Oddur Gottskálksson

Oddur gottskálksson (* 1495/1497; † 1556 in Kjós ) the son of the Catholic bishop was Gottskálk Nikulásson (Norwegian: Nilsson) in Hólar (term 1496-1520) and Guðrún Eiríksdóttir, the granddaughter of rich Loftur Guttormsson in Möðruvellir . Gottskálk came from a distinguished Norwegian family, his brother was Ólafur Rögnvaldsson, Lögmaður (law speaker) in Bergen .

Life

Oddur came to Bergen at the age of 6 and spent his youth with his uncle Ólafur. Between 1518 and 1528 Geble Pederssøn , a highly learned humanist and later superintendent in Bergen, was the rector of the local cathedral school. Oddur also stayed in Denmark and Germany while studying. In addition to Icelandic, he also spoke Latin, Danish and German. During these stays abroad Oddur became a staunch Lutheran, but he kept this to himself.

On his return he became secretary to Bishop Ögmundur Pálsson in Skálholt (term of office 1521–1541). During this time Oddur was working on the translation of the New Testament into the Norrøn language . He also used foreign translations, especially those by Martin Luther . According to tradition, it was the Gospel of Matthew . In 1538 Oddur left Skálholt . He probably went to see his wealthy relatives in Norway. In 1539 he completed the translation of the entire New Testament. The speech quality of the part written in Norway is much worse than the part produced in Iceland. In Iceland there was a group of humanistically educated men with whom he could discuss the translation, for example Gissur Einarsson , who later became superintendent and bishop in Skálholt, but not in Norway. The editors at Copenhagen University approved the translation, and everything indicated that no one except his friend Gissur Einarsson, who was there at the time, had a sufficient command of Norrøn to be able to judge it. King Christian III ordered the pressure in 1539 "... ath then almechtigste gudz loff ocj ære maa formeres. och then menighe mand. som bygge och boo paa word land icelandt. och icke fuldgemeligen customer forstaa andre tungemall mue bedre bliffue underwist vdi holy scriptures." (... that the praise and honor of Almighty God are increased, and the common man who builds and lives in our country Iceland and who does not fully understand foreign languages ​​must be better instructed in the Holy Scriptures) ( Lit .: Diplomatarium Islandicum X # 212 (incorrectly referred to as 312)). In the end he asked to buy the book and ordered it to be used in worship.

This book was the first Icelandic book to be printed. The printing took place in Roskilde in 1540 , the second edition in Rostock in 1546 .

Oddur also translated the first two volumes and the fourth volume of instructions for Lutheran pastors by Antonius Corvinus , the so-called Corvinus Postille, and had the first two volumes printed in Rostock in 1546. There was probably not enough money to print the fourth volume with sample sermons for the Passion time. It was published by the superintendent Ólafur Hjaltason in Hólar around 1559.

His translation of the book The Story of Christ's Passion by Bugenhagen , which was only published by Gisli Jónsson in 1558 , had a similar fate . He also translated the catechism of Andreas Osiander , parts of the Psalter and other texts from the Old Testament.

He was not ordained a pastor because of a speech impediment. But his friend and bishop Gissur Einarsson supported him by providing him with the Reykir farm in Ölvus, which belongs to the Skálholt diocese . He later received the Reykholt benefit and the monastery in Reynistaður. He became Sýslumaður in Borgarfjörður and in the 1550s Lögmaður in the north and west of the country.

In 1556 he drowned under strange circumstances in the Laxá in Kjós. The Biskupa annálar report: " The river could not be crossed, and his companions told him that the river could not be crossed on horseback, but he did not want to hear this and rode against their will himself. When he went quite far into the When he had ridden the river, it got very deep. He wanted to return but was caught on quicksand, and the horse fell and he fell from his saddle into the river and drifted onto a sandbar. He stayed in the water so long that he drowned. Two books he had in his breast pocket were dry: the hymnal and the account book. "( Ref : Biskupa annálar p.78).

literature

• Vilborg Ísleifsdóttir Bickel: The introduction of the Reformation in Iceland 1537–1565. European university publications series III vol. 708: History and its auxiliary sciences. Frankfurt 1996.
• Diplomatarium Islandicum. Islenzkt Fornbréfasafn, sem hefir inni að halda bréf of gjörninga, dóma og máldaga, og aðrar skrár, he snerta Ísland eða íslenzka menn. I - XVI. Copenhagen, Reykjavík 1857–1970.
• Jón Egilsson: Biskupa annálar . In: Safn til sögu Íslands og íslenzkra bókmennta. Vol. II pp. 598-784. Copenhagen 1886.

See also

• History of Iceland

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 .