Kirkjubæjar Abbey
Encyclopedia
Kirkjubæjar Abbey in operation from 1186 until the reformation
, was a monastery
in Iceland
of nun
s of the Order of St. Benedict. It was located at Kirkjubæjarklaustur
. Iceland had nine religious communities before the Reformation
, two of which were monasteries of nuns, of which this is the first and oldest.
In contrast to the other women's monastery in Iceland, Reynistaðarklaustur (1295-1563), which was placed under the authority of the Bishop of Hólar, at Kirkjubæjar Abbey the Abbess
was left in full authority over the community, free of episcopal
oversight.
outside the church, and having carnal knowledge with men. The other was charged with speaking blasphemously
of the Pope
. After the Reformation, the latter nun was vindicated, and flowers are said to bloom on her grave, but not that of the first nun. This is said to have occurred in 1343.
Systravatn also has a legend related to the cloister. The nuns traditionally bathed in the lake, and one day two nuns saw a hand with a gold ring extending from the water. When they tried to seize the ring, they were dragged below the water and drowned.
, and the nuns themselves were, for a period, forced to tend to the cattle. This they are said to have done badly, as the majority of them were from wealthy families and unused to manual labor. During the Reformation
, Kirkjubæjar Abbey was dissolved, but the nuns were allowed to remain there for life. The former nuns are last mentioned in 1544, when six of them were still in residence in the abbey buildings.
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, was a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
of nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s of the Order of St. Benedict. It was located at Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
The village Kirkjubæjarklaustur is a village in the south of Iceland on the hringvegur between Vík í Mýrdal and Höfn. It is part of the municipality of Skaftárhreppur with approximately 120 inhabitants.-Location:...
. Iceland had nine religious communities before the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, two of which were monasteries of nuns, of which this is the first and oldest.
In contrast to the other women's monastery in Iceland, Reynistaðarklaustur (1295-1563), which was placed under the authority of the Bishop of Hólar, at Kirkjubæjar Abbey the Abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
was left in full authority over the community, free of episcopal
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
oversight.
The Abbey in Icelandic folklore
The place names of Systrafoss (the waterfall of the Sisters) and of Lake Systravatn in the mountains above the village refer to this cloister. Folk tales illustrate history with stories about both good and sinful nuns. The Systrastapi (Sister's rock) is where two nuns of the Abbey were buried after being burned at the stake. One of the nuns was accused of selling her soul to the Devil, carrying the Blessed SacramentBlessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
outside the church, and having carnal knowledge with men. The other was charged with speaking blasphemously
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
. After the Reformation, the latter nun was vindicated, and flowers are said to bloom on her grave, but not that of the first nun. This is said to have occurred in 1343.
Systravatn also has a legend related to the cloister. The nuns traditionally bathed in the lake, and one day two nuns saw a hand with a gold ring extending from the water. When they tried to seize the ring, they were dragged below the water and drowned.
Later history
The abbey was regarded as a center of culture and literature. In 1402, most of the abbey's servants and many nuns died of the plagueBlack Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
, and the nuns themselves were, for a period, forced to tend to the cattle. This they are said to have done badly, as the majority of them were from wealthy families and unused to manual labor. During the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, Kirkjubæjar Abbey was dissolved, but the nuns were allowed to remain there for life. The former nuns are last mentioned in 1544, when six of them were still in residence in the abbey buildings.