Jonas Augmundson, who was consecrated on April 29, 1106, died on the 23d of the same month, 1121,1 and was inscribed in the calendar of the saints, eighty years after his death.2

These first bishops of Iceland have left many evidences of their apostolic zeal, but the most brilliant among them are the numerous houses which they erected for the diffusion of religious and profane science. Education was then, as ever, part and parcel of the Christian religion. The first school was established by the first bishop, Isleif of Skalholt, and was soon followed by many others.3

De Costa makes here some pertinent remarks. The ancient Norse skalds recited from well-trained memory. "But," he says, "with the advent of Christianity came the Roman alphabet, which proved an easy method of expressing thought. Christianity did not stop here. Its service was a reasonable service, and demanded of its votaries a high intelligence. The priest of Odin needed do no more than to recite a short vow or mutter a brief prayer. He had no divine records to read and to explain. But the minister of the new religion came with a system that demanded broader learning and culture than that implied in extemporaneous songs. His calling required the aid of books, and the very sight of such things proved a mental stimulus to this hardbrained race. Besides, Christianity opened to the minds of the people new fields of thought. These rude sons of war began to understand that there were certain victories, not to be despised, that might be gained through peace, and ere long letters came to be somewhat familiar

to the public mind. The earliest written efforts very naturally related to the lives of the Saints, which on Sundays and holydays were read in public for the edification of the people. During the eleventh century these exercises shared the public attention with those of the professional Saga-man, who still labored to hand down the oral versions of the national history and traditions. In the beginning of the twelfth century, the use of letters was extended and the country's history diligently gathered up by zealous students and scribes."

The mathematical sciences formed a conspicuous part of the Icelandic course of studies. In the ancient work called Rimbegla, many rules are given for the measurement of time, and wise directions in the study of astronomy, geometry, and other natural sciences. Although these are probably compiled and translated from foreign works, they correspond with what the Icelandic clergy taught their people after the introduction of Christianity. Here are given scientific rules for finding the course of the sun, moon, and stars, and the division of time thereon depending; information respecting the astronomical quadrant and its proper use; different methods for ascertaining the spherical figure of the earth, the longitude and latitude of places and their distances from one another, the earth's magnitude and circumference, the seasons in which the ocean could be navigated best, and so on.1

The schools were conducted by the clergy, and the best teachers, as well as the ripest scholars and several of the ancient writers of Iceland, were to be found in its religious communities. Among these were quite conspicuous, as early as the twelfth century, Gunloeg or Gunlaug and Oddo, monks, and Karl Jónson, abbot

1 Beamish, Discovery, p. 131.

of the Benedictine monastery of Thingeyren or Thingeyar in the North, founded between the years 1120 and 1133.1

A second monastery of Benedictines was established in the year 1155 by Björn Gilson, bishop of Holar, at Thvera, afterwards called Munkathvera, on the Eyjafirth.2

3

Moosmüller claims, besides that of Mödruvalle, four other Benedictine monasteries in Iceland; but we may, more correctly, with Maurer,* assign them to the Order of St. Augustin. They were those of

Thykkvibaer or Veri, in the district Alptaver, founded in the year 1168;

Flatey, commenced in A.D. 1172, but transferred from that island to the place Helgafell, twelve years later;

Vidhey Island, built by Thorvaldr Gizurrarson, to comply with the last will of Kolskeggr Audhi Eirikson, who died in the year 1223;

Saurboer, on the Eyjafirth, an abbot of which is mentioned in the beginning of the thirteenth century; and finally of

Mödruvalle or Mödrruvellir, also on the Eyjafirth, erected in A.D. 1295 or 1296 by Joerund Thorsteinson, bishop of Holar.

As late as the end of the fifteenth century, or even the beginning of the sixteenth, one more religious institution was commenced in Iceland, at a place called Skridha, in the eastern district, to perish in its cradle at the hands of the Reformers."

We will notice farther on that a lady of Greenland, Gudrida, mother of the first Scandinavian born on the American continent and widow of Thorfinn Karlsefne,

1 Moosmüller, S. 13, 165; Maurer, S. 256, 259.

'Maurer, S. 257.

3 S. 165, 167.

S. 257.

5

Maurer, S. 257, 258.

embraced a religious life in Iceland in the beginning of the eleventh century. Maurer explains this fact by saying that Gudrida retired, not into a regular convent of nuns, but to the society of some devout women that avoided all worldly pleasures and lived piously in dwellings clustered around the cathedral or some other church. Moosmüller,2 on the contrary, states that she entered a regular convent of nuns built at Glaumboe in the year 1015.

Both authors agree with the ancient documents in relating that Iceland had two regular convents for Benedictine Sisters, one founded in the year 1186 at Kirkjubui, in the territory of Sida, and the other in 1295 by Joerund, bishop of Holar, at Stadh,3 on the headland Reinisness.

Such is the complete list of all the religious institutions which had any durable existence in Iceland.* A respectable ancient authority speaks of a convent in the Hitar valley, but also testifies to its early close; while the project of Magnus Einarson, bishop of Skalholt, to erect a religious house on the Westmannaeyar, and that of Jón Loptson, of Oddi, who died in the year 1197, to build one at Keldur, never succeeded in being realized.

These religious institutions scattered over the northern island were so many centres of charity and schools of piety and learning; and we should not wonder that several of the monks were called to grace the episcopal sees of Skalholt and Holar, so illustrious through the self-sacrifice, the scholarship, and the holiness of many of their incumbents.

1 S. 256.

2 S. 165.

3 Cf. saga of Thorfinn Karlsefne, ap. Rafn, Antiq. Amer., p. 167.

4 Maurer, S. 258; cf. Langebek, t. iii. pp. 58, 139.

It is highly interesting to read the fairly well-known history of these prelates and of the national events in which they always took a prominent and patriotic part; but, to remain within the necessary limits of our plan, we must content ourselves with giving a succinct catalogue of the successors of the first bishops whom we have already mentioned.

Gizurr, bishop of Skalholt, was followed by:

Thorlak Runolfson, who was consecrated April 28, 1118, and died January 31, 1133.

Magnus Einarson, consecrated October 28, A.D. —; died September 30, 1148.

Hall. Teitson, elected A.D. 1149; died before he could be consecrated, in 1150.

Klaeng Thorsteinson, Claingus or Elongius, consecrated April 6, 1152; died February 28, 1176.

St. Thorlak Thorhalson, who had finished his theological studies in Paris, was chosen abbot of one of the Augustinian monasteries, and then coadjutor of Bishop Klaeng, to whom he succeeded, being consecrated July 2, 1178. He died December 23, 1193.1

Paul Jonasson, consecrated April 23, 1195; died November 29, 1211.

Teitus Besson, who was never consecrated, died in A.D. 1215.

Magnus II. Gissurson, consecrated in the year 1216; died August 14, 1236.

Sigurd or Sigvard Thetmarson, consecrated A.D. 1238 or 1239; died in the year

1268.

Arner or Arnas Thorlakson, consecrated May 30, 1269; died April 21, 1298.

Arner II. Helgonson, consecrated October 25, 1303 or 1304; died January 21, 1320.

1 Messenius, t. ix. lib. ii. cap. xvii., ap. Moosmüller, S. 166, gives the wrong dates, 1171 and 1186.