Thorulf of Orkney
Encyclopedia
Thorulf or Torulf was medieval prelate
, a Bishop of Orkney
. Although probably a native Scandinavian, he is known only from the account of the German writer Adam of Bremen
. Adam reported that he was appointed bishop by Adalbert
, Archbishop of Hamburg
, the first Orcadian appointee under Hamburg overlordship. Thorulf's period of appointment coincided with the reign of Earl Thorfinn Sigurdsson, alleged builder of the Birsay
church and founder of the bishopric of Orkney.
writer Adam of Bremen
, he was appointed as bishop of Blascona in Orkney by Adalbert
, Archbishop of Hamburg
. In the mid-11th century, the Archbishop of Hamburg's jurisdiction extended over Scandinavia. Historians identify Blascona with Birsay
(Old Norse
: Birgisherað), Blascona a Latinisation perhaps derived from an older form.
Adam leaves no personal details about Thorulf, but supplies some information about the Orkney see, stating that the:
related that Birsay was the permanent residence of Earl Thorfinn, and that the earl built a minster there [dedicated to Christ] as the seat of the first Orkney bishop.
Although this specific claim may not be true [one previous bishop is known], it is nevertheless taken as evidence that Thorfinn's reign was a significant turning point for the earldom, suggesting according to historian Ronald Cant "a deliberate plan on the part of the earl to perfect the organization of the church in Orkney". Thorfinn and Thorulf's Christ Church has been identified with the Romanesque
ruins on the tidal island
known as Brough of Birsay
, but there is also evidence that it was located over in the Mainland next to the Earl's palace
.
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
, a Bishop of Orkney
Bishop of Orkney
The Bishop of Orkney was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Orkney, one of thirteen medieval bishoprics within the territory of modern Scotland. It included both Orkney and Shetland. It was based for almost all of its history at St...
. Although probably a native Scandinavian, he is known only from the account of the German writer Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
. Adam reported that he was appointed bishop by Adalbert
Adalbert of Hamburg
This article is about Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen. For other uses, see Adalbert .Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen was a German prelate, who was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen from 1043 until his death...
, Archbishop of Hamburg
Archbishop of Hamburg
The Archdiocese of Hamburg is a diocese in the north of Germany and contains the Federal States of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein as well as the part Mecklenburg of the Federal State Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In terms of surface area it is the largest in Germany...
, the first Orcadian appointee under Hamburg overlordship. Thorulf's period of appointment coincided with the reign of Earl Thorfinn Sigurdsson, alleged builder of the Birsay
Birsay
Birsay is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture: chiefly grassland used to rear beef cattle...
church and founder of the bishopric of Orkney.
Hamburg and Orkney
Thorulf is known only from one source. According to the late 11th-century SaxonDuchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
writer Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
, he was appointed as bishop of Blascona in Orkney by Adalbert
Adalbert of Hamburg
This article is about Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen. For other uses, see Adalbert .Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen was a German prelate, who was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen from 1043 until his death...
, Archbishop of Hamburg
Archbishop of Hamburg
The Archdiocese of Hamburg is a diocese in the north of Germany and contains the Federal States of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein as well as the part Mecklenburg of the Federal State Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In terms of surface area it is the largest in Germany...
. In the mid-11th century, the Archbishop of Hamburg's jurisdiction extended over Scandinavia. Historians identify Blascona with Birsay
Birsay
Birsay is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture: chiefly grassland used to rear beef cattle...
(Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Birgisherað), Blascona a Latinisation perhaps derived from an older form.
Adam leaves no personal details about Thorulf, but supplies some information about the Orkney see, stating that the:
...Orkney Islands, although they had previously been ruled by English and Scottish bishops, our primate [Adalbert] on the pope's order consecrated Thorulf bishop for the city of Birsay [in civitatem Blasconam], and he was to have cure of all.The date was approximately 1050, though could have been at any point between 1043 and 1072, the episcopate of Adalbert. The date 1050 is suggested as this was around the time that Earl Thorfinn Sigurdsson, ruler of Orkney, visited Rome.
Thorulf and Thorfinn
As Adam mentioned that the Orcadians had sent legates, it is thought that Thorulf was appointed at Orcadian instigation, and it has even be suggested that the earl himself was among these legates. Historian Barbara Crawford thought that Thorulf was a Scandindavian, and a close associate of the earl. The Orkneyinga sagaOrkneyinga saga
The Orkneyinga saga is a historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200...
related that Birsay was the permanent residence of Earl Thorfinn, and that the earl built a minster there [dedicated to Christ] as the seat of the first Orkney bishop.
Although this specific claim may not be true [one previous bishop is known], it is nevertheless taken as evidence that Thorfinn's reign was a significant turning point for the earldom, suggesting according to historian Ronald Cant "a deliberate plan on the part of the earl to perfect the organization of the church in Orkney". Thorfinn and Thorulf's Christ Church has been identified with the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
ruins on the tidal island
Tidal island
A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Because of the mystique surrounding tidal islands many of them have been sites of religious worship, such as Mont Saint Michel with its...
known as Brough of Birsay
Brough of Birsay
- Lighthouse :An unmanned lighthouse on the Brough was built in 1925 by David A Stevenson.-References:...
, but there is also evidence that it was located over in the Mainland next to the Earl's palace
Earl's Palace, Birsay
The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney , illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. The palace is a category A listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is in the...
.