Constructing Episcopal Sainthood in Late Medieval Sweden : The Cases of Brynolphus Algoti and Nicolaus Hermanni

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each other and includes a close reading of their canonization process texts, the earlier hagiography of Nicolaus, and historical documents and letters.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.

Grantor dc:publisher

Helsingin yliopisto

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Tyynelä-Haapamäki, Johanna

• teologia

Statement dc:rights

• Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
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Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10138/342519

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/342519