Gripla - 20.12.2016, Page 247

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Contemporary Icelandic accounts are remarkably silent about the
composition and performance of sermons. two incidents, however, link
sermon preaching to St Þorlákr. according to the fourteenth-century
Icelandic Lárentíuss saga, a Dominican friar from the see of nidaros was
sent on visitation to Iceland in 1304. When asked to preach on St Þorlákr
on the feast of his translation, this friar, Björn, was reluctant, doubting
the sanctity of someone who had not been approved by the archiepiscopal
see of Nidaros.48 Björn wanted instead to interdict that mass be sung for
Þorlákr until the agreement of the see was obtained. the narrative relates
how Björn’s Icelandic companion, the future Bishop Lárentíus Kalfsson,
warns him that Þorlákr will prove his sanctity, but Björn pays no heed and
even has meat prepared for dinner, thus breaking the rule of fasting before
the feast. Later in the evening, Björn is struck down by a sudden illness,
and Lárentius, who is called to his bed, quickly ascribes this to Þorlákr’s
saintly power. Björn repents, is cured by the saint’s intervention and per-
forms the requested sermon the following day.49
48 “Þá svaraði bróðir Björn: ‘undarligir menn eru þér Íslendingar, því at þér kallið þá marga
heilaga menn sem hér hafa vaxit upp hjá yðr ok í öðrum löndum vita <menn> engin skyn á,
því er mikil dirfð yðar Íslendinga at þér haldið þennan mann helgan sem erkibyskupsstóllinn
í Niðarósi heldr enga minning af. Skal ek heldr í kveld, sem þeir klerkarnir ætla at fara til
aftansöngs, fara upp á kór ok fyrirbjóða byskupinum ok öllum klerkum at syngja af þessum
manni, Þorláki, fyrr en þat er lögtekit af várum herra erkibyskupinum ok öllum byskupum
í provincia nidarosiensis ecclesiae, ok svá vil ek at þú gerir, því at þú ert í valdi jöfnu ok
ek.’” Guðrún Ása Grímsdóttir, ed., Biskupa sögur 3: Árna saga biskups. Lárentíus saga biskups.
Söguþáttur Jóns Halldórssonar biskups. Biskupa ættir, Íslenzk fornrit 17 (reykjavík: Hið íslen-
zka fornritafélag, 1998), 269–70. (“then friar Björn replied: ‘You Icelanders are strange
men, because you call so many ‘saints’, those who have grown up with you and of whom
they know nothing in other countries. therefore, this is great boldness of you Icelanders
that you venerate this man as a saint, whose memory the archiepiscopal see in nidaros does
not celebrate. tonight, when the clergymen want to go to vespers, I’d rather walk up to the
choir and interdict the Bishop and all clergymen to sing of this man, Þorlákr, before this is
ratified by our lord the archbishop and all bishops in the Church province of nidaros, and
this is what I want you to do [also], because you are under the same rule as me.”)
49 “ok þegar sem hann hafði þessu játat hvarf í burt af honum hans krankleiki svá hann stóð
upp alheill; predikaði um morgininn fagrliga fyrir fólkinu af Þorláki byskupi, segjandi
ljósliga ok rös<k>liga hversu honum hafði til borit. fekk hinn heilagi Þorlákr byskup enn
af þessum atburð frægð, lof ok dýrð sem verðugt er í öllum hlutum.” Ibid., 272–73. (“and
when he had confessed this, the sickness vanished from him, so that he stood up completely
healthy; in the morning, he preached beautifully to the people about Bishop Þorlákr, say-
ing clearly and bravely what had happened to him. the holy Bishop Þorlákr was granted
through this event fame, honour and glory as is worthy in every regard.”)
FORGOTTEN PREACHING