Einar Snorrason (died 1538), called Einar Ölduhryggjarskáld (lit. 'Einar the Moraine Poet'), was a 16th-century Icelandic priest and poet whose family played a significant role in the Icelandic Reformation.
Einar Snorrason | |
---|---|
Born | Miklaholtshrepur, Iceland |
Died | 1538 |
Other names | Einar Ölduhryggjarskáld |
Occupation(s) | Priest, poet |
Although definitive records do not exist, Einar is believed to be the son of a farmer, Snorra Sveinssonar, and born in Miklaholtshrepur in northwest Iceland. It is recorded that in 1497 Einar was ordained as a priest and settled at Stað á Ölduhrygg. He became a well known enough poet for Bishop Jón Arason to refer to him the greatest living poet in the west of Iceland, however none of his work remains.[1][a]
Einar's companion was Guðrún Oddsdóttir, the niece of Sveinn spaki Pétursson , the Bishop of Skálholt. Their sons were Pétur and Brandur Einarsson, known as Gleraugna-Pétur and Moldar-Brandur respectively; both became sheriffs. He also had at least two children with Ingiríði Jónsdóttur, a sister of Bishop Stefán Jónsson. Their son, Marteinn Einarsson, became the second Lutheran bishop of Iceland, while their daughter, Guðrún, married wealthy landowner Daði Guðmundsson.[3]
Einar's sons and son-in-law all clashed with Catholic Bishop Jón Arason during the Icelandic Reformation, culminating with Daði capturing Jón and his sons at the Battle of Sauðafell.
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Stefán Einarsson (2019). A History of Icelandic Literature. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-4214-3546-6. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ Ármann Jakobsson (2014). "The Homer of the North, or Who was Sigurður the Blind?". European Journal of Scandinavian Studies. 44 (1): 9–10, 10fn. doi:10.1515/ejss-2014-0002. ISSN 2191-9399.
- ^ Páll Eggert Ólason (1948). Islenzkar æviskrár frá landnámstímum til ársloka 1940 [Icelandic Biographies from Colonial Times to the End of 1940] (in Icelandic). Reykjavík, Iceland: Íslenzka Bókmenntafélags. Retrieved 1 May 2020.