„Who are you? I am a shouting voice in the desert, says the baptizer […] During the day I am the shouting voice of God. God shouts for me, now hard, now said, now sweet, now sour, sometimes he lures and comforts, sometimes he frightens and threatens, that is more than enough for me. I shout with all my might. My tears shout […] My sweat droplets shout. How often do you see in your discriminating spirit blood under the eyes?“
So begins the chapter On the preachers work in the textbook A Mirror for Clergy by Reverend Páll Björnsson in Selárdalur, in the Westfjords of Iceland, the Library’s highlight in January. Páll is most famous for his involvement in persecuting people suspected for witchcraft, seven persons were burned at the stake for his agency. But his story has more sides, one of his interests was the education of the clergy. His textbook is preserved in many manuscripts kept in the Manuscript department of the National and University Library of Iceland, one is selected as an example here, Lbs 36 4to.
