Guðbrandur Þorláksson

Guðbrandur Þorláksson

Guðbrandur Þorláksson (* 1541 ; † July 20, 1627 ) was an Icelandic humanist and bishop .

Life

Guðbrandur studied at the Hólar Cathedral School and at the University of Copenhagen . Later he was a successful rector of the Skálholter School, pastor in Breiðabólstaður and finally for 56 years - until his death - Bishop of Hólar .

He was one of the most learned men of his time and, in addition to his church duties, was active in the typical humanistic fields of mathematics , cartography and astronomy . During his bishopric he edited and published at least eighty books, including the first translation of the Bible into Icelandic - the so-called Guðbrandsbiblía - and a codification of Icelandic law. Furthermore, in 1590 he was the first to create a comparatively accurate map of Iceland.

His daughter Steinunn Guðbrandsdóttir (1571–1649), fathered with a maid, Guðrún Gísladóttir, was in turn the mother of Þorlákur Skúlason, the successor of Guðbrands as Bishop of Hólar.

Guðbrand's portrait adorns the Icelandic 50 kroner banknote , which is now rarely in circulation .

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  Guðbrandsbiblía

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  Map of iceland; the diocese of Hólar is shown in red.

annotation

1. ↑ Cf. Oskar Bandle : The language of the Guðbrandsbiblía. Orthography and sounds. To form. phil. Diss. Zurich. Copenhagen 1956 (Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana XVII).

predecessor	Office	successor
Ólafur Hjaltason	Bishop of Hólar 1571 - 1627	Þorlákur Skúlason

Note: Icelanders are referred to by their first name or first and last name, but not just their surname. Further information can be found under Icelandic personal name .