medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Congratulations, John, for finding the Ŝ and getting the accents right. However, in case list-members are wondering how the Alŝing had authority to declare anyone a saint (it didn´t), the sequence of events was as follows:
At the Alŝing of 1198 (late June-early July), Bishop Páll of Skálholt (ŝorlákr's nephew and successor) declared it legitimate to make vows to Ŝorlákr (just as people today are making vows to Mother Theresa or Pope John Paul, who are not yet saints. Contrary to what you might think, the idea did not originate with him, he was urged to do it by the clergy of the other Icelandic diocese, Hólar, where visions etc. had indicated the possibe sanctity of the recently deceased bishop.)
People enthusiastically made vows and reported miracles of various sorts, and on July 20 of the same year Bishop Páll translated the relics to the Cathedral - a late, but legitimate, local canonization mentioned as such by Vauchez (though there was never, as claimed in the English version of his book, an alternative spelling "Porlak" - someone didn´t understand the Ŝ.) I realize we could argue forever about when papal canonization became 'necessary', I´m not going to do that here, but as far as the Icelanders were concerned, Ŝorlákr became a saint on July 20; we are even told the number of candles that burned that year at his first feast (presumably meaning Dec. 23 1198).
At the national assembly of 1199, Ŝorlákr's feast was adopted as one that was to be celebrated
throughout the country. A list of such feasts (12th c. Holy Days of Obligation?) was included in the earliest (1122-33) extant version of the Icelandic law code (there are similar lists in Norwegian codes. Promulgation at an assembly makes it clear to everyone, priests and laity, what the obligations are - and in the Icelandic case, also WHEN they are.) The list had occasionally been modified (for example, by adoption of feasts of St. Agnes and St. Cecilia in 1179, probably at the instigation of Ŝorlákr himself.) One imagines the two bishops got together and discussed the matter with the chieftains and had the addition proclaimed. The national assembly was not a democratic organization.
Happy Ŝorláksmessa everyone,
Meg
4) Thorlac (d. 1193). T. (Thorlak; Ŝorlákur Ŝórhallsson) is Iceland's patron saint. Prior to his consecration as bishop of Skálholt in 1178 he had been abbot of the Augustinian canons at Thykkvibaer. He opposed simony and lay patronage, was celibate when many Icelandic clerics were not, and left an interesting Penitential discussed here:
http://tinyurl.com/29j56k
Numerous postmortem miracles were ascribed to T. In 1198 the Althing declared him a saint and his relics were enshrined in his cathedral. The shrine was destroyed during the Reformation. T. was canonized papally in 1984.
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