct for him
28:44
Speaker 1: that he might clear himself of the accusations made against him.
28:48
Speaker 1: Another royal letter was addressed to the clergy and leading
28:51
Speaker 1: men of Iceland, in which they were warned not to
28:54
Speaker 1: aid the Bishop of Fee would not obey the King's summons.
28:57
Speaker 1: These letters were read at the All Thing in Yan's presence,
29:00
Speaker 1: but neither the royal letters nor the warning of many
29:03
Speaker 1: of his friends, among others of his son Ari, the
29:06
Speaker 1: former law man, could move him to change his plans.
29:10
Speaker 1: Ari did not favor the course pursued by his father,
29:13
Speaker 1: but he finally yielded to persuasion and joined him. Another son, Sigurd,
29:18
Speaker 1: took no part in the uprising. Yan hoped to be
29:20
Speaker 1: able to seize Scalhope by force. Late in the summer,
29:23
Speaker 1: he left Holar and marched southward with one hundred men,
29:26
Speaker 1: but the priest Jan Biarnussen, councilor at Scalholpe, learned of
29:31
Speaker 1: his approach and gathered forces from the neighboring districts. The
29:35
Speaker 1: Great Chieftain Dottie Gudmunsen, who was married to Bishop Martin's sister,
29:40
Speaker 1: was visiting at Scalholt at the time. So was also
29:44
Speaker 1: Peter Anderson, the bishop's brother, who on his travels on
29:47
Speaker 1: the continent, had learned some of the ardor fortification under
29:51
Speaker 1: the directions redoubts where constructed guns were mounted and the
29:55
Speaker 1: works reguarded by many hundred armed men. When Bishop Yana
30:00
Speaker 1: He summoned the defenders of Caalholt to surrender under threat
30:03
Speaker 1: of excommunication, but the demand was met with jeers and
30:07
Speaker 1: saucy challenges. The angry bishop intended to take the redoubts
30:11
Speaker 1: by general assault, but his men were driven back. After
30:14
Speaker 1: studying the situation for some days, he left Scalholt and
30:17
Speaker 1: returned to his bishop's seat in order to safeguard himself
30:22
Speaker 1: against sudden attack. He is said to have erected a
30:24
Speaker 1: castle at Holar, surrounded by stone walls and connected with
30:28
Speaker 1: the church and the bishop's residence by underground passages. On
30:31
Speaker 1: August twenty seven, fifteen forty eight, he wrote a letter
30:34
Speaker 1: to the Pope, pledging anew his allegiance to the Church
30:37
Speaker 1: of Rome and asking what he should do with the
30:39
Speaker 1: church revenue since the Archbishop of Nadarus had fled. The Pope,
30:43
Speaker 1: who was unable to render him any direct assistance, advised
30:47
Speaker 1: him to give the money to the poor. Jan is
30:49
Speaker 1: also said to have addressed a letter to Emperor Charles
30:52
Speaker 1: the fifth asking him to seize Iceland in order that
30:55
Speaker 1: the Catholic faith might be preserved, but this claim rests
30:58
Speaker 1: on no definite evidence. His chief opponent at this time
31:02
Speaker 1: was the chieftain Dotty Gudmundson a snork Stahl, a rich
31:08
Speaker 1: and influential man of shady morals, who had already resisted
31:11
Speaker 1: him in his attack on Skalholt. In September fifteen forty
31:15
Speaker 1: Yan marched into the Western District's sack three of Dotty's
31:19
Speaker 1: estates and proclaimed him an outlaw under the ban of
31:22
Speaker 1: the Church, but upon his return home this proclamation was
31:25
Speaker 1: annulled by the law man Orm Stirlison. The following spring,
31:30
Speaker 1: Yan prepared a new expedition against Dotty, but when he
31:34
Speaker 1: learned that the wary chieftain kept a band of armed
31:37
Speaker 1: men about him. He abandoned the plan and returned with
31:40
Speaker 1: his followers to Holar. Martin Anderson, who had been elected
31:44
Speaker 1: bishop by the Lutheran Party, had gone to Denmark, where
31:47
Speaker 1: his election was sanctioned by the King. His rival, Abbot
31:50
Speaker 1: Sigurd of thick Labor, also arrived in Copenhagen. Failing to
31:55
Speaker 1: obtain confirmation as bishop, he joined the Lutheran Church and
31:58
Speaker 1: remained in Denmark. Died two years later. Bishop Martin returned
32:03
Speaker 1: to Iceland in fifteen forty nine. At the All Thing,
32:06
Speaker 1: he read letters from the King proclaiming Bishop yon Arson
32:09
Speaker 1: an outlaw forbidding the people to show him any obedience,
32:12
Speaker 1: and instructing Dottie Goodmunson to arrest the bishop and his
32:16
Speaker 1: sons in order that a new military expedition should not
32:19
Speaker 1: be sent to Iceland. Bishop Yon was now pursuing a
32:22
Speaker 1: course which could only be regarded as open rebellion against
32:25
Speaker 1: the royal government, but it might still be a question whether,
32:28
Speaker 1: under the circumstances it was not fully justified. The King
32:32
Speaker 1: had long since ceased to rule according to the agreements
32:35
Speaker 1: forming the Bonds of Union between Iceland and the United Kingdoms.
32:39
Speaker 1: Even the most fundamental rights of freemen were disregarded. The
32:43
Speaker 1: Icelanders were treated as a conquered people. Bishop Agmann had
32:47
Speaker 1: been seized and deported without trial, and his property had
32:50
Speaker 1: been taken on false pretenses, even without the formality of
32:54
Speaker 1: legal action. The stipulations in the Union Agreement that the
32:59
Speaker 1: laws of the Lafel should be preserved, that no one
33:01
Speaker 1: should be summoned abroad for trial, that only native citizens
33:05
Speaker 1: should be appointed to office, that no new taxes should
33:08
Speaker 1: be levied, had been flagrantly violated or totally ignored. The
33:12
Speaker 1: King had undertaken to force upon Iceland the Lutheran Reformation
33:16
Speaker 1: and a new code of church laws. Military forces were
33:19
Speaker 1: sent to Iceland and new taxes were levied by the
33:22
Speaker 1: royal governors, aided by foreign troops. Bishop Yon was summoned
33:25
Speaker 1: to Denmark to answer accusations made against him, was declared
33:29
Speaker 1: an outlaw without being convicted of any crime, and was
33:32
Speaker 1: ordered to be arrested, not pursuant to the laws of Iceland,
33:35
Speaker 1: but by royal decree. The King's rule in Iceland was
33:39
Speaker 1: an evident usurpation of power which transformed government into a despotism,
33:44
Speaker 1: holling foreign to Icelandic laws and institutions. In resisting such
33:48
Speaker 1: encroachments on their constitutional liberties, the Icelanders were not only
33:52
Speaker 1: within their legal rights, but they were performing a patriotic duty.
33:56
Speaker 1: The uprising led by Bishop Yon was not only a
33:59
Speaker 1: religious but also a national struggle waged in the defense
34:02
Speaker 1: of what still remained of Icelandic national liberty. But now,
34:06
Speaker 1: as formerly, there was a lack of patriotic sentiment and
34:09
Speaker 1: united action. Not only were the people divided into hostile
34:13
Speaker 1: groups on that question of the Reformation, but bitter personal
34:16
Speaker 1: hatred among the party leaders often obscured the real issue
34:19
Speaker 1: and injected into the conflict the characteristic features of the
34:23
Speaker 1: old feuds. Bishop Yon did not attend the All Thing
34:28
Speaker 1: in fifteen forty nine, as he had already heard of
34:30
Speaker 1: the royal letters and their contents. For some time, he
34:33
Speaker 1: remained quietly at Holar, But when he received a letter
34:36
Speaker 1: from the Pope commending his faithfulness to the Catholic Church
34:40
Speaker 1: and urging him to heroic resistance against his enemies, he
34:43
Speaker 1: took new courage. Gathering the priests of the diocese, he
34:46
Speaker 1: read to them the papal letter. Before the altar of
34:49
Speaker 1: the cathedral church and took a vow that he would
34:51
Speaker 1: give his life rather than be in any way unfaithful
34:54
Speaker 1: to the Holy Father. On learning that Bishop Martin was
34:58
Speaker 1: traveling in the western dist stricts, he sent his sons
35:01
Speaker 1: Andbiorn with over a hundred armed men to seize him.
35:05
Speaker 1: The undertaking was successfully carried out. Bishop Martin and the
35:08
Speaker 1: priest Arnie Arnason, one of Jan's bitterest opponents, were captured
35:12
Speaker 1: and brought to Holar Dotty. Gudmundson was in so imminent
35:17
Speaker 1: a danger of being seized that he saved himself only
35:20
Speaker 1: by mounting a swift horse. The priest Arne was soon liberated,
35:24
Speaker 1: but Bishop Martin was kept in confinement in the monastery
35:28
Speaker 1: of mood drew Velor and later at eyfiord Yan was
35:33
Speaker 1: not satisfied with the temporary advantage over his opponents, but
35:36
Speaker 1: pursued energetically the course upon which he had entered. The
35:39
Speaker 1: priest olof Yeltsen, who had preached against Catholic customs, was
35:43
Speaker 1: summoned before the bishop and dismissed from his church. In
35:46
Speaker 1: the summer of fifteen fifty, Olaf sailed to Denmark to
35:50
Speaker 1: report to the King his own case as well as
35:52
Speaker 1: the imprisonment of Bishop Martin. But even before his arrival,
35:56
Speaker 1: the king had taken new steps to suppress the uprising
35:58
Speaker 1: led by Yan. In a letter dated June twenty seven,
36:02
Speaker 1: he instructed Dotty Goodman's son and Peter Anderson to aid
36:06
Speaker 1: the royal commandant loretz Mu in arresting the bishop. In
36:11
Speaker 1: a second letter to the people of the diocese, he
36:14
Speaker 1: warned the people that Jan was an outlaw, that a
36:16
Speaker 1: new bishop had to be chosen for the diocese, and
36:19
Speaker 1: that he had selected for this office the priest Ghisli Johnson,
36:23
Speaker 1: who was to be sent to Denmark to be consecrated.
36:26
Speaker 1: Bishop Palladius of sea Land also wrote to Bishop Yon,
36:30
Speaker 1: warning him of his danger and urging him to submit
36:33
Speaker 1: to the king, but he refused to yield. When he
36:35
Speaker 1: learned of the order issued for his arrest, he decided
36:38
Speaker 1: to face his opponents boldly. In the summer of fifteen fifty,
36:42
Speaker 1: he wrote to the Old Thing with a guard of
36:43
Speaker 1: two hundred men, accompanied by his sons Ari and Bjorn,
36:47
Speaker 1: each with a force of one hundred men. The king's
36:49
Speaker 1: commandant Loritz Mu and the chieftains who were to assist him,
36:54
Speaker 1: were not prepared to meet so strong a force and
36:56
Speaker 1: were unable to offer resistance. The lawmen Orm Sterling was
37:00
Speaker 1: forced to resign, and Yan's son Ari was again appointed
37:03
Speaker 1: to the office. From the all things, Yon marched to
37:07
Speaker 1: Scalholt with his whole armed force, bringing within the captive
37:10
Speaker 1: Bishop Martin. The bishop's residence was surrendered to him and
37:14
Speaker 1: Martin was left there under guard. From Skalholt, he marched
37:17
Speaker 1: to the monastery of Viti, which had been changed into
37:20
Speaker 1: a residence for the Royal Commandant, Lawrence mul and the
37:24
Speaker 1: Danes were driven on board the ships. The monastery was
37:28
Speaker 1: rededicated and the former abbot was again installed. Before returning
37:33
Speaker 1: to Holo, he also wrote to Hellelblapfel and reorganized that
37:37
Speaker 1: monastery under its old abbot. After the success he had
37:41
Speaker 1: already met with Bishop Jan hoped to be able to
37:44
Speaker 1: cope with Dotty Goodmanson, his chief remaining opponent. In the
37:47
Speaker 1: fall of fifteen fifty, he left Hola with ninety armed men,
37:51
Speaker 1: accompanied by his sons Ari and Bjorn at Saudofel. He
37:54
Speaker 1: was also joined by thirty or forty men from the
37:57
Speaker 1: Bijorgarfjord district, but here he was suddenly attacked by Dotty.
38:02
Speaker 1: His forces were defeated and he and his two sons
38:05
Speaker 1: were seized in the saw the Felt church where they
38:08
Speaker 1: had sought refuge. Dotty reported what had happened to bessas Studeer,
38:13
Speaker 1: the residence of the royal governor, but there was at
38:15
Speaker 1: the time no such official in the country, as lords
38:19
Speaker 1: Mule had already returned to Denmark. The only Danish official
38:22
Speaker 1: president was a clerk, Christian Scriver, who was ordered to
38:26
Speaker 1: keep Bishop Beyond and his sons as prisoners in conformity
38:29
Speaker 1: with the royal letters. Bishop Martin, as Scalhold was now liberated,
38:33
Speaker 1: together with Christian Scriver, he hastened to Snookestall, where a
38:37
Speaker 1: court was convened and Bishop Beyond and his two sons
38:40
Speaker 1: were judged to be prisoners. According to the King's command,
38:43
Speaker 1: Christian Scriver, assisted by Bishop Martin and the two lawmen,
38:46
Speaker 1: was to retain them in custody. Bishop Martin, Christian Scriver,
38:50
Speaker 1: Dotty Goodmanson, and many other leading men met at Scalhold
38:54
Speaker 1: to consider what further steps were to be taken. At
38:57
Speaker 1: this meeting, Christian Scriver, acting as the King's report representative
39:00
Speaker 1: preferred a series of charges against John, stating that he
39:03
Speaker 1: had imprisoned Bishop Martin, that without warrant, he had used
39:07
Speaker 1: the royal taxes of the northern districts, that he had
39:10
Speaker 1: disregarded the King's orders regarding the monasteries and beneficiaries, that
39:14
Speaker 1: he had resisted the word of God, that he had
39:16
Speaker 1: used violence against both learned and lay people, had threatened
39:19
Speaker 1: the Danes, had promised the Hamburgers that there by spring
39:22
Speaker 1: there would be no Danes in Iceland. That he had
39:25
Speaker 1: said that Lawrence Muel should not long remain as worth Sori,
39:30
Speaker 1: or Martin as Bishop of Scalholt, et cetera. Most of
39:33
Speaker 1: these accusations were based on nothing but prejudice and general rumors,
39:37
Speaker 1: but the assembled leaders were very eager to convict their prisoners,
39:40
Speaker 1: as they feared their revenge if they should regain their
39:43
Speaker 1: liberty Christians. Graver was afraid also to retain them in
39:46
Speaker 1: his custody at messited dear when the men of Northern
39:49
Speaker 1: Ireland should come southward to take part in the winter fisheries.
39:53
Speaker 1: After the liberations lasting several days, the priest John B. R.
39:57
Speaker 1: Nissen Steward of Scalholt said morning at the breakfast table
40:01
Speaker 1: that although he probably was not very wise, he knew
40:04
Speaker 1: a way in which the prisoners could be safely kept.
40:07
Speaker 1: When asked to state his plan, he answered that the
40:09
Speaker 1: acts and the earth would keep them best. At first,
40:12
Speaker 1: this method of doing away with them without trial met
40:15
Speaker 1: considerable opposition, but Bishop Martin approved of the plan, and
40:18
Speaker 1: when Christian Scriver also gave it ardent support, the opposition
40:22
Speaker 1: was soon overcome. An agreement was made that the prisoners
40:26
Speaker 1: should be put to death, and on November seven, fifteen
40:30
Speaker 1: fifty Bishop Beyond and his two sons were beheaded as Kalholt.
40:33
Speaker 1: This lawless act aroused such bitter resentment, especially in the
40:36
Speaker 1: whole art diocese. Then, when the men from the northern
40:39
Speaker 1: districts came south to take part in the winter with fisheries,
40:43
Speaker 1: a band of Yon's adherents attacked Christian Scriver and slew
40:46
Speaker 1: him together with his son and several of his Danish followers.
40:50
Speaker 1: On March thirty, fifteen fifty one, the priest Sigurd Jonsen,
40:53
Speaker 1: a son of Bishop Beyon Erison, who had taken no
40:56
Speaker 1: part in this uprising, sent thirty men under the leadership
40:59
Speaker 1: of three priests to bring the bodies of his father
41:02
Speaker 1: and two brothers to Wholar. These men arrived at Skalholt
41:05
Speaker 1: with masked faces, bringing three coffins with them. They demanded
41:09
Speaker 1: of Bishop Martin the permission to exhume the bodies. This
41:12
Speaker 1: demand was granted. The bodies were placed in the kauffins
41:15
Speaker 1: and the return march was immediately undertaken. At lagar Vatten,
41:19
Speaker 1: a halt was made, the bodies were washed and dressed
41:22
Speaker 1: with care. Bells were fastened under the coffins, and as
41:25
Speaker 1: the few nu escort advanced through the country, the church
41:30
Speaker 1: bells were timing and the greatest reverence was shown the dead.
41:33
Speaker 1: On approaching Holar, the procession was met by the priests
41:36
Speaker 1: of the diocese and a large concourse of people. The
41:39
Speaker 1: cathedral bells rang out their greeting of peace, and the
41:42
Speaker 1: bodies were interred in the churchyard with all tokens of
41:44
Speaker 1: honour and pious veneration. On April twenty seven, the priests
41:48
Speaker 1: of the diocese assembled and chose Sigurd Johnston Bishop. Danish
41:52
Speaker 1: rule and Eisen had never been weaker or more unpopular.
41:56
Speaker 1: It seemed that Christian the Third might be challenged to
41:58
Speaker 1: maintain his power over the country by force of arms,
42:01
Speaker 1: but the Icelanders stood divided. The leaders who had dared
42:04
Speaker 1: to resist the policy of the government were gone. The
42:07
Speaker 1: people were dependent on Denmark Norway for their imports, and
42:11
Speaker 1: no means were at hand for waging a struggle against
42:13
Speaker 1: the fleets and military forces which the king could send
42:17
Speaker 1: against them. When King Christian learned of the imprisonment of
42:21
Speaker 1: Bishop Martin of Skalholds, he sent for warships to Iceland.
42:25
Speaker 1: Two were dispatched to the southern districts under Atta Distig.
42:29
Speaker 1: Soon the other two, under command of Axel Yule and
42:33
Speaker 1: the renowned Norwegian sea captain Christopher Troncern, were sent to
42:38
Speaker 1: the northern districts. Upon his arrival in Iceland, Ata Stigserne,
42:43
Speaker 1: as royal governor, assembled the all thing, where he appeared
42:46
Speaker 1: with an escort of two hundred soldiers. The people were
42:49
Speaker 1: ordered to take the author of allegiance to the King,
42:51
Speaker 1: a request to which they readily consented. Although the procedure,
42:55
Speaker 1: conducted as an act of coercion with the aid of
42:57
Speaker 1: military forces, was a flagrant violation of the laws of Iceland.
43:01
Speaker 1: No attempt was made to alter the Union Agreement. Adi
43:04
Speaker 1: Stigson himself took an oath that he would maintain law
43:08
Speaker 1: and justice to all people, rich and poor, according to
43:11
Speaker 1: the pledges given by the Kings of Norway and the
43:14
Speaker 1: agreements made between our gracious King and his Thians here
43:17
Speaker 1: in Iceland. This new confirmation of the Union Agreement must
43:21
Speaker 1: have pleased the Icelanders, although the proceeding was otherwise offensive
43:25
Speaker 1: and irregular. In northern Iceland, Axel Yule and Christopher Johnson
43:29
Speaker 1: assembled the people to a general thing at ad Daarra
43:34
Speaker 1: in i Fiord. The required oath of allegiance to the
43:37
Speaker 1: king was taken, and Olof Joltstisen was made Bishop of Ola,
43:42
Speaker 1: no attention being paid to the election of Sigurd Johansen,
43:45
Speaker 1: who had been chosen by the priests of the diocese.
43:48
Speaker 1: Bishop beyond Rison and his sons Ari and Bjorn were
43:52
Speaker 1: declared traitors and all their property was confiscated. Severe punishment
43:56
Speaker 1: was also to be meeted out to the slayers of
43:58
Speaker 1: Christian Scriver, but they managed to make good their escape.
44:02
Speaker 1: The lawless conduct of that official in executing Bishopyon and
44:06
Speaker 1: his sons without trial or conviction, even without royal orders,
44:09
Speaker 1: was not condemned or criticized. The treasures belonging to the
44:13
Speaker 1: Church of Holar and the monasteries of Theavera and murd
44:17
Speaker 1: rue Vellor were seized, and since no resistance was offered
44:20
Speaker 1: by the people and no disturbance of any kind occurred,
44:23
Speaker 1: the expedition returned to Denmark before the end of the
44:26
Speaker 1: summer fifteen fifty one. After his death, Bishopyon was venerated
44:31
Speaker 1: almost as a saint by the people of his diocese.
44:34
Speaker 1: He gradually became a sort of national hero, to whom
44:36
Speaker 1: many later bishops, lawmen, and other leading persons were proud
44:40
Speaker 1: to trace their lineage. His opponent, Dottie Gouden Munsen, reaped
44:44
Speaker 1: little satisfaction from his victory. Ten years after Jan's death,
44:48
Speaker 1: he became afflicted with cancer of the face, en ailment
44:51
Speaker 1: from which he died after much suffering in fifteen sixty three.
44:55
Speaker 1: The people gradually adjusted themselves to existing conditions without again
44:59
Speaker 1: attempting open resistance to the government's authorities. But silent ill
45:03
Speaker 1: will against the Reformation and especially against the arbitrary rule
45:06
Speaker 1: of the Danish government, continued to manifest itself long after
45:10
Speaker 1: Yan's death. Bishop Martin of Skalholt was so aggrieved by
45:14
Speaker 1: the rapacity of the royal officials and the humiliation of
45:17
Speaker 1: his country that he resigned his episcopacy and spent his
45:22
Speaker 1: remaining years in the obscurity of private life. Many priests
45:25
Speaker 1: also chose to resign rather than renounce their Catholic faith
45:29
Speaker 1: and remain in charge of their congregations. The conduct of
45:32
Speaker 1: the royal representatives Didric V. Minden, Christopher Wheatfelt and Claus V.
45:38
Speaker 1: Mrwitz toward Bishop Augmann and of Christian Scriber and the
45:42
Speaker 1: leaders of the Lutheran Party in connection with the execution
45:46
Speaker 1: of Bishop jan Erison and his sons, could inspire little
45:49
Speaker 1: love and respect for the Reformation. Few young men would
45:53
Speaker 1: enter the service of the church's pastors. The people received
45:56
Speaker 1: little religious instruction, and although they were forced to accept
45:59
Speaker 1: the new church laws, they clung privately to the Catholic worship.
46:03
Speaker 1: Candles were yet burned before the sacred images, veneration of saints,
46:06
Speaker 1: and pilgrimages to holy places were practice as before. Many
46:10
Speaker 1: would not attend the Lutheran churches or contribute anything to
46:12
Speaker 1: the support of Lutheran pastors and of Chapter thirteen, Part
46:19
Speaker 1: one