Middelalderens bibliotek på Trondenes

• Main Author: Rognald Heiseldal Bergesen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Norwegian; Swedish
• Published: Novus 2013
• Subjects: Modern history; 1453-; D204-475; Medieval history; D111-203; Norway; Trondenes; Troms
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/560babc647d048c1921f729406511fd6

Before the Reformation, there was at significant collection of books in the North Norwegian parish Church at Trondenes (Fig. 1). Located in a rich maritime fishing district about 300 kilometres north of the polar circle, it was the northernmost catholic stone church in the world. Served by 6-9 priests reading masses and singing the Holy Office, it was also the only collegiate church in the vast region of Southern Troms, an area comprising more than 2000 square kilometres, and thirteen chapels. The chancel at Trondenes was one of the largest in Norway, and the church was equipped with fourteen choir stalls, eight altars and at least seven reredoses (Fig. 2). Book collections in such churches were usually larger and more elaborate than in ordinary parish churches. The number of books in the library at Trondenes is not known, but several sources give substantial glimpses into the compound of the collection at different points in time. At the National Library in Oslo are preserved one fragment from an antiphonal and five volumes from three different printed books, all originally from Trondenes. Six medieval or early modern documents give further information about medieval book titles from the Trondenes Library. Previously these sources have never been compared. In the article this material is discussed in order to illuminate distinctive features of the book collection related to chronology and the functions of the church. The functions considered are not only related to liturgy, but also to canon law, collecting tithe, and education of priests. The collection consisted of liturgical books, library books and canon law. According to the preserved material, the collection appears to have changed its character from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. In the former, the collection consisted only of liturgical books; the known books from the period are one missal, one obituary book and the antiphonal of which there is one preserved fragment dated to the end of the thirteenths century (NB Ms.lat.fragm. 11). In the ...