Template:1349-00-00-Norway 002

1349

Arival of the Black Death to Norway via a cog from England in 1349. Two-thirds of the population in Norway die, among others the archbishop of Nidaros and the bishops of Bergen, Stavanger and Hamar. It is explicitly stated that the plague did not reach Iceland

J þenna tima kom drep sott so mickil vm alla nordr halfu heimsins at alldre kom slik fyrr sidan londin bygduzst. fyrst kom sottin vpp i Babilone a Serklande. vt i Affrica. sidan for hon hegat till Jorsalalandz ok i Iorsalaborg. ok eydde naliga borgina. þadan for hon nordr yfir Iorsala haf ok vm alla Romaniam ok sua nordr eftir londum ok vm pauagard. ok eydde allt naliga. vigdi paui aana Rodanum. voru þar vt aa steyttir daudir menn. Gaf paui þat af guds halfu at þat skillde þeira kirkiu gardr þui at eige matte jarda folkit fyrir mannfæd ok sott. sidan for hon vt vm Frakka rike ok vm Saxland. ok sua til Einglandz. ok eydde naliga allt Eingland. ok þat til marks at eige lifdi meir eftir i borginni Lvndunum en fiortan menn. J þann tima sigldi kuggr einn af Einglandi. ok var aa fioldi folks ok lagdi jnn aa Biorgwiniar vogh. ok var litt ruddr. sidan andadizst folkit allt af skipinu. en þegar vpp kom godzit i byinn af þessu skipe þa do þegar bæiar folkit. Þa for sottin vm allan Noreg ok eydde so at eige lifdi einn þridiungr eftir folksins i landinu. Einglandz kuggr saukk nidr med godzinu ok daudum monnum ok vard eige ruddr. fleiri skip buzur ok morg onnur skip sukku nidr ok rak uids vegar en sama sott for vm Hialltland Orkneyiar. Sudreyiar Færeyiar. Þat var kyn sottarinnar at menn lifdu eige meirr en eitt dægr edr tuo. med hordum stinga. eftir þat sætte at blod spyiu ok for þar ondin med sinn vegh. af þessi sott saladizst Arni erkebyskop. ok allir korsbrædr i Nidarose. vtan einn lifdi eftir er Lodinn hiet. ok hann giordi elecceionem kiosandi. Olaf abota af Holmi til erkebyskops. Jtem Ɵ Þorstein byskop. af Biorguin. Jtem Ɵ Guthormr byskop af Stafangre. Halluardr byskop af Hamri saladizst ok þa. Þessi sott kom ecki aa Island.

At that time, such a deadly plague spread all over the northern half of the world that never before had anything similar occurred since the lands were built. The disease started in Babylon in Serkland in Africa. Then then it went to Palestine and Jerusalem, and desolated nearly all towns. From there, it went northwards across the Sea of Jerusalem [= the Mediterranean] and across all the Romania [= Byzantium], and then across the countries further northwards, and to the papal city [= Avignon] and the surrounding area, and desolated nearly everything. The pope consecrated the river Rhône and dead people were thrown into the river. Then the pope prompted with God's help the protection of the churchyards; so that no one was allowed to bury people due to the lack of population and the plague. Then, the disease went across France and Saxony, and then to England. Nearly all of England was laid waste. And as a proof of that, not more than 14 people survived in the city of London. At that time, a cog sailed from England with many people on board, and it was put into the bay of Bergen. A little [cargo] was unloaded. Then, all the people from the ship died. As then the goods were brought into town from this ship, the townspeople began to die. Then, the plague swept all over Norway and raged so heavily that not one-third of the people in the country survived. The English cog sank down with its goods and the dead men, and was not unloaded. More ships, cargo vessels and many other ships sank down or drifted widely around. And the same disease spread across the Shetlands, Orkneys, Hebrides and Faroes. That was the sort of disease that people did not live more than a day or two, with heavy pangs of pain. After that they began to vomit blood, and then the spirit left them. From that plague died Archbishop Arne and all canons of Nidaros, but one who survived, named Lodin. He arranged an election and Abbot Olav of Holm was appointed archbishop. Likewise died Bishop Thorstein of Bergen. Likewise died Bishop Guttormr of Stavanger. Bishop Hallvard of Hamar also died at that time. That disease did not come to Iceland. (Translation: Carina Damm)

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