Gissur Ísleifsson

Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

Born 1042
Died 1118

Places

Active in Iceland

Activities

Primary

Religious leader

Resources

Ísleifsson's Works

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Gizurr Ísleifsson was the second Catholic bishop of Iceland and is a pivotal figure in the history of Iceland and Icelandic literature as the person who first institutionalised the Icelandic church, secured its economic foundation and directly or indirectly facilitated the earliest known Icelandic writings.

The son of the first bishop of Iceland, Ísleifr Gizurarson, and the grandson of Gizurr the White, missionary of King Óláfr Tryggvason, Gizurr Ísleifsson was educated in Saxony according to the history of Skálholt, Hungrvaka. He had travelled widely around Europe and been in Rome and, according to legend, King Haraldr of Norway had declared him fit to be a viking, a king or a bishop, whichever he preferred. Like most bishops at the time, Gizurr was married and had children. His

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460 words

Citation: Jakobsson, Ármann. "Gissur Ísleifsson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 September 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14804, accessed 24 November 2024.]