The life story, a eulogy and a commemorative poem about Hólmfríður Sigurðardóttir (1617-1692)

Hólmfríður Sigurðardóttir was a dean´s wife in Vatnsfjörður in Ísafjarðardjúp. She was born January 9, 1617, at Hróarsholt in Flói so now there are 400 years since her birth. Rev. Geir Markússon´s eulogy dedicated to Hólmfríður along with her life story and and a commemorative poem by rev. Jón Guðmundsson are preserved in the script Lbs 1528 8vo. It consists of 65 leaves, many illustrated and handwritten by its authors, written in 1692-1703.

The parents of Hólmfríður were Sigurður Oddsson Jr (1595-1617) and Þórunn “the rich” Jónsdóttir (1594-1673). Sigurður's parents were Oddur Einarsson bishop of Skálholt (1559-1630) and Helga Jónsdóttir bishop's wife (1567-1662). Sigurður, the father of Hólmfríður, drowned in Ölfusá river when she was a newborn, but Þórunn married soon after that Magnús Arason district commissioner at Reykhólar. Magnús was the son of the magistrate Ari in Ögur and Kristín Guðbrandsdóttir, daughter of Guðbrandur Þorláksson bishop at Hólar. Hólmfríður married 4 September 1636 Jón Arason, the younger brother of her stepfather. Jón had been a schoolmaster at Skálholt and took pastoral and dean charge in Vatnsfjörður on August 29, six days before the wedding. Hólmfríður and Jón had 12 children, but only 9 of them lived to be grown ups. Among them were Magnús in Vigur, a great manuscript producer and the bishops´wife Ragnheiður, who adorns the 5000 krónur note. Ragnheiður owned and had the script Lbs 1528 8vo written. Jón Arason became sickly early so the housekeeping rested on the shoulders of Hólmfríður. Jón died on August 10, 1673, at the age of 67. Hólmfríður moved the following year with the youngest children, Anna and Ari, to Hólar, where her daughter Ragnheiður was had recently become bishop's wife. From 1688 she lived at the vicarage Laufás with her granddaughter and there she died, April 25, 1692, 75 years old.

Here you can see the manuscript Lbs 1528 8vo:

https://handrit.is/is/manuscript/view/is/Lbs08-1528

Previous highlights of the month


Kristín Vídalín Jacobson´s book of poetry
200 years | 1818-2018

Kristín Vídalín Jacobson´s book of poetry

Previous highlights

See more
Hringurinn
200 years | 1818-2018

Hringurinn

Previous highlights

See more
‘The Angry Girl’
200 years | 1818-2018

‘The Angry Girl’

Previous highlights

See more

Chat_

Please introduce yourself by adding name and email.

The chat is open 9:00 - 16:00 on weekdays.

chat loading...
Chat