Gudmundus Holensis - Guðmundur góði Arason
- Born 1161
- Appointed Bishop 1201
- Ordained Bishop 1203
- Suspended 1230 or 1237
- Died 1237
Because of the sagas we know a lot about Guðmundur. Prestssaga Guðmundar byskups, composed shortly after his death, while it appears to be incomplete, is preserved in Sturlunga saga and the slightly later four versions of Gudmundur Sögur. Therefore this section is a bit thicker than I'd expect it to be. I found it hard to whittle it down to something manageable, as I found it pretty interesting.
If you want to know more, you can check out The life of Gudmund the Good, as it is freely available. You can also do a deep dive into the manuscripts;
- MS AM 399 4to is Gudmundur Saga A, from around 1320 to 30.
- MS AM 657c 4to is Gudmundur Saga B, where the main manuscript is from around 1350, but the saga itself was likely written around 1320 to 30.
This summary is based on “The Life of Gudmund the Good”, a translation which itself is based mainly on manuscript AM 399 4to, and the last two chapters of manuscript AM 657c 4to with some additions or variations from Sturlunga Saga.
Early Life
Guðmundur Arason was born out of wedlock in 1161 at Grjótá farm in Hörgárdalur, now in Hörgársveit municipality near the sea, north in Iceland. Úlfhildur Gunnarsdottír, Guðmundur’s mom, had been married off against her will, and instead eloped and settled with Ara Þorgeirsson in Grjótá. The farm was owned by Úlfhildur’s cousin, Steinunn Þorsteinsdottír. According to the saga the two women shared a strong bond of kinship and affection. Guðmundur was born there three nights after Michaelmas, which should put it to October 2nd, 1161. He had a younger sister Gudrun, and two brothers, who would, however, pass away very young. Although Guðmundur was illegitimate, there were close ties to his father's family, and Guðmundur's grandfather Þorgeir Hallason offered to foster him at their farm Hvassafell in Eyjafjörður, which seems to have been accepted, as Úlfhildur and Guðmundur moved in around the same time.
Ara, Guðmundur’s father, however, left for Norway in 1161. His brother Þorvard had encouraged Ara to join jarl Erling Skakke Ormsson. Þorvard himself had served under king Inge Krokrygg 1. Haraldsson, who the jarl had been close allies with during the civil war period of Norway. After the king’s death Þorvard had returned to settle down in Iceland. In Norway, Ara joined jarl Erling Skakke in his conflict with the 15 year old king Håkon Herdebrei 2. Sigurðursson. By the time of king Håkon's death during the Sekken battle, July 17th 1162, Ara had become a part of the jarl's inner circle.
When Ara returned in the summer of 1163, Guðmundur was two years old, and Þorvard — Guðmundur's uncle, Ara's brother — composed poems about Ara's time in Norway. Two winters later Ara prepared to return to Norway.
Ingimund, Ara’s brother, Guðmundur’s other uncle and future guardian, decided to go with Ara to Norway. The two only intended to stay for a single season, but when the brothers prepare to return to Iceland the rumour of jarl Sigurður Agnhatt and king Olav Ugjæva assembling their forces made Ara stay behind in Norway.
In February 1167 the jarl and his men were resting in Rydjökul, the jarl and his closest, including Ara, went to the chapel during Matins, the night time prayers, to pray. As was customary in churches and chapels, they left their weapons behind. During the prayers there was a surprise attack on the camp, and the group was unable to make their way back to the camp. Instead they escaped into the forest, where Ara was killed while defending the jarl, while the jarl was being helped over a tall fence that blocked the group.
The news of Ara's death reached Úlfhildur and Guðmundur, now seven years old, the same year. Since Guðmundur was born out of wedlock, his father's family decided it would be best to prepare him for a higher education. Ingimund was a priest and took guardianship over Guðmundur, and became his teacher. According to the saga, Guðmundur was stubborn, and often wanted things his way no matter who he was dealing with, and Ingimund, a strict man, would beat him.
Guðmundur's next few years were tumultuous. When Guðmundur was eight, his grandfather Þorgeir Hallason left to enter the st. Benedictine monastery Munkaþverá in Eyjafjörður, not far from Hvassafell. He gave his sons, Þorvard and Ingimund, the farm. The same year Ingimund and Guðmundur left to stay with a friend of Ingimund’s at Háls in Þingeyjarsveit for a year. Þorvard, the other uncle, moved to Háls the same year.
The next year Ingimund returned to Hvassafell with Guðmundur and his friend to run the farm, but only a year later, when Guðmundur was ten years old, he and Ingimund moved to Vaglir, near Háls, to be closer to Þorvard. In 1171 Þorgeir Hallason, Guðmundur’s grandfather, passed away at the monastery Munkaþverá. Shortly after, Ingimund married Sigrid Tumisdottír, and the three of them moved to Möðruvellir in Hörgárdalur. The marriage was not happy, however, and in an attempt to save the marriage, Sigrid and Ingimund moved to her father’s farm, and Guðmundur moved in with his other uncle, Þorvard, in Háls. This was where, when Guðmundur was 12, he received his tonsure, the required shaved head of the clergy, and became an acolyte.
In 1174 Ingimud left Sigrid Tumisdottír, and took Guðmundur with him to resettle elsewhere. During this time Guðmundur continued his education, becoming sub-deacon, then deacon, within a few years. He moved in with Olaf Þorsteinsson in Saurbœ, Eyjafjörður, in 1178 to work as a deacon, and around this time, the future saint, Þorlák was consecrated as the bishop of Skálholt and returned to Iceland.
When Guðmundur was 19, in 1181, Ingimund traded his farm into wadmal, a fabric often used as a currency or trade goods, and Guðmundur left Saurbœ to join him. The two had decided to journey out to sea, and at Michaelmas Eve, September 28, 1181 the two set sail from Gásir in Hörgársveit.
However, the ship went adrift in heavy seas, and in in the rough waves most of the cargo was washed off the ship. Guðmundur was caught by the the sail when the ship tilted and had his foot crushed underneath it. He was pulled partway off the ship, and ended up hanging off the edge until the storm passed. When the seas finally calmed, the men surveyed the damage and found Guðmundur. They quickly made their way to the closest safe port in Tharalatrsfjörd. The ship was too damaged to dock, and after a night anchored outside the port, they cut the sails and let the ship beach so they could get off.
Luckily there was a renowned physician who lived nearby, and Guðmundur was taken there to have his foot set. During this, Ingimud attempted to salvage his personal books, which had washed ashore. While Guðmundur recovers, Ingimund left to have his books dried. Some time later, Guðmundur's foot has set, and though there is a bone sticking out which hinders healing, it had healed well enough to allow him to walk. To have this fixed, Guðmundur walked to Reykhólar, where another physician had been recommended to him. Ingimund rejoined him during this walk, and in Reykhólar Guðmundur's foot is fixed, and the bone removed.
He is said to have recovered pretty well, although pains and aches seemingly followed him.
In 1178 Guðmundur is 17, and moves to Saurbæ, also in Eyjafjörður. He likely works there as a deacon for a few years.
20s and 30s
In his 20s Guðmundur would mostly travel with, and without, Ingimund, attending assemblies and other events. Though, the saga mentions that Guðmundur was more interested in talking with the bishop’s clerks and other attendees, he did watch bishop Þorlákur Þórhallsson consecrate a newly built church at Kálfanes in Steingrímsfjörður, and perform a service. That was the first time bishop st. Þorlákur had visited the western fjords, many people had shown up for the occasion, and Ingimund had insisted Guðmundur watch the service and learn.
In the following years Guðmundur would end up befriending Þorgeir, the son of bishop Brandur Sæmundarson. The two ended up living together for a year or so. He also seems to have gotten to know the bishop pretty well at this time, and in 1185 bishop Brandur ordained Guðmundur as a priest. After this, Ingimund left his vestments and his books to Guðmundur, and then left Iceland with Þorgeir.
When Þorgeir was on his return journey to Iceland, he fell ill, and when they reached Iceland he quickly passed away. This happened to suddenly, that neither Guðmundur, or bishop Brandur, Þorgeir's father, only found out when Þorgeir's body was returned to the bishop.
According to the saga, Guðmundur said that no loss had ever been greater to him, and he seemed to be a changed man afterwards. Guðmundur devoted himself to the church, and became a disciplined and zealous man devoted to charity. He also is said to have become obsessed with confession. He confessed as often has he could, and if there was no priest available to take his confession he would write down his sins in secret and give them to bishop Brandur when he had the chance. We also often see in this saga that Guðmundur wants to hear confession from his friends, usually before voyages or battles.
For the next few years, Guðmundur wandered and offered his services. He became increasingly popular and followers started gathering around him. In 1190 he settled down at a farm in Vellir, Svarfaðardal, with his followers. There he helped manage the affairs of a widowed relative, and acted as the parish priest. Here Guðmundur stayed, and work, for seven years. Unbeknownst to him, and unclear when or if Guðmundur would learn of it, Ingimund drifted off course at sea in 1189. The wreckage and bodies were many years later discovered in Greenland.
During these seven years, 1190 to 1197, Guðmundur seems to focus on his work, and at some point adopts, or takes into his care, three children. Jódís, Gestur and Vermundur. In the background, we see the staðamal end with bishop Þorlákur's death in 1193. At least, what is considered to be the first phase of it. This was a conflict between the catholic church and powerful landowners, mirroring similar conflicts in the wake of the Gregorian reforms.
To put it simply, this conflict centred around private ownership of churches, landowners' ability to claim tithes from these, and the ability appoint their own clergy. The church wanted a clear separation between secular and ecclesiastic power and law. For the church there was a large focus on simony, being able to pay your way to a position, and secular powers appointing allies to powerful positions within the church. The issue is complex enough that simplifying it too much isn't helpful.
In the winter of 1194 Guðmundur, his foster kids and a group of others, set out to visit Hólar. Likely, Guðmundur travelled with his group from Vellir, and this path took them over the mountain. A blizzard caught the group, and they became lost and blinded. A few people made it past, and were able to get help and return after the blizzard. Guðmundur had dug himself down with his foster kids, and during the blizzard Gestur and Vemundur passed away. Jódís survived, wrapped in Guðmundur's cloak, and they were brought with the other survivors to a nearby farm.
The group stayed there while bodies were recovered, and the saga describes a prophetic dream Jódís had about the two boys, but she is unfortunately not mentioned again.
In these years, bishop Brandur was described as a close friend, and had asked Guðmundur to accept the living of Vellir, which is the responsibility over a parish, but Guðmundur declined, saying the toil and worry of bearing the responsibility of this benefice would be too much on account of his poverty. Although this would have been a paid position, through the benefice, it would have put him in charge of the management and finances of it, and he appeared very reluctant to do so.
During his 30s Guðmundur's popularity keeps increasing. He travelled frequently, attending assemblies and funerals, and young men seeking to become priests became his followers. He seems to mainly act as a travelling priest, at this point.
In 1198 Guðmundur, now 37, is invited to take part in the exhumation of Þorlákur in Skálholt, south in Iceland, with bishop Brandur, and bishop Páll of Skálholt. This is a part of Þorlákur's sanctification, and Guðmundur is included in the rites, joining the two bishops in wiping the casket. Travelling with Guðmundur is his mother, Úlfhildur, and the two befriend Kolbeinn and stay with him during the visit.
The saga here, I'm unsure if it is the translation, or the saga itself, claims this is Kolbeinn Arnórsson, also known as Kolbeinn Ungi, but he had not been born in 1198. It is likely this is Kolbeinn Tumason. Kolbeinn was a goðorðsmaður and a chieftain from the Ásbirningar family. He lead assemblies and held significant political power in the northern districts of Iceland. After this journey, Guðmundur and Úlfhildur moved to Kolbeinn's farm in Viðimýr, where Guðmundur became the housepriest. At least, he worked there in the winters, and continued his travels the rest of the year.
A year later, while Guðmundur was away from Viðimýr, Úlfhildur passed away. Hólar was relatively close to Viðimýr, and Úlfhildur was buried there. The funeral was overseen by bishop Brandur. At this point, it is described that Guðmundur's following had grown to a size that necessitated they had their own farm near Viðimýr. At this point we also get a short anecdote about Guðmundur and his foot. He had a woman employed to rub his damaged foot, and that this woman had problems with her hand, with a lack of mobility and aches in her fingers. Guðmundur, thinking her rubbing was too soft, kicked her hand and pressed down on it with his heel.
The saga contains a lot of references to miracles, as part of the attempt to sanctify Guðmundur, and we see later versions of the saga grow more and more fantastical - including witches, and spirits - this one, however, states that this stomp healed the woman's hand. It seems to me a strange thing to include, and paints him pretty negatively to me. Though, this kind of petty cruelty falls quite in line with my impression of him later on.
40's
Bishop Brandur Sæmundarson died in 1201, when Guðmundur was 40. Kolbeinn Tumason assembled the other leaders in the northern districts to Vellir. There they discussed candidates to succeed Brandur, and Guðmundur was brought up, and after some discussion Kolbeinn elects Guðmundur as the next bishop of Hólar. Guðmundur had close ties with Kolbeinn, his cousin was the wife of Kolbeinn, and - of course - Guðmundur was Kolbeinn's house priest.
This all happened while Guðmundur was travelling, and when Guðmundur heard of Brandur's passing, he grieved deeply. When, however, he heard Kolbeinn had gathered men to elect the next bishop, combined with the rumours that Guðmundur was a likely candidate, he was struck which such anxiety that he barely ate, and barely slept.
A few days later, a messenger came to Guðmundur to declare he had been elected. Guðmundur, as instructed, made his way back to Viðimýr. He'd ask friends and other priests for advice, and sought a way to decline the position.
At Viðimýr Þorvard, Guðmundur's uncle, had arrived to discuss the election with Guðmundur. He convinced Guðmundur to accept the position, although Guðmundur was very reluctant to do so. In the sage they have some interesting dialogue here. Guðmundur is said to have expressed bitterness towards Þorvard and the rest of his father's family, from having been left out of the inheritance, and that in his youth he had been beaten more than he had been guided.
When Þorvard claimed he'd had a prophetic dream, Guðmundur had relented and accepted the position.
Guðmundur then made his way to Hólar to settle in at the bishop's palace, a farm near the cathedral. Kolbeinn and his household also took up residence in the palace. Guðmundur accepted the title of bishop, and Kolbeinn took control of the finances over the palace. Sigurður Ormsson, a friend of Guðmundur was summoned by Kolbeinn to manage the church and the see's finances alongside Guðmundur. Guðmundur wrote letters that show, and the saga mentions, that he was afraid he'd be out of his depth, and that he needed Sigurður's help to manage the finances. Sigurður accepted this against compensation for giving up his own farm.
We have an exchange of letters between bishop Páll of Skálholt and Guðmundur at this point, where Guðmundur asks whether or not this arrangement was permissible, and also mentions that people were apprehensive about Guðmundur managing it on his own.
When Guðmundur was 41 time came for his consecration, and he set out for Nidaros Cathedral in Norway. They made it to the Hebrides after some rough sailing, and went ashore to rest, beaching the ship there there. The landing was on a small island called Sanday. Guðmundur goes to the church there to attend, or hold a service, and the saga mentions that king Olaf was present at the church, and that king Olaf quickly ended up inviting Guðmundur to dine with him. This king Olaf is likely Óláfr Guðrøðarson, also known as Olaf the Black, or Amhlaibh Dubh.
However, according to Hrafns saga Sveinbjarnarsonar, officials from king Óláfr Guðrøðarson had attempted to collect tax from the group once they'd beached the ship in the tidal landing, not uncommon for merchant ships at the time. King Óláfr then showed up at the church and invited the bishop-elect to dine with him, but when Guðmundur refused, the king forbade them from leaving the island.
Apparently this escalated to the point where Guðmundur’s travelling companions took up arms, but before any violence could occur Guðmundur acquiesced to the king and joined him for dinner, after which they were allowed to leave. It's also noteworthy that king Óláfr Guðrøðarson is described in both texts as a king, but at the time, in 1203, he was likely not in control of the small islands, nor yet the king of the Hebrides.
They sailed onwards to Norway and landed in Eidi/Eiði (Possibly Eide south of Trondheim). After they had arrived they received the news of king Sverre Sigurðursson's death, they spent a single night there before sailing north to Trondheim and then brought their ship to Nidaros. Although the saga quips that many stories were told of Guðmundur's stay, I've not found any mention of any stories from his time in Norway. The next summer, in 1203 or 1204, at 42, Guðmundur returned to Iceland, and took his position as the suffragan bishop of Hólar.
Bishop
The spring after his return, Guðmundur sent Sigurður Ormsson to the st Benedictine monastery at Munkaþverá. The monastery his grandfather Þorvard had spent the rest of his life in. This monastery had been suffering after the death of abbot Einar Másson in 1196, as bishop Brandur Sæmundarson had neglected to appoint a new abbot.
Bishop Brandur, and bishop Páll — the son of an excommunicated chieftain — were both on the side of the chieftains during the staðamal, and Munkaþverá was on the side of the archbishop's reforms. When Munkaþverá was near collapse from their lack of management, bishop Brandur founded a new monastery friendly to the chieftains instead.
When Guðmundur became bishop, he quickly appointed a new abbot to Munkaþverá, and appointed Sigurður Ormsson to rebuild and restore the financial management of the monastery. Guðmundur, despite being close with Kolbeinn, was a big fan of Thomas Becket and Þorlákur and set out to enact the reforms set forth by the archbishop in Nidaros. After Sigurður had worked at Munkaþverá for a short time, he was put in charge of the monastery's care and relocated there. The relationship with Kolbeinn Tumason deteriorated, and it soured severely when a priest that had been charged with unpaid debts sought refuge with Guðmundur.
While Kolbeinn Tumason argued the case in the assembly to outlaw the priest, Guðmundur had appeared in full garb, and made the proclamation that the jurisdiction over the clergy belonged to the church, and none at the assembly would be allowed to sentence the priest. When, nonetheless, the priest was sentenced and outlawed, Guðmundur placed all present under interdict, barring them from the church and its services.
At some point Kolbeinn and his household must have returned to Viðimýr, and I would hazard a guess that it was around the same time Sigurður Ormsson went to Munkaþverá, and in 1205 Kolbeinn and his men appeared before Hólar cathedral, and demanded the delivery of several outlawed men. Guðmundur had been so infuriated by this that he had Kolbeinn excommunicated on the spot. To avoid an escalation, Kolbeinn and his men left Hólar.
Kolbeinn and Guðmundur's mutual friends attempted to reconcile the two, and after some time Kolbeinn accepted a fine and penance to himself and some of his men in exchange for the excommunication being lifted. Farmers in the region pledged to pay half of Kolbeinn's fine, but when Kolbeinn had paid his half, Guðmundur refused to accept the money from the farmers, and demanded Kolbeinn pay the full amount alone. Eventually, Guðmundur once more excommunicated Kolbeinn over this unpaid half, and contact with an excommunicated man.
After Easter in 1207, Kolbeinn returned to Hólar with his men, and demanded delivery of several outlawed men, which ended much the same as the previous attempt. This time, once again, Guðmundur excommunicated Kolbeinn.
At the general assembly the same year of 1207, Guðmundur and Kolbeinn again reached an agreement. The decision was left to the archbishop in Nidaros, and Guðmundur withdrew his interdictions. However, Guðmundur continued to interdict, fine and prosecute people, and seemingly those who'd supported Kolbeinn in particular. The translation describes: "The farmers were extremely discontented and held the opinion that the bishop would leave nobody in peace."
In 1208, one of the bishop's clerks was accused of raping a woman. Although the bishop did offer to pay twice the usual compensation, he refused to deliver the man to be judged. Kolbeinn did not accept this and said that any deal with the bishop was worthless as he never kept his word. The property of this now outlawed clerk was seized by Kolbeinn and Guðmundur’s old friend Sigurður Ormsson in a court of execution shortly thereafter. Guðmundur, in response, excommunicated Kolbeinn yet again.
When Kolbeinn and a large force gathered from all the districts came to Hólar in demand of the delivery of this clerk and some other men, Guðmundur followed the advice of his friends and escaped from Hólar.
After spending the spring of 1208 north in his diocese, Guðmundur started making his way back towards Hólar. His followers had grown as he travelled, and at some point some of his followers had robbed a small group of foreigners excommunicated by Guðmundur. Although Guðmundur returned most of this wealth when he'd found out, it did not improve his reputation. When then Guðmundur reclaimed the church goods in Möðruvellir, which included the shrine and the relics, because the owners of the church, which included his old estranged friend Sigurður, was excommunicated. This was seen by Arnór Tumason, Kolbeinn’s brother, and it was believed by Sigurður Ormsson and Kolbeinn Tumason that Guðmundur and his followers had started to loot and rob.
Guðmundur returned to Hólar a day or so after this. Sigurður Ormsson, Kolbeinn Tumason, Arnór Tumason and Hall Kleppjárnsson had then amassed an army of 300 and marched on Hólar. At this point the instability and conflict in the region had been seen as Guðmundur's fault, and with the loss of support from farmers, and with Guðmundur's followers poor reputation — a mix of genuine believers and people who benefited greatly from protection from the law — tensions had grown much too high.
The two groups negotiated in Hólar, but an agreement could not be reached. It was proposed from Guðmundur's side that he and his men could leave and not return to Hólar, but this was denied. If I were to guess, I'd say mutual trust was low, and that leaving without detaining the outlawed people was seen as just postponing the issue. Either way, Guðmundur and his followers, three abbots, two monks, 40 priests and an uncounted number of others, attempted to flee during the night. When they had been spotted, they were chased and cut off by Kolbeinn at Viðines.
The two exchanged words directly, and while Guðmundur attempted to stop any violence one of his men, taunted, killed one of Kolbeinn's men and a battle ensued. Kolbeinn was struck in the head and collapsed, mortally wounded. He called out for a priest, and Guðmundur either tended to Kolbeinn himself, or granted him a priest. Kolbeinn gave an oath of peace, and was given "extreme unction."
Kolbeinn died shortly after, and the battle dispersed. Sigurður and Arnór escaped with most of their men, chased by some of Guðmundur's followers. Hall Kleppjárnsson stayed behind and made peace with Guðmundur.
The following winter Guðmundur had imposed a fine on anyone that had attacked him, and the bishop's men, weary of their safety after the battle, had gone in armed groups to collect these fines. There were reports of robbery and assault committed against the people they believed had been involved in the attack on Guðmundur, and a farm was burned down. They plundered Sigurður and Arnor's farms, and committed two murders. When the farmers complained to the bishop about the situation he placed the farmers themselves under interdiction, believing they had been trying to get out of paying their fines.
People who fled from the unrest came south and sought the help of Sighvatur Sturluson, who was a powerful chief in the south. In 1209 Sighvatur Sturluson gathered a new army with Þorvaldur Gissurarson, Arnór Tumason, Jon Sigmundson, Snorri Sturluson (Yes, the saga writer.), Magnus Gudmundson and Þorvaldur of Vatnsfjörður. Together they gathered 700 men and marched on Hólar.
Guðmundur had few men left, and even fewer of the local farmers wanted to help him. When the army came to Hólar after the latter feast of the virgin Mary (Possibly December), he was captured, and the outlawed men were promptly executed and buried outside the churchyard. Many of his followers were prosecuted, fined or exiled, and Guðmundur was banished from his diocese. Guðmundur had then placed the Hólar cathedral under interdict and had it locked up due to the blood spilled within the church.
Snorri Sturluson invited Guðmundur to live with him in Reykholt outside of Hólar diocese, and Guðmundur accepted. He lived with Snorri and his family for about a year before he decided to return to his diocese, or failing that - sail past it to the eastern fjords. When he heard Arnór's men had garrisoned the harbours to prevent Guðmundur's return, he instead came to the western fjords and acted as a travelling bishop around 1210.
As he travelled in the west he received word that Hólar had resumed service. At first services had been performed outside of the church in a tent, but as daily life returned the cathedral had been reopened and holy mass had been performed. Guðmundur had the priests performing these service placed under interdict, but the services continued undeterred.
50's
In 1211, when Guðmundur was 50, there was a peace meeting between Arnór Tumason and Guðmundur. The saga writes that the conditions were honorable, and that "Arnór did not wish for Guðmundur to have control of anything except the church and services if he went back to his bishopric." Which Guðmundur refused. It then continues to say that a letter from archbishop Þórir Vikverski, aka Tore Gudmundson, was received which summoned Guðmundur and his opponents to Norway.
This letter is described and transcribed from three sources in Diplomatarium Islandicum volume 1, Letter 96. I can, however, barely read Icelandic, let alone Norse, so I've not been able to gain much insight. The translation notes of the saga mentions that although this letter did indeed exist, the archbishop did not have the authority to summon Icelandic chiefs to meet him, nor does it seem that the subsequent travels to Norway were in response to this letter. Since I'm not able to properly read the longer discussion in Diplomatarium Islandicum, and the age of both of these sources, I don't want to state that with any sort of certainty.
Guðmundur travelled to Norway in either 1214 or 1213. Arnór Tumason had left the year before after a failed attempt, due to weather, to set sail together, where Guðmundur was at one point carried off the ship according to the translation notes. After arriving, Guðmundur spent the winter in Vik with bishop Níkulás Árnason — who, incidentally, was the half brother of king Inge Krokrygg 1. Haraldsson, who Guðmundur's uncle Þorvard had served under in his youth
When summer came Guðmundur made his way to Nidaros and spent the next four years there. The saga skips forward here, and we do not know what Guðmundur did in Norway, at least I've not found anything.
After his return to Iceland and Hólar in 1218, Guðmundur founded a short lived school. His followers quickly gathered around the church once more, and very suddenly, the same year, Arnór arrived with his troops and stormed Hólar. Guðmundur was captured, and Arnór took control over the bishop's palace. Arnór intended to take Guðmundur with him to Norway by force, and Guðmundur was then kept prisoner over the winter at Arnór’s farm. In the summer Arnór took Guðmundur with him to a harbour in the south-west of Iceland to wait for ship and weather to sail back to Norway.
While Guðmundur was imprisoned in a harbour booth, a follower made his way to the his cell and broke him out, while he himself took Guðmundur's place to make the cell appear occupied until morning. When Arnór discovered this, he abandoned his plans to return to Norway with Guðmundur.
While on the run with his followers, Guðmundur spent time travelling his diocese where they thought it was safe from Arnór, but not many in his bishopric wanted to receive him as a guest, or a priest. Priests denied his offers to perform service in their churches, and farmers declined his wishes to stay as a guest. Some large farms had armed groups stop the bishop from entering their land, and Guðmundur appears bitter, declaring some of these farmers as unclean or malicious.
His followers were at this time numbered in the hundreds and was frequently described as unruly. The group travelled around the north and west districts for about a year, and disgruntled farmers reached out to Sighvatur Sturluson and Arnór Tumason, who collected their men and set out to confront Guðmundur who had arrived in Helgastaðir to consecrate a church.
After Helgastaðir Guðmundur had planned to consecrate another newly built church in Muli, but the owner said he would oppose the bishop and his followers if they tried. This, and news of Arnór and Sighvatur made Guðmundur hunker down in the church. The church was quickly besieged and Guðmundur and his followers surrendered. The bishop then left with one of Sighvatur or Arnór's men.
Guðmundur was not detained, the goal may have instead been to disperse the large number of followers, and went to continue travel in the safe districts of his diocese, but when he was told that the people of Eyjafjörður was planning to rise against him upon his arrival he turned back.
60's
In 1221 Guðmundur returned to Hólar and his followers started gathering around him once again, much the complaints of the public. Provisions and resources in the bishop's palace were quickly used up and the behaviour of his followers made Guðmundur unpopular in the area.
A message from the farmers sent to Guðmundur proclaimed that they would not have him squander the properties of the episcopate, and that if Guðmundur did not clear out his followers himself, they would do it by force. Guðmundur, having grown up in the area, considered this threat genuine. When in addition Tumi Sighvatsson, the son of Sighvatur, came to the area to gather support, seeking to establish himself, Guðmundur decided to flee.
Guðmundur gathered ships, and they left Hólar and came to Malmey, a small island north of Hólar, where he and his followers settled. At this time Guðmundur's armed followers organized themselves.
In the absence of the bishop, the palace — the bishop's farm — was taken by Sighvatur, and Tumi Sighvatsson establishes himself at the palace as his own. Hólar was then garrisoned.
A few weeks later, during Candlemas (February 2nd), the guards had been given the night off due to a heavy storm, and 35 of Guðmundur's men made their way to Hólar in the dark. At dawn they stormed the bishop's palace and captured Tumi. After Tumi was brought out of the house he was killed. In the attack, Guðmundur's followers also cut the legs off two captured guards as punishment.
When the group returned to Malmey, Guðmundur said he was displeased with the murder, but claimed it must have been what God intended. Which sounds - to be frank - like a pretty bad excuse.
The news of Tumi Sighvatsson's murder spread and drew the ire of the Sturlungar family, a profoundly powerful family in the west and north-east.
When winter passed, the Bishop, now 61, and his followers left Malmey and sailed north to Grimsey. Grimsey is a small island further out to sea, and at the time had a thriving fishing industry. Guðmundur had hoped to have enough food on this island to recuperate and regroup.
Not long after the bishop had settled on the island word came out about his whereabouts, and a sizeable army by Sighvatur, Sturla Sighvatsson and Thorarin Jonson amassed to capture the bishop.
35 ships were launched on Grimsey, and in the preparations Guðmundur begged his closest to give confession before they went to fight. Guðmundur's followers were ill equipped, and the equipment they did have had been divided among them. In the brutal battle that followed Guðmundur was captured, and many of his followers killed.
For those interested, one of Guðmundur's followers, a de facto leader of the armed followers, was Aron Hjörleifsson. He was severely injured in this battle, but was said to have gone on to join a crusade, all complete with his own saga: Aron saga Hjörleiffsonar.
Once captured Guðmundur was sent to Norway to face the archbishop Guttorm (or Guðþorm / Guþorm) in Nidaros. Guðmundur stayed in Norway for four years, and I've not found much information about it. I will add that by 1225 we have mention of the future archbishop Sigurd - the archbishop who the letters here were addressed to - as a part of the clergy, so they may have met - possibly?
65's
When Guðmundur returned to Iceland in 1226 he was 65. He spent the year at Hólar, but soon continued to wander his diocese.
During the summer of 1227 he made his way to the general assembly near Skálholt and during the journey he quickly regained his followers, now at least a hundred people. After the assembly he received a messenger from Sturla Sighvatsson that he was not allowed to return to Hólar with his followers.
Lacking provisions for an extended journey, Guðmundur and his followers demanded provisions from local farms, especially those that they believed had been part of the attack on Guðmundur in 1222. Shortly before advent that year Guðmundur became ill, and could no longer continue his travels.
While Guðmundur recovered with a friend, a mutual friend of Sturla Sighvatsson and Guðmundur negotiated an agreement where the bishop was allowed to return home to Hólar.
After spending the winter at Hólar, the people of Skagafjörður - the district where Hólar is located - expelled and drove Guðmundur and his followers away from the cathedral to the northern parts of his diocese.
Once next Christmas nears farmers in the area are worried about their winter stock, Guðmundur's followers strained the supplies of the local farmers, and hostility brewed. Guðmundur appointed some of his trusted followers to oversee the group, to make sure things that had been stolen was returned, and to keep order.
In 1229 Knut, a priest among Guðmundur's followers, had been seen wearing a gold ring, and while Guðmundur and his followers had been resting at a farm, some of his people had ambushed Knut and killed him.
The saga includes a detail that makes this seem like a first hand account; Guðmundur was on the toilet, and had to send another priest in his stead to stop them from chopping Knut's fingers off to get the ring.
The 18 or 19 year old Kolbeinn Arnórsson, also known as Kolbeinn Ungi, a son of Ásdísar Sigmundardóttur and Arnór Tumason, and nephew of Kolbeinn Tumason, stopped Guðmundur and his followers journey, dispersing them and taking Guðmundur. He told Guðmundur to return to Hólar, and assigned him two clerks to care for him.
In 1230 a letter arrived that summoned Guðmundur to Nidaros. The saga claims this letter is from archbishop Sigurd Tafse Eindridesson (Sigurðr Tafse, sometimes Sigurd Tosti), and that it summoned Sighvatur Sturluson and his son Sturla Sighvatsson.
At the time in 1230 Sigurd was not yet ordained as the archbishop, and had recently left for Rome to receive his pallium. It might be that he wrote a letter, or that the previous archbishop Þorir Gudmundson wrote it before his death in the spring of 1230.
As Guðmundur did not go to Nidaros he may have been unable to go either way.
This summer Kolbeinn Ungi came to Hólar with some of his companions to visit Guðmundur, while Guðmundur and Kolbeinn were in the church, another man arrived to see Guðmundur. This man had something unsettled with one of Kolbeinn’s companions. Some of Kolbeinn's companions then attacked this visitor and killed him in the churchyard. Afterwards, Guðmundur and Kolbeinn agreed on a settlement, and Kolbeinn paid both the man’s relatives, and the church.
Soon after, the same summer, Guðmundur left to continue his visitations, but was not welcome, and the threats from the people that they would rise against him cut his travels short. Instead Guðmundur moved in with the farmer Brandur of Höfði.
70's
At around 71 in 1232 Guðmundur attempted to return to his travels, but was ordered to return to Hólar. When summer came, he travelled to the general assembly and stayed with Snorri Sturluson. Although he regained followers on his journey back, he had been put under watch by Sturla Sighvatsson, and they were quickly dispersed before Guðmundur was allowed to return to Hólar.
In Sturlunga Saga it mentions now that bishop Magnús Gissurarson - the bishop of Skálholt - returned to Iceland, and came to Hólar in 1232 with a letter from archbishop Sigurd Tafse that, while censuring Sighvatur and Sturla for their violence, also removed Guðmundur from office.
This letter I have not been able to find, and I'm not sure if it really did remove him from office, considering the nature of the letters we have translated here.
When Kolbeinn and Órækja Snorrason - Snorri Sturluson's son - were in conflict with Sighvatur both parties sent for Guðmundur. Likely this was in 1233 or 1234, and interestingly Guðmundur was residing with Brandur in Höfði again. Whether Guðmundur had retired there, or whether he was visiting, we can only speculate.
After he had assisted Kolbeinn and Órækja spiritually, Guðmundur was taken back to Hólar where he spent the remainder of his life. At this point his vision had deteriorated and he was unable to read. He spent his time in Hólar praying and having the stories of the saints read to him in Latin. He was cared for by his nephew and a clerk.
By 1236 Guðmundur had lost what remained of his vision, and on March 16th 1237 Guðmundur passed away.
Guðmundur was buried in the chapel on south side of Hólar cathedral, a spot he'd selected himself.
In May, some time after his death, the two letters from pope Gregor IX arrive to Nidaros.
Although, some summaries I’ve read of Guðmundur said that his only saving from excommunication by the pope was his own death, the letters from May 1237 seem more like they wanted him to retire, or be assigned a coadjutant to lead him. I've not found any mention of excommunication, and I don't believe it is alluded to in these letters.
Archbishop Sigurd Eindridesson (Tosti)
- Father: Merkesmann Eindride Hallkjellsson Peine (Died 1198)
- Mother: Unknown
- Born: Latest possible birth year is 1198/99
- Appointed 1230
- Ordained 1231 in Rome
- Died March 6 1252
