Studia Islandica - 01.06.1960, Qupperneq 53

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32. DI, IX, 762; cf. MM, II, 296.
33. Halldór Hermannsson, Icelandic Books of the Sixteenth
Century (Islandica, IX), Ithaca, 1916, pp. 2—4.
34. Safn, II, 120.
35. DI, XIII, 134—135. — Some writers say that Oddur was
drowned crossing Laxá in 1556, but Professor Magnús Már Lárus-
son has pointed out to me that he was not actually drowned and
that the accounts of his death indicate that he was an old man
who died from exposure (cf. ilíilí, II, 303—304).
36. Safn, Sec. Ser., I, 245—246. Bishop Gizur is usually said to
have been born sometime in the period 1512—1515. Páll Eggert
Ólason cites all the information and comes to the conclusion that
Gizur was born in 1512 or 1513 (MM, II, 274—276). Yet he admits
that Gizur was the oldest of his brothers and sisters. It is, however,
fairly well established that his fourth brother, Jón was born in 1514
(BsksJH, I, 10; MM, II, 276). Gizur could hardly, therefore, be born
later than 1511 and probably earlier. Rev. Jón Halldórsson says
(BsksJH, I, 65) that Gizur was between forty and fifty when he
died in 1548, i.e. born between 1498 and 1508. If born in 1512 he
would have been only twenty seven years old when elected bishop
in 1539 and only 36 years old when he died. Jón Helgason (Kristni-
saga fslands, II, 21—22) thinks that Gizur was born in 1509, but it
seems to me that his arguments indicate an earlier date.
37. Had Oddur been only six and Guðrún five years old when
Bishop Gottskálk died in 1520 one might have expected Bishop Jón
Arason to befriend them, but there is no record of this. There is,
however, record of the gift of a farm made by Bishop Jón to Gott-
skálk Jónsson, the six year old grandson of Bishop Gottskálk (DI,
IX, 509; cf. MM, IV, 27: “There is no doubt that Gottskálk had his
name to thank for this, because Bishop Jón was deeply indebted
to the father of his [the boy’s] mother, Bishop Gottskálk, for his
rapid rise and advancement.”)
38. It is said that he was willing to marry Guðrún after her dis-
grace but that she refused. Her brother, Oddur, is also said to
have counselled Gizur not to marry her because of the danger of
giving scandal (BsksJH, I, 44). Gizur married Katrín Hannesdóttir
in 1543 (DI, XI, 257). She was probably about twenty years old at
that time (MM, II, 17).
39. Safn, I, 689; Biskupa sögur, Copenhagen, 1858—1878, II, 250.
40. Sl, IV, 30.
41. DI, VI, 633.
42. Safn, Sec. Ser., I, 246.
43. Ibid. p. 244.