Gripla - 20.12.2004, Page 260

GRIPLA
byskups yngri (fiorláks saga B) the saint attempts to take control of property
that powerful chieftains see as belonging to them: Sigur›r Ormsson says of
the archbishop on whose instructions fiorlákr is proceeding that ‘norrœnir
menn e›a útlendir megu eigi játta undan oss várum réttendum’ (ÍF XVI:165).
fiorlákr faces similar difficulties with the chieftain Jón Loptsson and in that
dispute there is an added dimension: sexual ethics. In chapter 23 fiorlákr inter-
venes in a marriage contracted within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity
and in Chapter 25 he excommunicates a man for going to bed with a near
kinswoman of his wife. Jón Loptsson is married with a legitimate son, but also
has sons by various other women, including Ragnhei›r, fiorlákr’s sister. fior-
lákr charges Jón Loptsson with adultery and with cohabiting with Ragnhei›r
while his lawful wife is still alive (chapter 26). The conflict culminates in a
tense confrontation between fiorlákr and Jón in which fiorlákr’s chaplain per-
suades him not to risk his life by excommunicating Jón. A few months later
Jón separates from Ragnhei›r and obtains fiorlákr’s absolution.
fiorlákr’s successor, Páll Jónsson is not able to escape entirely from the
conflict between clergy and powerful lay men as he is commanded by his
archbishop to support Bishop Gu›mundr Arason of Hólar in his conflict with
Kolbeinn Tumason (Páls saga chapter 15). In the late thirteenth century
Bishop Árni fiorláksson is still engaged in a struggle over church property
rights which dominates his saga. However, whereas his predecessors had
clashed with powerful laymen, Laurentius Kálfsson finds his opponents
among the senior clergy. Early in his career, while he is staying in Ni›aróss,
he becomes involved in the dispute there between Archbishop Jörundr and the
cathedral chapter, an involvement which leads to his being attacked and later
imprisoned and which affects his relations with other senior clergy throughout
his career.
The biskupa sögur are also valuable sources for the history of those who
are powerless or marginalised. Especially (but not only) in the numerous
miracle stories associated with the two saint bishops we see the struggles of
ordinary men and, especially, women against the ordinary hazards of a
difficult life: accidents, diseases (human and animal), severe weather. Jóns
saga helga also provides evidence of more unusual female activities: the L
version tells of a woman called Ingunn, a learned teacher of grammatica, who
had Latin books including lives of saints read aloud to her while she was at
her needlework (ÍF XV:219–20) and in the H version of the saga mention is
made of a nun who taught the psalter to a boy called fiórólfr (chapter 20F).
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