Saint
Nicholas, patron saint of seafarers, has
been one of the most venerated saints in
Iceland. He may have been brought by Vikings
from either Norman areas in England and
the Continent or directly from Byzantium.
He must have been well-known by the 12th
century when a law was passed calling for
a night-long fast before the feasts of
the apostles and of St. Nicholas.
Iceland
had thirty-nine churches dedicated
to St. Nicholas and he was also patron
of another thirteen—only the Virgin Mary,
St. Peter and St. Olafur were used more.
One of the greatest treasures among Icelandic
Medieval manuscripts is the Book of Helgastadir,
containing a Life of St. Nicholas, Archbishop
of Myra, with three full-page pictures of
St. Nicholas and fifteen figured initials.
It was most unusual to have more than one
full-page illumination for a section. The
book was reprinted in a special edition in
1982 by the Stofnun Árna Magnússonar á Íslandi
and Lögberg Publishers. The origianl
manuscript is in Royal Library in Stockholm. St. Nicholas Day is still celebrated on
6 December. In the 1930s a group of lads
dressed in Santa costumes, introducing a
new image and character. |
