Images in seals of chapters and bishops in the medieval dioceses of Norway and Iceland

• Main Author: Harðardóttir, Guðrún
• Other Authors: Sverrir Jakobsson, Sagnfræði- og heimspekideild (HÍ), Faculty of History and Philosophy (UI), Hugvísindasvið (HÍ), School of Humanities (UI), Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Iceland, School of Humanities, Faculty of History and Philosophy 2023
• Subjects: Miðaldafræði; Kirkjugripir; Innsigli; Klaustur; Biskupar; Dómkirkjur; Noregur; Ísland; Myndefni; Medieval studies; Doktorsritgerðir; Norway; Bergen; Hamar; Skálholt; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/4454

The PhD thesis, Images in seals of chapters and bishops in the medieval dioceses of Norway and Iceland, is an innovative study on the imagery in the seals of chapters and bishops in the medieval dioceses of Norway and Iceland in the time frame of ca 1250-1537. The dioceses in question were those of Nidaros, Bergen, Hamar, Stavanger, Oslo, Skálholt and Hólar. The study aims partly to investigate the visual authority of the metropolitan see in Nidaros. Whether the iconography in the seals of the archbishops had an impact on the imagery in the seals of the suffragans. Another important aim is to explore architecture and architectural elements in the seals and estimate on what ground the topographical connection or accuracy in seal images rests. The first part of the work consists of an overview of both types of the seals in question and the later chapters provide an in-depth study on architecture and architectural elements in these two types of seals. Chapter 2. provides an overview of chapter seals which are different in essence from the seals of individuals. The seals are listed and described, diocese by diocese, starting with Nidaros. Chapter 3 presents the seals of bishops according to their iconographic types and is subdivided by them. The discussion in chapter 4 provides a ground for evaluation of church buildings in chapter seals in general by presenting important comparison examples where both seal and a medieval church are preserved. In chapter 5 individual examples from the dioceses in Norway and Iceland are presented. Because of a complete lack of preserved medieval church buildings in Iceland, the Icelandic chapter seals receive the most attention. Chapter 6. Deals with architectural elements in bishop´s seals. Suggestions are provided for what types of architectural elements would be appropriate in bishop´s seals and that is different from what is relevant for chapter seals. The seals with architectural elements are then compared to the built environment at their cathedrals and/or what is known about ...