Studia Islandica - 01.06.1960, Blaðsíða 30

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has girzkir, but III 330 f. has girdsker, gyrdskir, gersker.
We can safely assume that the original manuscript had
the words ermskir eða girzkir.
The adjective girzkur can, of course, have the same
meaning as grískur (“Greek”), but it could just as well
refer to a man from Garðar or gei'zkur (“Russian”).
Many examples thereof can be found in dictionaries. It
is also in accordance with the context, which implies
that they had no knowledge of Latin. Theoretically, it
might also mean that it referred to one professing the
Greek religion.
Then, the Hungrvaka says that their doctrines evinced
laxity in many respects. This no doubt refers to their
doctrine of penance. A characteristic of the Eastern
Church is a more lenient attitude towards human weak-
nesses than that of its Roman counterpart.4
With Ermland on the Baltic Sea in mind, let us as-
sume that the three bishops, Petrus, Abraham, and Ste-
phanus, came to Iceland from an area which now be-
longs to the eastern part of Poland and the westem part
of Russia. Adalbert’s letter was apparently sent some
time between 1056 and 1072. Then, it should be remem-
bered that the great schism between the Greek Orthodox
and Roman Catholic Churches took place in 1054 with
the Pope of Rome excommunicating the Patriarch of
Constantinople and the Eastern Church. This caused
tension in areas where Greek Orthodox and Roman
Catholic people lived side by side.
A vague account given by Adam of Bremen seems to
indicate that Archbishop Adalbert was engaged in a
struggle with a Greek Orthodox bishop in Sweden be-
tween 1050 and 1060. Book III, Chapter 15, of Gesta has
the following passage in English translation: “When this
had come about, the highly Christian King Jakob of
Sweden passed away from this world and was succeeded
by his brother, Emund the Wicked. He was in fact the