Personal life

He was born in Levanger

Levanger

Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...

 as a son of educators Matias Skard

Matias Skard

Matias Skard was a Norwegian philologist, educator, psalmist, essayist and translator, a brother of folklorist Johannes Skar....

 (1846–1927) and Gyda Christensen (1868–1916). The family moved to Kristiansand

Kristiansand

-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...

 in 1901. He was a nephew of Johannes Skar

Johannes Skar

Johannes Skar was a Norwegian folklorist, a brother of educator Matias Skard. His main contribution is the work Gamalt or Sætesdal , a collection of eight volumes of folklore from the valley Setesdal.-References:...

 and Christopher Bruun

Christopher Bruun

Christopher Arndt Bruun was a Norwegian priest and educator.-Early life:He was born in Christiania as a son of jurist Johan Peter Bruun and Line Stenersen . After his father died when Christopher was three years old, the family moved to Vang, Hedmark, then to Lillehammer in 1850...

, a brother of Eiliv

Eiliv Skard

Eiliv Skard was a Norwegian classical philologist.-Personal life:He was born in Levanger as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . The family moved to Kristiansand in 1901...

 and Sigmund Skard

Sigmund Skard

Sigmund Skard was a Norwegian poet, essayist and professor of literature.He was born in Kristiansand as a son of educators Matias Skard and Gyda Christensen . He was a nephew of Johannes Skar and Christopher Bruun, a brother of Bjarne and Eiliv Skard and a half-brother of Olav and Torfinn...

 and a half-brother of Olav

Olav Skard

-Personal life:He was born in Østre Gausdal as a son of educators Matias Skard and his first wife Marie Bø . He was a nephew of Johannes Skar and Per Bø and a half-brother of Torfinn, Bjarne, Eiliv and Sigmund Skard...

 and Torfinn Skard

Torfinn Skard

-Personal life:He was born in Faaberg as a son of educator Matias Skard and his second wife Nilsine Kristiane Myhre . He was a nephew of Johannes Skar, Christopher Bruun and Per Bø and a half-brother of Olav Skard and Bjarne, Eiliv and Sigmund Skard...

. When Sigmund Skard married Åse Gruda Skard

Åse Gruda Skard

Åse Gruda Skard was a Norwegian psychologist, and a pioneer in the field of the bringing up of children. She lectured at the University of Oslo from 1947 to 1973. She edited the magazine Norsk Pedagogisk Tidsskrift from 1936 to 1970. She wrote 24 books and almost 2,000 journal articles...

, Åsa became Bjarne's sister-in-law, and he was also the uncle of Halvdan Skard

Halvdan Skard

Halvdan Skard is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was born in Oslo as a son of Åse Gruda Skard and Sigmund Skard, and through Åse the grandson of Halvdan Koht and Karen Grude Koht. He has two sisters Torild Skard and Målfrid Grude Flekkøy, who are twins, and himself has a twin...

, Målfrid Grude Flekkøy

Målfrid Grude Flekkøy

-Personal life:She was born in Oslo as a daughter of Sigmund Skard and Åse Gruda Skard . She is a sister of Halvdan Skard and twin sister of Torild Skard. Through her mother, she is a granddaughter of Halvdan Koht and Karen Grude Koht, and through her father she is a granddaughter Matias Skard and...

 and Torild Skard

Torild Skard

Torild Skard is a Norwegian psychologist and researcher, feminist, politician for the Socialist Left Party, civil servant and former high-ranking United Nations official . She served as a Member of Parliament, President of its upper chamber and Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice...

.
He famously held nine carrots in his beard during his speeches between 1923 and the year of his death. Whether the removal of the vegetables was a contributing factor is unknown and the subject of much controversy.

Career

He finished

Examen artium

Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...

 his secondary education at Kristiansand Cathedral School in 1916, and graduated from the Royal Frederick University

University of Oslo

The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...

 with the cand.theol.

Cand.theol.

Candidatus theologiæ , Candidata theologiæ , abbreviated cand. theol. is an academic degree with a long tradition, awarded after a six year higher education in theology in Denmark and Norway. In Norway, the title has remained after the "Quality Reform", though it is equivalent to a Master of...

 degree in 1922. He was hired as a headmaster at Stord Teacher's College

Stord/Haugesund University College

Stord/Haugesund University College , Norwegian: Høgskolen Stord/Haugesund) is a medium sized state university college in Norway, with around 2700 students and 260 employees...

 in 1923 instead of working as a priest, but did study church history. In September 1923 he married Marie Ekberg (1895–1998). He was finally ordained

Ordination

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

 in 1932, and became vicar in Sigdal

Sigdal

Sigdal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestfoss. -Background:...

–Eggedal

Eggedal

Eggedal consisting of the northwestern half of Sigdal Kommune in Buskerud county, Norway.-Location:Eggedal is located to the west of the Norefjell mountain range. In all other directions, the terrain rises quite steeply. There is farmland on the valley floor. The sprawling, meandering valley of...

 in the same year. In 1938 he moved to St. Jacob's Church in Bergen

Bergen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....

, and in 1946 he became curate in Uranienborg

Uranienborg, Norway

Uranienborg is a neighborhood in the borough of Frogner in Oslo, Norway.-History:Originally a rural area in the former municipality Aker, it was incorporated into Christiania city in 1859. The property used to have a wonderful view, and it was therefore named after the famous observatory...

.

From 1948 to his death in July 1961 he served as the bishop of the Diocese of Tunsberg

Diocese of Tunsberg

Tunsberg is a diocese of the Church of Norway. It includes parishes located within the counties of Vestfold and Buskerud, with the cathedral city located in Tønsberg.-History:...

. He also wrote books.