{"id":{"repo_id":"helsinki","oai_identifier":"oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/342519"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/helsinki/oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/342519","repository":{"repo_id":"helsinki","name":"University of Helsinki","base_url":"https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden : The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni","abstract":"The doctoral dissertation Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden: The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni examines the canonization process cases of two medieval Swedish bishops, Brynolphus Algoti of Skara (ca. 1240–1317) and Nicolaus Hermanni of Linköping (1325/26–1391). The research asks how their sainthood was constructed – how on one hand traditional saintly features were applied to them, and on the other hand how the memories of their contemporaries and historical events were interpreted and employed to affirm the holiness of the late bishops. Both Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cases were opened at the Council of Constance in 1416, a century after Brynolphus’s death but only a quarter of a century after Nicolaus’s demise. Preliminary hearings were carried out in their home dioceses the following year. This research compares the cases of Brynolphus and Nicolaus with each other and includes a close reading of their canonization process texts, the earlier hagiography of Nicolaus, and historical documents and letters. Earlier research has mainly focused on the miracle collections and what they reveal about medieval lived religion and the formation of the cults of saints. This study examines how the saints’ lives were transformed into hagiographic lives, how historical and personal incidents intertwined with the literary conventions of the hagiographic genre and traditional saintly features, and what was emphasized and what was concealed. Both cases share similar attributes and features connected to the bishops, such as asceticism and defending the rights of the Church against the rulers of the realm, but the comparison between Brynolphus and Nicolaus shows the different natures of their sainthood. Nicolaus is an example of a contemporary saint, whose hagiographers were not free to portray him only through conventional saintly features, as the memories of contemporary witnesses had to be considered as well. Brynolphus’s case lacks contemporary witnesses and therefore his saintly image is more conventional and without many details in the depositions. In Nicolaus’s case, many witnesses are eager to share their own memories or what they had heard from someone close, but the witnesses of Brynolphus’s case rely mostly on general knowledge, miraculous tales, and Brynolphus’s administrative legacy. The research shows the multifaceted nature of sainthood, with the life and deeds of a putative saint being only one aspect. The community around the saint was crucial in the success of the new cult. The chapters of Skara and Linköping were the foremost promoters of Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cults, and the hagiographies had not only the aim to canonize their holy bishop but also didactic elements towards the clergy and laypeople. In both cases, the Vadstena Abbey and the Birgittines played a part, and in Nicolaus’s case yet another cluster of memory among the witnesses included his relatives, who could add another level of personal memories to their depositions. This study contributes to the research on sainthood, hagiographies, and medieval masculinities. It offers new perspectives and conclusions on how communities behind the cult constructed the sainthood of their bishops, but also how the hagiographies contain details and memories of the saint’s actual life.","abstract_html":"The doctoral dissertation Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden: The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni examines the canonization process cases of two medieval Swedish bishops, Brynolphus Algoti of Skara (ca. 1240–1317) and Nicolaus Hermanni of Linköping (1325/26–1391). The research asks how their sainthood was constructed – how on one hand traditional saintly features were applied to them, and on the other hand how the memories of their contemporaries and historical events were interpreted and employed to affirm the holiness of the late bishops. Both Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cases were opened at the Council of Constance in 1416, a century after Brynolphus’s death but only a quarter of a century after Nicolaus’s demise. Preliminary hearings were carried out in their home dioceses the following year. This research compares the cases of Brynolphus and Nicolaus with each other and includes a close reading of their canonization process texts, the earlier hagiography of Nicolaus, and historical documents and letters. Earlier research has mainly focused on the miracle collections and what they reveal about medieval lived religion and the formation of the cults of saints. This study examines how the saints’ lives were transformed into hagiographic lives, how historical and personal incidents intertwined with the literary conventions of the hagiographic genre and traditional saintly features, and what was emphasized and what was concealed. Both cases share similar attributes and features connected to the bishops, such as asceticism and defending the rights of the Church against the rulers of the realm, but the comparison between Brynolphus and Nicolaus shows the different natures of their sainthood. Nicolaus is an example of a contemporary saint, whose hagiographers were not free to portray him only through conventional saintly features, as the memories of contemporary witnesses had to be considered as well. Brynolphus’s case lacks contemporary witnesses and therefore his saintly image is more conventional and without many details in the depositions. In Nicolaus’s case, many witnesses are eager to share their own memories or what they had heard from someone close, but the witnesses of Brynolphus’s case rely mostly on general knowledge, miraculous tales, and Brynolphus’s administrative legacy. The research shows the multifaceted nature of sainthood, with the life and deeds of a putative saint being only one aspect. The community around the saint was crucial in the success of the new cult. The chapters of Skara and Linköping were the foremost promoters of Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cults, and the hagiographies had not only the aim to canonize their holy bishop but also didactic elements towards the clergy and laypeople. In both cases, the Vadstena Abbey and the Birgittines played a part, and in Nicolaus’s case yet another cluster of memory among the witnesses included his relatives, who could add another level of personal memories to their depositions. This study contributes to the research on sainthood, hagiographies, and medieval masculinities. It offers new perspectives and conclusions on how communities behind the cult constructed the sainthood of their bishops, but also how the hagiographies contain details and memories of the saint’s actual life.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Tyynelä-Haapamäki, Johanna"],"institution":"Helsingin yliopisto","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-05-14","date_published":"2022-05-14","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:56:17Z","subjects":["teologia"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.","This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.","Publikationen är skyddad av upphovsrätten. Den får läsas och skrivas ut för personligt bruk. Användning i kommersiellt syfte är förbjuden."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10138/342519","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Tyynelä-Haapamäki, Johanna"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2022-04-06T14:53:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2022-05-04","2022-04-06T14:53:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2022-05-14"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Helsingin yliopisto","Helsingfors universitet","University of Helsinki"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["teologia"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.","This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.","Publikationen är skyddad av upphovsrätten. Den får läsas och skrivas ut för personligt bruk. Användning i kommersiellt syfte är förbjuden."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10138/342519"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The doctoral dissertation Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden: The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni examines the canonization process cases of two medieval Swedish bishops, Brynolphus Algoti of Skara (ca. 1240–1317) and Nicolaus Hermanni of Linköping (1325/26–1391). The research asks how their sainthood was constructed – how on one hand traditional saintly features were applied to them, and on the other hand how the memories of their contemporaries and historical events were interpreted and employed to affirm the holiness of the late bishops. Both Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cases were opened at the Council of Constance in 1416, a century after Brynolphus’s death but only a quarter of a century after Nicolaus’s demise. Preliminary hearings were carried out in their home dioceses the following year. This research compares the cases of Brynolphus and Nicolaus with each other and includes a close reading of their canonization process texts, the earlier hagiography of Nicolaus, and historical documents and letters. Earlier research has mainly focused on the miracle collections and what they reveal about medieval lived religion and the formation of the cults of saints. This study examines how the saints’ lives were transformed into hagiographic lives, how historical and personal incidents intertwined with the literary conventions of the hagiographic genre and traditional saintly features, and what was emphasized and what was concealed. Both cases share similar attributes and features connected to the bishops, such as asceticism and defending the rights of the Church against the rulers of the realm, but the comparison between Brynolphus and Nicolaus shows the different natures of their sainthood. Nicolaus is an example of a contemporary saint, whose hagiographers were not free to portray him only through conventional saintly features, as the memories of contemporary witnesses had to be considered as well. Brynolphus’s case lacks contemporary witnesses and therefore his saintly image is more conventional and without many details in the depositions. In Nicolaus’s case, many witnesses are eager to share their own memories or what they had heard from someone close, but the witnesses of Brynolphus’s case rely mostly on general knowledge, miraculous tales, and Brynolphus’s administrative legacy. The research shows the multifaceted nature of sainthood, with the life and deeds of a putative saint being only one aspect. The community around the saint was crucial in the success of the new cult. The chapters of Skara and Linköping were the foremost promoters of Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cults, and the hagiographies had not only the aim to canonize their holy bishop but also didactic elements towards the clergy and laypeople. In both cases, the Vadstena Abbey and the Birgittines played a part, and in Nicolaus’s case yet another cluster of memory among the witnesses included his relatives, who could add another level of personal memories to their depositions. This study contributes to the research on sainthood, hagiographies, and medieval masculinities. It offers new perspectives and conclusions on how communities behind the cult constructed the sainthood of their bishops, but also how the hagiographies contain details and memories of the saint’s actual life.","Väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan, kuinka kahdesta myöhäiskeskiajan ruotsalaisesta piispasta, Skaran Brynolphus Algotista (n. 1240–1317) ja Linköpingin Nicolaus Hermannista (1325/26–1391), rakennettiin pyhimyksiä. Sekä Brynolphuksen että Nicolauksen kohdalla kanonisaatioprosessi, eli selvitys siitä, olivatko he todella pyhimyksiä, avattiin Konstanzin kirkolliskokouksessa vuonna 1416, ja seuraavan vuoden keväällä kolmen lähialueen piispan johdolla kuultiin todistajia Skaran ja Linköpingin hiippakunnissa. Kuulemisten aikaan Brynolphuksen kuolemasta oli siis kulunut vuosisata, kun taas Nicolaus oli ollut kuolleena vasta pari vuosikymmentä. Tässä tutkimuksessa näkökulmana on selvittää, kuinka piispojen elämät muuntuivat pyhimyskerronnaksi – kuinka historialliset tapahtumat ja silminnäkijöiden henkilökohtaiset kokemukset lomittuivat pyhimyskirjallisuuden tyypillisten aiheiden ja pyhimyspiirteiden kanssa, millaisia asioita korostettiin ja mitä häivytettiin. Tutkimuksen päälähteinä ovat Brynolphuksen ja Nicolauksen kanonisaatioprosessitekstit, Nicolauksen varhaisempi pyhimyselämäkerta, sekä piispojen elinajalta säilyneet dokumentit. Molempien piispojen kohdalla hyödynnettiin tyypillisiä pyhimyspiispoihin liitettyjä piirteitä, kuten askeettisia tapoja ja kirkon puolustamista maallisia vallanpitäjiä vastaan, mutta Brynolphuksen ja Nicolauksen pyhimyskuvissa oli myös eronsa. Nicolaus on esimerkki niin sanotusta aikalaispyhimyksestä, josta kertovissa pyhimysteksteissä näkyivät kirjoittamisaikaan edelleen elossa olevien silminnäkijöiden jakamat muistot ja kokemukset. Brynolphuksen tapauksessa silminnäkijöitä ei enää ollut, joten kuvaus hänestä pyhimyksenä on lähempänä tyypillistä pyhimyspiispaa, ja kanonisaatioprosessin todistajat vetosivat lähinnä alueella yleiseen tietoon ja legendanomaisiin muistiperinteisiin. Väitöskirja valottaa pyhimyskultin monia puolia, joista pyhimysehdokkaan esimerkillisiksi mielletyt elämä ja teot olivat vain yksi. Pyhimystä kunnioittava yhteisö oli keskeisessä roolissa uuden pyhimyksen kunnioituksessa. Skaran ja Linköpingin tuomiokapitulit olivat tärkeitä kulttien edistäjiä, ja myös Vadstenan luostari ja birgittalaisten vaikutus näkyi molempien kulttien taustalla. Nicolauksen tapauksessa myös hänen sukulaisensa ja läheiset kirkonmiehet toivat oman lisänsä pyhimyskuvaan. Lisäksi pyhimystekstien tehtävä oli paitsi julistaa pyhimyksen esimerkillisyyttä, myös opettaa papistoa ja kansaa, ja teksteissä voikin havaita myös esimerkiksi sakramenttien merkitystä korostava, opettavaa ainesta. Väitöskirja tarjoaa uusia näkökulmia tutkimukseen pyhimyksistä, pyhimyskirjallisuudesta ja keskiajan maskuliinisuudesta. Tutkimus kuvaa pyhimysten taustayhteisöjen merkitystä pyhimyskuvien rakentamisessa ja eletyn kokemuksen tulkintaa pyhimyskirjallisuuden puitteissa."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden : The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Tyynelä-Haapamäki, Johanna"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2022-04-06T14:53:57Z"],"dc:date.available":["2022-05-04","2022-04-06T14:53:57Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2022-05-14"],"dc:description.abstract":["The doctoral dissertation Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden: The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni examines the canonization process cases of two medieval Swedish bishops, Brynolphus Algoti of Skara (ca. 1240–1317) and Nicolaus Hermanni of Linköping (1325/26–1391). The research asks how their sainthood was constructed – how on one hand traditional saintly features were applied to them, and on the other hand how the memories of their contemporaries and historical events were interpreted and employed to affirm the holiness of the late bishops. Both Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cases were opened at the Council of Constance in 1416, a century after Brynolphus’s death but only a quarter of a century after Nicolaus’s demise. Preliminary hearings were carried out in their home dioceses the following year. This research compares the cases of Brynolphus and Nicolaus with each other and includes a close reading of their canonization process texts, the earlier hagiography of Nicolaus, and historical documents and letters. Earlier research has mainly focused on the miracle collections and what they reveal about medieval lived religion and the formation of the cults of saints. This study examines how the saints’ lives were transformed into hagiographic lives, how historical and personal incidents intertwined with the literary conventions of the hagiographic genre and traditional saintly features, and what was emphasized and what was concealed. Both cases share similar attributes and features connected to the bishops, such as asceticism and defending the rights of the Church against the rulers of the realm, but the comparison between Brynolphus and Nicolaus shows the different natures of their sainthood. Nicolaus is an example of a contemporary saint, whose hagiographers were not free to portray him only through conventional saintly features, as the memories of contemporary witnesses had to be considered as well. Brynolphus’s case lacks contemporary witnesses and therefore his saintly image is more conventional and without many details in the depositions. In Nicolaus’s case, many witnesses are eager to share their own memories or what they had heard from someone close, but the witnesses of Brynolphus’s case rely mostly on general knowledge, miraculous tales, and Brynolphus’s administrative legacy. The research shows the multifaceted nature of sainthood, with the life and deeds of a putative saint being only one aspect. The community around the saint was crucial in the success of the new cult. The chapters of Skara and Linköping were the foremost promoters of Brynolphus’s and Nicolaus’s cults, and the hagiographies had not only the aim to canonize their holy bishop but also didactic elements towards the clergy and laypeople. In both cases, the Vadstena Abbey and the Birgittines played a part, and in Nicolaus’s case yet another cluster of memory among the witnesses included his relatives, who could add another level of personal memories to their depositions. This study contributes to the research on sainthood, hagiographies, and medieval masculinities. It offers new perspectives and conclusions on how communities behind the cult constructed the sainthood of their bishops, but also how the hagiographies contain details and memories of the saint’s actual life.","Väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan, kuinka kahdesta myöhäiskeskiajan ruotsalaisesta piispasta, Skaran Brynolphus Algotista (n. 1240–1317) ja Linköpingin Nicolaus Hermannista (1325/26–1391), rakennettiin pyhimyksiä. Sekä Brynolphuksen että Nicolauksen kohdalla kanonisaatioprosessi, eli selvitys siitä, olivatko he todella pyhimyksiä, avattiin Konstanzin kirkolliskokouksessa vuonna 1416, ja seuraavan vuoden keväällä kolmen lähialueen piispan johdolla kuultiin todistajia Skaran ja Linköpingin hiippakunnissa. Kuulemisten aikaan Brynolphuksen kuolemasta oli siis kulunut vuosisata, kun taas Nicolaus oli ollut kuolleena vasta pari vuosikymmentä. Tässä tutkimuksessa näkökulmana on selvittää, kuinka piispojen elämät muuntuivat pyhimyskerronnaksi – kuinka historialliset tapahtumat ja silminnäkijöiden henkilökohtaiset kokemukset lomittuivat pyhimyskirjallisuuden tyypillisten aiheiden ja pyhimyspiirteiden kanssa, millaisia asioita korostettiin ja mitä häivytettiin. Tutkimuksen päälähteinä ovat Brynolphuksen ja Nicolauksen kanonisaatioprosessitekstit, Nicolauksen varhaisempi pyhimyselämäkerta, sekä piispojen elinajalta säilyneet dokumentit. Molempien piispojen kohdalla hyödynnettiin tyypillisiä pyhimyspiispoihin liitettyjä piirteitä, kuten askeettisia tapoja ja kirkon puolustamista maallisia vallanpitäjiä vastaan, mutta Brynolphuksen ja Nicolauksen pyhimyskuvissa oli myös eronsa. Nicolaus on esimerkki niin sanotusta aikalaispyhimyksestä, josta kertovissa pyhimysteksteissä näkyivät kirjoittamisaikaan edelleen elossa olevien silminnäkijöiden jakamat muistot ja kokemukset. Brynolphuksen tapauksessa silminnäkijöitä ei enää ollut, joten kuvaus hänestä pyhimyksenä on lähempänä tyypillistä pyhimyspiispaa, ja kanonisaatioprosessin todistajat vetosivat lähinnä alueella yleiseen tietoon ja legendanomaisiin muistiperinteisiin. Väitöskirja valottaa pyhimyskultin monia puolia, joista pyhimysehdokkaan esimerkillisiksi mielletyt elämä ja teot olivat vain yksi. Pyhimystä kunnioittava yhteisö oli keskeisessä roolissa uuden pyhimyksen kunnioituksessa. Skaran ja Linköpingin tuomiokapitulit olivat tärkeitä kulttien edistäjiä, ja myös Vadstenan luostari ja birgittalaisten vaikutus näkyi molempien kulttien taustalla. Nicolauksen tapauksessa myös hänen sukulaisensa ja läheiset kirkonmiehet toivat oman lisänsä pyhimyskuvaan. Lisäksi pyhimystekstien tehtävä oli paitsi julistaa pyhimyksen esimerkillisyyttä, myös opettaa papistoa ja kansaa, ja teksteissä voikin havaita myös esimerkiksi sakramenttien merkitystä korostava, opettavaa ainesta. Väitöskirja tarjoaa uusia näkökulmia tutkimukseen pyhimyksistä, pyhimyskirjallisuudesta ja keskiajan maskuliinisuudesta. Tutkimus kuvaa pyhimysten taustayhteisöjen merkitystä pyhimyskuvien rakentamisessa ja eletyn kokemuksen tulkintaa pyhimyskirjallisuuden puitteissa."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10138/342519"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Helsingin yliopisto","Helsingfors universitet","University of Helsinki"],"dc:rights":["Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.","This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.","Publikationen är skyddad av upphovsrätten. Den får läsas och skrivas ut för personligt bruk. Användning i kommersiellt syfte är förbjuden."],"dc:subject":["teologia"],"dc:title":["Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden : The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:56:17Z"}