Gripla - 2019, Page 242

GRIPLA242
best known of these was the learned humanist Arngrímur Jónsson (1568–1648),
a relative of Guðbrandur Þorláksson, who had already become his protegé in his
youth and remained an intimate and loyal participant in many of the bishop’s deal-
ings – both public and private – to the very end. After Guðbrandur Þorláksson’s
death Arngrímur Jónsson was asked to compose a eulogy to his old benefactor, a
task few, if anyone, was more fit to perform. Arngrímur showed reluctance, prob-
ably more than could be ascribed to traditional modesty in situations like this,
but finally he accepted and in 1630, the eulogy, ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΑ sive nominis ac famæ
immortalitas reverendi ac incomparabilis Viri Dn Gudbrandi Thorlacii appeared in
print in Hamburg. As Guðbrandur Þorláksson’s life is well recorded in many dif-
ferent contemporary documents, we are furnished with material which enables us
to compare the portrait of Guðbrandur Þorláksson drawn by Arngrímur Jónsson,
to that which may be gathered from other sources. A comparison will show the
problems Arngrímur had to face, if he was not to offend an international audi-
ence’s sense of decency or damage the ideal image of the bishop. The eulogy itself
demonstrates how the author solved these problems either by omitting unpleasant
matters or by evading in a rather ingenious way delicate facts without violating
too seriously his own trustworthiness in the eyes of the Icelanders who knew the
whole life story of the bishop. thus, while the Ἀϑανασία of arngrímur Jónsson
does not add much to our knowledge of the historical Guðbrandur Þorláksson, a
remarkable but not blameless character, it shows how its author wished to portray
a great man of the ecclesiastical order to whom he doubtlessly desired to pay due
respect for future generations.
Á g r I P
Lykilorð: Guðbrandur Þorláksson, Arngrímur Jónsson, lofræða
Árið 1627 lést guðbrandur Þorláksson (1542–1627) biskup á Hólum 85 ára að
aldri og hafði hann þá setið á biskupsstóli í 56 ár. Á langri embættistíð sinni
var Guðbrandur mikill atkvæðamaður á mörgum sviðum íslensks þjóðlífs. Hann
markaði djúp spor ekki aðeins í stjórn kirkjumála en einnig á almennt andlegt líf
íslendinga. Til að hrinda mörgum ætlunaverkum sínum í framkvæmd auðnaðist
honum að eignast góða samverkamenn sem í stað þessa nutu stuðnings biskups.
Einn kunnastur þeirra var hinn lærði húmanisti Arngrímur Jónsson (1568–1648)
frændi hans, sem hann hafði tekið undir verndarvæng sinn þegar á unga aldri.
Reyndist Arngrímur trúr og traustur vinur Guðbrands allt til æviloka. Að biskupi
látnum var Arngrímur því beðinn að semja lofræðu um hinn forna velgjörðarmann
sinn og voru fáir taldir betur fallnir til þess verks en hann. Arngrímur færðist
hins vegar undan meir en búast mátti við af því lítillæti sem mönnum var tamt að
sýna við slík tækifæri. Loks féllst hann þó á að semja lofræðu og árið 1630 birtist
á prenti í Hamborg ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΑ sive nominis ac famæ immortalitas reverendi ac