Skálholt was the spiritual and cultural heart of Iceland for about 750 years, the center of ecclesiastical power and one of the most densely populated places in the country. The history of the site is long and closely intertwined with the history of Christianity in Iceland. The first bishop of Iceland, Ísleifur Gissurarson, resided here. His son, Gissur, succeeded him as bishop, built a cathedral on the site, and donated the land to the church with the words that there should be a church at Skálholt for as long as Christianity remained in the country.
In the Middle Ages, Skálholt grew significantly in both spiritual and secular terms, becoming one of the most populous places in the country early on. There was a school and, for a time, a printing press on site. Extensive farming took place in Skálholt, and all the buildings matched this scale. In 1630, the entire site burned down, and many cultural and historical artifacts were lost.
All the buildings, except the cathedral, collapsed in the earthquake of 1784, and the bishopric was moved to Reykjavík afterward. In 1802, Brynjólfur’s Church was torn down, and a smaller church was built in its place. In the mid-20th century, the restoration of the Skálholt site began.
Skálholt – past and present
Skálholt is one of Iceland’s most important historical sites. Its history includes periods of great prosperity as well as times of adversity and decline, much like the history of the nation as a whole.
Bishop Gissur Ísleifsson gave his inherited land of Skálholt to the church so that a bishop would reside there as long as Christianity remained in the country. From this place, the development and organization of the church throughout Iceland were directed in the 11th and 12th centuries. Skálholt became a center of cultural life, and the bishops held influence over all sectors of society. Adam of Bremen noted that Icelanders had their own laws instead of a king, but they obeyed the words of their bishops as if they were kings.
Since there were no cities or towns, Skálholt was well situated to fulfill its role in the country. The site is in a flourishing region, close to Thingvellir, where the bishop had business at the annual national assembly (The Althing). It is also near the highland routes that connected to the northern, eastern, and western regions. Initially, imports came through Hvalfjördur, and later through the portless southern coast via Eyrarbakki.
At the Reformation in the 16th century, the Icelandic church changed from Catholic to Lutheran; but this had less impact on the status of the episcopate than was the case in many other Reformation countries. The sees of Skálholt and Hólar (in the north) remained powerful. During the period of absolute rule (17th-19th centuries) by Danish kings, the two episcopal sees were in practice the only Icelandic institutions which retained some autonomy.
The 18th century was a period of appalling hardship, and at the end of the century the see of Skálholt was abolished. The school was transferred to Reykjavík (where a village was developing), and a new episcopal see was established there. Because Skálholt had held such a central place in Icelandic history, the national pride, and even religious feelings, of many were hurt by its decline into insignificance. During the 20th century, the idea of resurrecting Skálholt gained growing support, and ultimately the Althingi (parliament) decided that a new cathedral should be built. It was consecrated in 1963. At that time Skálholt was placed in the hands of the Lutheran Church of Iceland. A folk high school, Skálholt School, was founded, and operated for two decades.
The school is now used by the national Church of Iceland for conferences, courses and retreats. The cathedral is a musical centre, with its own organist, and an ambitious Summer Concert series each summer.The pa stor of the parish of Skálholt is resident, and since 1990 also the suffragan bishop of the diocese of Skálholt.
The present cathedral
The modern cathedral at Skálholt is the tenth church built there; all have stood on the same site. The cathedral built for Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson in the mid-17th century was approximately equal in base surface to the present building. In the first half of the 20th century a little wooden church stood at Skálholt; built with limited means, it was in a state of dilapidation when it was demolished to make way for the new cathedral. The modern cathedral was designed by State Architect Hördur Bjarnason, with interior ornamentation largely the work of two female artists. It also contains many fine gifts from the Nordic countries. The cathedral is known for its good acoustics, and is a popular concert venue. Beneath the nave is a crypt, in which historical objects are stored. The most remarkable is the sarcophagus of Bishop Páll Jónsson, d. 1211. While the cathedral is a modern building, it is cruciform, like every cathedral at Skálholt from medieval times until the late 18th century.
Wooden cathedrals
Bishop Klængur had the first large medieval church built in the mid-12th century. That church had a larger floor area than the current church, and such large churches existed until the 17th century. These churches were built from driftwood collected around the country and imported wood from Norway. The wood was dragged over ice from Eyrarbakki by oxen fitted with iron shoes. Constructing such buildings was a remarkable feat and extremely costly, but the design followed the ancient Norwegian tradition of timber house construction. The bishops made great efforts to adorn the cathedral with stained glass windows and beautiful images, introducing the Icelandic people to the art world of Europe. It was said that the church bells in Skálholt were so large that they could be heard all the way west to Lyngdalsheidi, 15 kilometres away.
Text: Kristinn Ólason
and Sr Sigurður Sigurðarsson
