Gísli Þorláksson (7 November 1631 – 22 March 1684) was an Icelandic bishop. He was a son of

Þorlákur Skúlason Þorlákur Skúlason (24 August 1597 – 4 January 1656) was bishop of Hólar from 1628 until his death in 1656. During his tenure, he oversaw publication of the second Icelandic translation of the full Bible. Early life Þorlákur was bo ...

and brother of

Þórður Þorláksson Þórður Þorláksson (14 August 163717 March 1697), also known by the Latinized name Theodorus Thorlacius, was the Lutheran bishop of Skálholt from 1674 until his death. Under Þórður's direction, the Church of Iceland's printing press was ...

Early life

Gísli was the son of Þorlákur Skúlason, the bishop of Hólar, and Kristín Gísladóttir. He grew up in Hólar, graduating from Hólar College in 1649, after which he studied at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...

until 1651. After returning to Iceland, Gísli served as schoolmaster in Hólar.

Bishop

Although he was barely 25 years old at the time, Gísli was named bishop of Hólar following his father's death in 1656 and was consecrated in Copenhagen in 1657. In large part, Gísli's appointment came from his family's reputation; his grandfather (

Guðbrandur Þorláksson Guðbrandur Þorláksson ( – 20 July 1627) was bishop of Hólar from 8 April 1571 until his death. He was the longest-serving bishop in Iceland and is known for printing the ''Guðbrandsbiblía'', first complete Icelandic translation of the ...

) and his father both preceded Gísli as bishop. Between Guðbrandur, Þorlákur, and Gísli, the family served as bishop of Hólar for 113 years. Gísli was known for his interest in art, and he commissioned several pieces for the church, including the baptismal font carved by for the

Hólar Cathedral Hólar Cathedral (Icelandic language, Icelandic: ''Hóladómkirkja'') is a Church of Iceland cathedral church located in Hólar, Iceland. It is the official church of the Bishop of Hólar, currently Gísli Gunnarsson. History The Cathedral lost it ...

. He wrote several religious works which were widely distributed, including ''Húspostilla 1–2'' (1667–1670) and a translation of ''

Luther's Small Catechism Luther's Small Catechism () is a catechism written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Sacrament of Holy Bapti ...

'' (1660). During his time as bishop, Gísli oversaw the publishing of about 40 books by the Hólar press; it was after his death that his brother Þórður, bishop of Skálholt, received permission to move the press to Skálholt.

Personal life

Gísli married three times, but none of the marriages produced children. In 1658, he married Gróa Þorleifsdóttir (1633–1660); in 1664, Ingibjörg Benediktsdóttir (1636–1673); and in (1674): Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir (1646–1715). The banknote highlights Ragnheiður, but also includes images of Gísli, Gróa, and Ingibjörg on the note's face.

References

Bibliography

* Páll Eggert Ólason: ''Íslenskar æviskrár'' II. * Sigurður Líndal: ''Saga Íslands'' VII. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gisli Thorlaksson 1631 births 1684 deaths 17th-century Icelandic Lutheran bishops Lutheran bishops of Iceland