Thorfinn of Hamar

Thorfinn of Hamar (died 1285) was the Bishop of the Ancient Diocese of Hamar in medieval Norway.^{[1] [2]}

Biography

Thorfinn was born in

Thorfinn and many other bishops of the area disagreed with the sitting King Eric II of Norway regarding a number of issues, including episcopal elections. King Erik received the nickname "Priesthater" from his less than successful relations with the church.^[4]

There had been an agreement, the

Walter de Muda, one of the monks at Ter Doest at the time, wrote a poem in Latin praising the character of Thorfinn. Father Walter remembered Bishop Thorfinn staying in the monastery and the impression he had made of gentle goodness combined with strength. His mild exterior covered a firm will against whatever he esteemed to be evil and ungodly. Father Walter had written the poem about him after his death and hung it up over his tomb.[8]

In literature

St. Thorfinn appears in The Axe, the first volume of Sigrid Undset's The Master of Hestviken. There he is depicted as the kindly and compassionate Bishop of Hamar, who makes great efforts to help the book's young lovers, denied the right to marry by malicious relatives.

References

Other sources

• Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.
  ISBN 0-14-051312-4
  .

• Website of St. Torfinn Catholic Church in Hamar

This article about a saint is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e