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Monastic Iceland PDF

260 Pages·2022·6.699 MB·English
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MONASTIC ICELAND This book provides an overview of medieval monasticism in Iceland, from its dawn to its downfall during the Reformation. Blending the evidence from material remains and written documents, Monastic Iceland highlights the realities of everyday life in the male and female monasteries operated in Iceland. The book describes the incorporation of monasticism into the Icelandic society, the alleged land of the Vikings, and thus how the monasteries coexisted with the natural and social environments on the island while keeping their general aims and objectives. The book shows that large social systems, such as monasticism, can cross social and natural borders without necessitating fundamental changes apart from those triggered by the constant coexistence of nature and culture inside the environment they exist within. The evidence provided debunks the myth that Icelandic monasteries, male or female, were isolated, silent places or simple cells functioning principally as retirement homes for aristocrats. To be a member of an ecclesiastical institution did not mean a quiet, secluded life without any outside interaction, but rather active participation in the surrounding community. The book is for researchers in archaeology, osteology, and medieval history, in addition to all those interested in monasticism and the medieval history of northern Europe. Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Iceland. Her main interests lie in the field of medieval monasticism, feminism, and gender archaeology. Steinunn has published two monographs in Icelandic. Both books were nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize. Steinunn was the head of Department of Philosophy, History and Archaeology, University of Iceland, from 2018 to 2022. MONASTIC ICELAND Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir Designed cover image: A cornerstone from the monastic building in Hítardalur (National Museum of Iceland_Mýra-006) First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir The right of Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-1-032-42071-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-42072-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-36107-7 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003361077 Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC CONTENTS List of Figures viii List of Tables ix Acknowledgements x Specific Notes xii 1 Introduction 1 The Background in Brief 2 Skriðuklaustur – Above and Beyond 5 The Agents of Monasticism 7 Present and Absent-Present 9 2 The Historiography of Medieval Monasticism in Iceland 15 Protestantism and Nationalism 15 Grand Narratives 19 New Social History and Feminism 23 Historical Archaeology 26 3 The Making of Icelandic Society 31 The Settlement of Iceland 31 The Expansion of Monasticism 33 The Chieftains and the Church 36 Periodical Struggle of Monasticism 40 Challenging Innovations of Christianity 42 Rights and Duties 46 vi Contents 4 The Christianization 53 Christian Settlers and Pilgrimage 53 Hermits and Anchorites in Iceland 56 Early Eremitic and Anchoritic Solitude in Iceland 58 Eremitic and Anchoritic Representatives After the Conversion 61 Becoming Christian 63 Papal Instructions and Statutes 67 Materiality of Medieval Christendom 69 5 The Monastic Landscape 77 A Finely Woven Network 77 Location on a Well-trodden Path 82 The Monastic Precincts 86 Places of Sanctuary and Absolution 90 Divine Manifestation 94 Boundaries 97 6 Visiting the Monastic Houses 103 The Benedictines at Munkaþverárklaustur 103 The Other Three Benedictine Houses in Iceland 108 The Augustinian Houses, Furniture, and Items 114 7 Disruptive Events 124 Catastrophic Fire in Hítardalur 1148 124 Monasteries on Fire 127 The Plague 133 Post-Plague Recovery 137 Scandals 142 Syphilis 144 Disobedience 146 A Case of Heresy? 150 8 The Monastic Communities 157 The Devotion of the Icelandic Monastic Houses 158 Textiles as Texts 162 The Livestock of the Monastic Houses 165 Household and Farm Work 170 Corrody Contracts 174 Obedientiaries, Novices, and Students 180 The Number of Residents, Lay and Religious 183 Contents vii 9 Iceland’s Five Hundred Years of Monasticism: The End 193 Reforming the World 194 Viðeyjarklaustur Attacked 196 Dissolution of Iceland’s Remaining Monastic Houses 197 The Execution of Bishop Jón Arason 199 Valuables Transported to Denmark 201 Idolatry and Heresy 202 The Valþjófsstaður Door 205 The Tudor Rose and the Pomegranate 209 Bibliography 214 Printed Primary Sources 214 Unpublished Theses and Reports 216 Secondary Sources 219 Index 240 FIGURES 1.1 The location and dates of activity of hermits, anchorites, male and female monasteries, and bishoprics in Iceland during the Middle Ages 3 1.2 The ground plan of Skriðuklaustur 6 4.1 A replica of the antependium from Grenjaðarstaður 66 5.1 A map of Iceland 1734, showing the four quarters of the country 78 5.2 The geophysical survey undertaken in Þykkvabæjarklaustur 88 6.1 A plan of the building of Munkaþverárklaustur, based on the inventory of 1525 104 6.2 The seal from Reynistaðarklaustur 111 6.3 A plan of the building of Helgafellsklaustur, based on the inventory of 1397 117 6.4 An illustration of the monastic building of Þykkvabæjarklaustur, based on the inventories of 1340 and 1523, and the results from the geophysical survey 119 7.1 The antependium from Skarð 140 8.1 From Kirkjubæjarbók 160 9.1 The Valþjófsstaður door 207 TABLES 8.1 Ecclesiastical textiles and garments recorded in the monastic houses 164 8.2 Number of cattle and sheep owned by the monastic houses 166 8.3 Number of wether, lamb, rams, and ewes owned by the monastic houses 166 8.4 Number of yearlings, calves, bulls, and cows owned by the monastic houses 167 8.5 The number of religious inhabitants in the monastic houses, excluding the laity 184 8.6 The approximate size of the monastic communities, including the laity 186 8.7 The approximate size of the monastic communities, based on the number of animals in their livestock 187 8.8 Number of horses owned by the monastic houses in different periods 188

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