Jón Arason, Last Catholic Bishop of Iceland

Summary

Episode Summary: Jón Arason, Last Catholic Bishop of Iceland

Podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class
Host: Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Fry
Release Date: January 27, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class, hosts Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Fry delve into the life and legacy of Jón Arason, the last Catholic bishop of Iceland. They explore the intricate interplay between religion, politics, and personal ambition that defined Jón's tumultuous tenure during the Protestant Reformation.

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Early Life and Rise to Power

Tracy V. Wilson introduces Jón Arason's early life, highlighting the ambiguity surrounding his birth year—1484 or possibly 1474. "Most sources say that Jon Arason was born in northern Iceland in 1484, but some sources argue that it was really a decade earlier than that, in 1474" (06:20).

Jón was ordained around 1507 and entered a common-law marriage with Helga Sigurdartr, fathering nine children. His family's socioeconomic status fluctuated between poverty and reasonable means, reflecting the limited historical records.

Following the death of Bishop Gottskal Nikolason in 1520, Jón's rise within the church hierarchy was rapid. Trusted by Gottskal, Jón was entrusted with significant missions to Norway, including procuring timber and gold for ecclesiastical purposes.

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Conflict with Ulmener Paulsen

With Gottskal's passing, Jón was poised to succeed him as Bishop of Holar. However, this succession was contested by Ulmener Paulsen, leading to a power struggle within the church. Tracy recounts, "Ulmender seems to really, really, really hate Jon" (09:19), illustrating the intense personal and political conflicts that ensued.

Despite opposition, Jón secured his position with the support of the northern clergy and the changing political landscape in Norway. By August 1524, he was formally consecrated as Bishop of Holar by the new Archbishop Olaf Inglbertson, overcoming Ulmener's attempts to undermine his authority.

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Introduction of the Printing Press and Accumulation of Wealth

Jón Arason's influence extended beyond ecclesiastical duties. He introduced the printing press to Iceland around 1535, facilitating the spread of literature and religious texts. "He also wrote poetry, most of it religious or devotional... he was the greatest poet of his generation" (17:37).

His wealth was unparalleled, controlling over a hundred farms and amassing estates that accounted for approximately 18% of Iceland's real estate. This vast accumulation of wealth drew both admiration and criticism, positioning Jón as a dominant socio-economic figure in Iceland.

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The Protestant Reformation and Religious Turmoil

The mid-16th century was a period of significant religious upheaval in Europe, marked by the Protestant Reformation spearheaded by Martin Luther. Christian III of Denmark, who ascended to the throne in 1533, was a fervent Lutheran and sought to propagate Lutheranism across his realms, including Iceland.

Jón Arason and Ulmener Paulsen, despite prior conflicts, found common cause in resisting the imposition of Lutheranism. Tracy explains, "Bishops Jon and Omender recognized that the king's religious efforts were a threat" (20:00), highlighting their unified stance against the religious reforms.

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Struggle for Religious Supremacy and Final Conflict

The tension between Catholicism and Lutheranism culminated in several confrontations:

• 1539: Governor Klaus van der Marwitzen's representative, Diedrich van Minden, led attacks on Catholic monasteries, leading to excommunications and heightened conflicts.

• 1541: A new governor, Christopher Huitvelt, arrived with the mandate to enforce Lutheranism and levy new taxes. Jón negotiated to maintain religious liberties in exchange for compliance.

Despite these negotiations, secret Lutheran sympathizers within the Catholic hierarchy, including Gisser Einarsson, undermined Jón's authority. This internal betrayal weakened the Catholic resistance, paving the way for Jón's eventual downfall.

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Jón Arason's Execution and Legacy

In 1550, Jón Arason and his sons were captured under dubious circumstances. Despite efforts to delay and defend their positions, they were swiftly executed without a formal trial. Tracy narrates the brutal end: "Ari was beheaded first, with his head severed in one blow... Jon gave his last words after the third, saying in Latin, 'Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit'" (42:39).

Jón's death marked the end of Catholic leadership in Iceland, leading to the island's complete conversion to Lutheranism. His execution turned him into a martyr and a national hero, symbolizing Iceland's resistance against external religious and political domination.

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Modern Perspectives and Historical Impact

Today, Jón Arason is remembered as a pivotal figure in Icelandic history. His legacy is complex, intertwining religious conviction, political strategy, and personal ambition. As Tracy notes, "The irony in Jon Arason's status as a national hero... he was fighting against something that's now part of the national fabric of Iceland today" (47:00).

Jón's influence extended beyond his lifetime, with debates surrounding his motivations and the extent of his role in shaping Iceland's socio-political landscape. Modern Iceland cherishes him as a symbol of national identity and resistance, despite the Protestant Reformation's long-term acceptance.

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Notable Quotes

• Tracy V. Wilson (06:20): "Most sources say that Jon Arason was born in northern Iceland in 1484, but some sources argue that it was really a decade earlier than that, in 1474."

• Tracy V. Wilson (09:19): "Ulmender seems to really, really, really hate Jon."

• Tracy V. Wilson (17:37): "He was the greatest poet of his generation."

• Tracy V. Wilson (20:00): "Bishops Jon and Omender recognized that the king's religious efforts were a threat."

• Tracy V. Wilson (42:39): "Jon gave his last words after the third, saying in Latin, 'Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.'"

• Tracy V. Wilson (47:00): "The irony in Jon Arason's status as a national hero... he was fighting against something that's now part of the national fabric of Iceland today."

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Conclusion

Jón Arason's story is a testament to the intricate dynamics of power, faith, and identity. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, Stuff You Missed in History Class sheds light on a pivotal moment in Icelandic history, offering listeners a nuanced understanding of Jón's role in shaping the nation's religious and political landscape.

For those intrigued by the intersection of history and personal narratives, this episode provides a thorough exploration of Jón Arason's life, his unwavering commitment to Catholicism, and his enduring legacy as a symbol of Icelandic resilience.

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Listen to the episode on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

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In six months welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarke]

Each season we explore a new theme. From poisoners to art thieves, we uncover.

[Holly Fry]

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[Maria Tremarke]

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[Holly Fry]

Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartrad.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Frey.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

While we were in Iceland, we had this amazing local guide named Gwiljon, who went by God. And God was full of knowledge about Icelandic history. And the trip also involved a lot of bus rides. So those bus rides were full of God telling us all about the history of where we were going. I don't actually remember whether we were on the bus or at one of the places that we visited, but one of the people that he told us about was Jon Arason, who was the last Catholic bishop in Iceland before it became a Lutheran country. This story had a lot of gory details, including a pretty gruesome beheading. So of course I was like, that's going on the list. There's a lot of writing about Jon Arason in Icelandic. There's way less writing about him in English. So if you're from Iceland, you might know more about him than we do. And you will probably, or I will say, certainly say all the names in this episode better than we will do 100%.

[Holly Fry]

As a quick bit of background, the Norse settled iceland in the 9th century. And around the year 930, a national parliament was established, known as the Althing. A thing was essentially an assembly or council, and smaller things were held across Iceland. The Althing was the one that brought the whole island together every summer as both a legislative and judicial body. Chieftains and other representatives would discuss and pass laws, and judges would hear cases that hadn't been handled through one of the smaller things, the All Things still exists today, although it meets at a parliament building in Reykjavik rather than at the assembly fields or Thingvellir, which is where it met historically.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah, there's. It's often described as the oldest parliament in the world. There's various debate about whether that's correct or not, but.

[Holly Fry]

And it has great acoustics.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yes, Overwhelmingly, these first Norse settlers were polytheistic. The spread of Christianity starting in the 10th century led to strife and sometimes violence, which was also happening in other parts of the Norse world. King Olaf Tryggveson Christianized Norway by force after coming to power there in the year 995. There'd been other people who had tried to do that, but Olaf is the person that's usually pointed at as successful. He also sent missionaries to other Nordic countries, including Iceland. In the face of all of this, the question of whether Iceland should become Christian came before the Althing.

[Holly Fry]

The Althing decided that Iceland would become a Christian nation around the year 1000. The Diocese of Skalholt was established in 1056, about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles east of Reykjavik. The Diocese of Holar was established in 1106 near the northern coast of the island, essentially on the opposite side of Iceland from Viking. The Diocese of Skalholt covered about two thirds of the country, while the Diocese of Holar covered the other third.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Most sources say that Jon Arason was born in northern Iceland in 1484, but some sources argue that it was really a decade earlier than that, in 1474. There's not much detail known about his early life. Sometimes his family is described as poor, and other times of reasonable means. After his father died, possibly during the course of Jon's education, he took care of his mother.

[Holly Fry]

Jon was ordained in about 1507. At the age of about 23, he started living with a woman named Helga Sigurdartr in what was basically a civil union or a common law marriage. For the most part. Catholic clergy in Iceland weren't observing a tradition of celibacy at this point. Jon's father had also been the son of a monastic prior. Jon and Helga had nine children together, six of whom lived until adulthood.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

The bishop of Holar at this time was Gottsolk Nikolason, who seems to have put a lot of trust in Jon. Gottskalch sent him on missions to Norway at least twice. Once to get some timber for the church and once to deliver gold that was going to be made into a Chalice. In 1519, Goskog also absolved Jon of any sin that was associated with his relationship with Helga. Although both clergy and laypeople in Iceland generally seem to have thought it was fine for priests to have common law partners, that was not as true for bishops. So this absolution was probably because Gotskolk was planning for Jon to be his successor.

[Holly Fry]

Bishop Gottschalk died the following year, in 1520, when Jon was about 36. This circles back around to the questions about his birth year. His rise through the leadership of the diocese is seen as very fast if he was really ordained around 1507, when he was about 23. But it wouldn't have been so unusual if he was really in his mid-40s when Gotzkalk died. Regardless, in addition to taking on increasing power and responsibility within the church, Yon had become prosperous and prominent in northern Iceland, much like a powerful chieftain. When a group of clerics met to choose an interim leader for the sea, they chose Yon almost unanimously.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yon did still have some detractors, though, and a different group of clergymen also met and put forth a different candidate of their own. Named Pyotr Paulson. It seems like they intended for yon and Pyotr to have sort of equal power and responsibility. But Pyotr gave up this role by the following April, and that left Jon in charge.

[Holly Fry]

Holar also wasn't the only place where Jon had enemies. Olmender Paulsen, bishop of the southern diocese in Skalholt, had been in Norway being consecrated when bishop Gottskalk died. Norway had taken control of iceland in the 13th century, and the Icelandic diocese reported to the archdiocese diocese of Nidaros, which is now Trondheim. Nidaros had been the capital of Norway, and although the capital had been moved to Oslo, Nidaros was still Norway's religious center. The archbishop of Nidaros had made Omender interim bishop of Holar until a new bishop could be elected.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Ulmender seems to have really, really, really hated Jon. If Jon really was only in his mid-30s, this might have been related to his age was probably also connected to how powerful Jon had become in northern Iceland. He had a reputation for being really ambitious and assertive, and it's possible that Ulmender thought this would sort of tip the balance of power between the two dioceses. Regardless of the exact reasoning, Ulmendur started trying to remove Jon from power. He wrote to Pope Clement VII about it, and he also tried to put Pyotr Paulsson back in charge of the sea. The northern clergy refused to recognize this, and on August 18, 1522, they elected yon to be the next bishop. They wrote to the archdiocese of Nidaros to both name Jon as their choice for bishop and to complain about Ulmender's behavior.

[Holly Fry]

Ulmender tried to stop Jon from going to Norway to be consecrated, so Jon made arrangements to travel there aboard a German merchant ship. Ulmender tried to take the matter to court before riding north with a group of men, possibly as many as 300, to physically stop Jon from leaving. Ulmender also sent word to the German merchants that they would be attacked if they left Iceland with Jon aboard. Jon sent a priest named Magnus back to Holar with a copy of a letter that he had written to the archbishop of Nidaros, outlining everything that had happened and saying that Omunder should go to Nidaros to answer for his actions. In what seems like a pretty astute move, Magnus read them this letter through a window where they could not reach him.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Although the German merchants initially had to turn back because of some bad weather, Jan did ultimately make it to Norway with them. Ulmender was probably hoping that the king King Christian II and the Archbishop of Nidaros would refuse to recognize Jon as bishop. Almender already had relationship with both of those men because of the time he had spent in Norway for his own consecration. But Christian II was forced off the throne after a revolt in early 1523, and the archbishop who had consecrated Ulmender had died. By the time Jon arrived, there were different people in charge. The king was now Frederick I, who Jon developed a friendly relationship with. And the new Archbishop of Nidaros, Olaf Inglbertson, cleared Jon of all the charges against him on August 9th of 1524 and formally consecrated him as Bishop of Holar.

[Holly Fry]

There is a possibly apocryphal story about Jon's coronation, which is that toward the end of the ceremony, his mitre fell off. That's the ceremonial headpiece worn by bishops. As a couple of page boys raced to pick it up, he said something along the lines of that's how my Episcopal career will end.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

We'll have some more after a sponsor break.

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[Holly Fry]

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[Tracy V. Wilson]

The iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When Jon Arason returned to Iceland in 1525, he became one of the country's wealthiest and most powerful men. He was the bishop of one of the country's two diocese, and the church was deeply interconnected with every level of Iceland's social fabric. He also had control of more than a hundred farms that had been left to the church by a wealthy landowner. But he continued to be at odds with Omender and the diocese of Skalholt for at least the next couple of years. This came to a head when, with both y and Omender showing up at the 1527 Althing with more than a thousand men a piece, there may have even been a duel between their champions at the Althing that year. Eventually, though, these two men started to tolerate each other. It seems like eventually they were like, that guy's not going anywhere. He's been formally consecrated. I just got to live with it.

[Holly Fry]

There's not a lot of documentation about Jon's first years as a bishop beyond that. He did introduce the printing press to Iceland, probably around the year 1535. Iceland's first printer was a Swedish priest named Jon Matthiasson. Some documents from this press still survive today, and it is possible that Jon authorized a translation and printing of an Icelandic Bible. But if that is true, no copies of that Bible survive. He also wrote poetry, most of it religious or devotional. Some sources describe him as the greatest poet of his generation, and he worked on advancing his son's careers, playing a big enough role in their upward mobility that some sources describe it as nepotism. He also arranged marriages for his daughters to wealthy men.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

These same years were tumultuous elsewhere in the norse world. In 1533, King Frederick I died. This led to a war of succession in Denmark known as the Count's war, or the Count's feud. On one side was Christian ii. That was the one who had been deposed back in 1523. And then on the other side was Frederick's only son, Christian, who was the ultimate victor and became King Christian iii.

[Holly Fry]

Christian III was a devout Lutheran. Martin Luther was a German theologian who had initially intended to try to reform the Catholic church, But he had been excommunicated in 1521. The reform movement he was part of had evolved into a schism in which reformers broke from the Catholic church and started establishing new denominations. Today this is known as the Protestant Reformation. After coming to the throne in Denmark, Christian III immediately began the process of turning it into a Lutheran nation, which was something he had already done in terr territory that he controlled before becoming king.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This included things like arresting the Catholic bishops and seizing all their assets and introducing a Lutheran Church order that had been approved by Martin Luther himself. Christian then did the same in Norway after ascending to the throne there in 1537. Of course, all of this is an entire other story that we are not getting into today.

[Holly Fry]

Bishops Jon and Omender recognized that the king's religious efforts were a threat and that he would probably try to implement Lutheranism in Iceland. And he did. He had the Lutheran Church order read at the Althing in 1538. Not much is known about the bishop's response to this first reading, but it doesn't seem like it led to meaningful changes right away. Also, this was not the first time Lutheranism was introduced to Iceland. It was likely introduced by German merchants earlier in the 1530s, and there was at least one Lutheran church in Iceland by 1537. It was also common for promising young men to be sent to Germany to study. And as Martin Luther grew in prominence, they started to be exposed to his ideas there.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

It did not take long for things to escalate in Iceland, though. In 1539, Iceland's governor was Klaus van der Marwitzen. His representative, Diedrich van Minden, led a small group of men in an attack on the monastery at Vidae, on an island northeast of Reykjavik. They expelled all the monks, and they seized the monastery and all of its lands and assets. When the Althing convened not long after that, Omender questioned the men who were involved with this, and the assembly excommunicated both the governor and Diedrich van Minden. Ulmender sent a letter to the king signed by most of the southern clergy and a lot of laypeople, detailing what had happened.

[Holly Fry]

But Diedrich tried to do this again at another monastery not long after, and he and his men stopped in Skaholt on the way, where they insulted and harassed the bishop and in some accounts, physically assaulted him. In response, a group of farmers rose up and killed Diedrich and his men. On August 10, Icelandic courts condemned the governor and acquitted the farmers who were involved.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

By the time word reached Denmark about what had happened, it was too late to send reinforcements to Iceland. Travel between Denmark and Iceland wasn't really possible in the winter. Everything was frozen. So since many of Denmark's representatives in Iceland had been killed, and Icelandic courts were not recognizing the authority of the governor over that winter, Iceland was more or less out of Denmark's control. But this, what had happened, these killings, that was also a major issue to the king. So when travel resumed in the spring, he wanted to both regain control of Iceland and accelerate its conversion to Lutheranism. And then there were also rumors spreading that Olmender had ordered those killings. So the king wanted somebody to get to the bottom of that too.

[Holly Fry]

Meanwhile, both Jon Erisson and Omender Paulsen had written to the king to express their loyalty to Denmark, but also maintain their dedication to their existing religion and traditions. Jon also said that if the king insisted that Iceland adopt these Lutheran religious reforms, Catholics should be allowed to leave the island and resettle in whatever place God showed them.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Although yon and Ulmender were now solidly on the same side, and they were both trying to keep Iceland as a Catholic country, they were at very different points in their lives and their careers as bishops. Jon was 56, or maybe 66 if you're going by that earlier birth year. He was still really active, and as we've said, he was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in northern Iceland. But Ulmender was in his 80s and had lost most of his eyesight. He had already tapped his nephew Sigmund as his successor, but Sigmund had then died in Norway shortly after being consecrated. Ulmender's second choice was his assistant, Gisser Einarsson, who was already in Norway when Didrich von Minden and his men were killed. Gisser was sent back to Iceland as bishop elect, but without formally being consecrated yet, possibly because of his age, he was only 28. He arrived back in Iceland in May of 1540.

[Holly Fry]

What Omender apparently did not know was that Gisser was a Lutheran. When Gisser appeared at the Althing that summer, he read the Lutheran order and Christian's command that it be adopted in Iceland and that Diedrich's killers be brought to justice. After discussing these issues, the Althing wrote back to the king, refusing to adopt the church order and maintaining not only that Omender had not ordered the killings, but also that the perpetrators had already been tried and acquitted under Icelandic law. The Althing also asked the king for a new governor, which did lead the king to recall and imprison Klaus van der Marwitzen.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Another complication was that in addition to Gisser, there were multiple other Lutherans in Omender's household and at the diocese of Skalholt. It really just kind of reads to me like a hotbed of secret Lutheranism. One of these was Omender's secretary, Ottur Gottskal, who was the son of Gotskal Nicholson, who had been Jon Arason's predecessor back in Holar. Otter had secretly converted while studying in Denmark in Germany and he was spending his free time secretly translating a Lutheran version of the New Testament into Icelandic out in Omender's barn.

[Holly Fry]

It does not seem like Omender was at all aware of Gisser's thoughts on Lutheranism when he chose him as his successor, or that there were other Lutherans in his household and staff. When he realized what was happening, he was not happy about it. He wrote to Jon Arason complaining about Gisser's actions and claiming he had taken silver and other church property from the cathedral to his own residence. Jon was still upholding Catholic traditions in the north of Iceland, and he was alarmed by what was happening in the south. But it also seems like he thought it was prudent to keep a positive working relationship with Gisser as his counterpart in the southern diocese. Yon and Gisser agreed to help and support one another through a covenant of friendship and mutual aid.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

King Christian dispatched a new governor to Iceland. That was Christopher Huitvelt, who arrived in May of 1541 along with two warships. Christopher was tasked with converting Iceland to Lutheranism and with implementing a new tax to help the king pay off the debt from the count's war that had put him on the throne. With Gisser in charge, the diocese at Skalholt quickly adopted all of this. But Jon and his council wrote to the king to say that they would pay this tax in exchange for maintaining their religious liberty and their traditional customs.

[Holly Fry]

In the summer of 1541, the governor started making plans to take Omender into custody. Although Omender had retired, he had not yet left Skalholt. Some of his friends convinced him that it would be safer for him to retire to a monastery, and on the way there, he stopped to visit his sister. On June 2, 1541, some of the governor's men showed up while Omender was still sleeping, forced him out of his sister's house, still in his night clothes, and put him on a Danish ship. He was deported, and he either died on the journey or sometime within a couple of years of arriving in Denmark. Remembering that he was a very old man through all of this.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Yeah, it's. I think they did let him change into something other than his nightclothes, but he was described as still like he was not adequately dressed. When Ulmender was planning this journey to this monastery, Gisser had told him he did not have anything to worry about. But Gisser was definitely involved in this whole abduction and deportation plan. He may have actually instigated it, but that part is less clear. Gisser later wrote to Jon Arsen saying he believed what he had done was for the greater good, and he asked Gyon not to believe any evil rumors that he might hear. Yon agreed to this, saying that if he were to hear any slander about Gisser, he would not believe it unless he received some kind of certified documentary proof.

[Holly Fry]

Yohn Erison had been traveling south for the Althing when Omunder was abducted and deported, and when he heard about it, he turned back. He sent letters to the Althing and to the governor forbidding any action against his diocese without Yohn and Omender there to argue against it. This time, the Althing agreed to adopt the Lutheran Church order, but since the diocese at Holar was not represented at the Althing when this was decided, it was not considered to apply to them.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

For a while. Yon didn't really interfere with what was happening in the southern diocese. While he thought Gisser's acceptance of Lutheranism was heresy, Gisser had also been lawfully appointed as bishop of the diocese. Jon also agreed to pay the taxes and assist Danish officials as long as he and his diocese were able to maintain their Catholic religion and customs.

[Holly Fry]

In 1542, King Christian III ordered Gisser and Jon to come to Copenhagen. Gisser went, but Jon said he was ill, and he sent delegates in his place, one of them being his son Sigurd. Sigurdr and Gisser both signed on to the Lutheran ordinance while there, and a priest who had traveled with Sigurdur started preaching Lutheran doctrine when they got back to Iceland. Joan refused to be bound by the ordinance that his son had signed as his delegate. But for the moment, Christian seems to have considered the matter settled and didn't do much to interfere with the North.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

This kind of uneasy peace did not last, though, and we will get to that after a sponsor break.

[Maria Tremarke]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarke]

Each season, we explore a new theme, everything from poisoners and pirates to art thieves and snake oil products and those who made and sold them.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the stories and secrets of some of history's most compelling criminal figures, including a man who built a submarine as a getaway vehicle. Yep, that's a fact.

[Maria Tremarke]

We also look at what kinds of societal forces were at play at the time of the crime, from legal injustices to the ethics of body snatching, to see what, if anything, might look different through today's perspective.

[Holly Fry]

And be sure to tune in at the end of each episode. As we indulge in custom made cocktails and mocktails inspired by the stories. There's one for every story we tell.

[Maria Tremarke]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[AJ Stephens]

Ever wonder what it's like to be on the phone with an NFL general manager as you finalize the biggest contract in NFL history? I'm AJ Stephens, Vice President of Client Strategy at Athletes first, where we've negotiated $1.4 billion in current NFL quarterback contracts. Introducing the Athletes First Family podcast the Quarterback Series, along with my co host Brian Murphy, Athlete's first CEO, we're pulling back the curtain on how these historic deals come together. You'll hear directly from the agents who shaped the NFL's financial landscape, the ones who negotiated Justin Herbert's extension and Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed contract that sent shockwaves through the league. This isn't just about the numbers, though. It's about the untold stories behind these massive negotiations and the relationships they NFL superstars like Dak Prescott, Tua Tungavaloa and Jordan Love have with their agents at Athletes First. For the first time ever, the agents who orchestrate these deals are sharing the details of the negotiations and everything that led up to their clients signing on the dotted line. Listen to the Athletes First Family podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

I started to live a double life when I was a teenager, responsible and driven and wild and out of control. My head is pounding. I'm confused. I don't know why I'm in jail. It's hard to understand what hope is when you're trapped in a cycle of addiction. Addiction took me to the darkest places. I had an AK47 pointed at my head. But one night a new door opened and I made it into the rooms of recovery. The path would have roadblocks and detours, stalls and relapses. But when I was feeling the most lost, I found hope with community and I made my way back this season. Join me on my journey through addiction and recovery. A story told in 12 steps. Listen to Crumbs as part of the Michael Lura Podcast Network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

Hey y'all, this is Reed from the God's Country Podcast. We had the one and only Bobby Bones in the studio this week and we cover everything from his upbringing to his outdoor experiences with the stepdad, Arkansas Keith, to the state of country music we may even end the episode with a little jam session led by Bobby himself. Y'all be sure and listen to this episode of God's country with Bobby bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Don't go shopping at Target with khaki.

[AJ Stephens]

Pants and a red shirt on don't.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Go shopping at Target with khaki pants.

[AJ Stephens]

And a red polo shirt on.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

An old lady came up to me.

[AJ Stephens]

She said, how much for this cream of wheat?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

On Good Friday of 1548, Bishop Gisser Anderson died at the age of only 36. He had gone to Caldafarnus, which is southeast of Reykjavik, to remove a wooden cross that had long been seen as a healing relic and was frequently used as a pilgrimage site, obviously among Catholics. Gisser got sick and died after returning to Skalholt from that trip. When Jon heard about his death, he rode to Skalholt and on the way wrote a letter offering to handle any church and religious matters and nothing else until a replacement could be elected as bishop of the Southern Diocese.

[Holly Fry]

Before the start of Christian III's efforts to make Iceland a Lutheran country, this would have been a completely normal and uncontroversial thing to do. With Gisser's death, Joan was the only Catholic bishop in Iceland. The Archdiocese of Nidaros had been dissolved as Christian III had converted Norway to Lutheranism. So Jon was also reporting directly to the Pope and was seen as the pope's representative in Iceland. It was routine for an Icelandic bishop to take on or at least assist with the duties of his counterpart at the other diocese if he died or for some other reason was incapacitated. But the Protestant Reformation made all of this a whole lot more complicated, especially as the Reformation and Counter Reformation had led to wars in other parts of Europe.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

John also did not simply step in to keep things running in the Southern diocese. After Gisser's death, he started trying to re establish Catholicism there. He chose an abbot named Sigvadur Haldersson as Gisard's replacement and sent him to Denmark to be consecrated. Of course, Lutheran Church authorities in Denmark were not going to do that. They did not consecrate Sigverdr as bishop, and they also did not let him leave Denmark. Sigfurther died in Denmark a couple of years later after having first become a Lutheran. Lutherans had also put forth their own candidate for that bishop spot, an Icelandic priest named Martin Anderson. Martin was already in Copenhagen. He became bishop of Skalholt instead.

[Holly Fry]

Before Martin returned from Denmark, Joan continued trying to re implement Catholicism in the south with the help of people living there who were still catholic. This included reconsecrating monasteries and cathedrals, including the monastery at Vide. He arrested Lutheran clerics and forced them to either re adopt Catholicism or to leave Iceland. Jon also declared Gisser a heretic, exhuming his body from its grave and throwing it into a pit. In the late summer of 1548, some of Jon's men lay siege to Skalholt for eight days, but they were ultimately repelled thanks to its having been fortified by Martin's brother Pyotr. Martin and Pyotr's brother in law, Daddy Guthmansson, was also heavily involved in the Lutheran opposition to Jon's efforts.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

There was another pause in the winter as the seas once again became impassable. But on February 11, 1549, the king declared Jon Arsson outlawed. When Martin Anderson arrived back in Iceland in the spring, he was carrying a summons for Jon's arrest. And of course, Jon considered that to be invalid. Dadi Gudmundsson started working with the latest Icelandic governor, Laurentius Muller, to try to get the king to condemn yon. Instead, the king ordered Dadi to arrest Jon and his sons, thinking this would be a lot less bloody and expensive than sending some more warships and trying to fight over it.

[Holly Fry]

Meanwhile, Jon had written a letter to pope Paul III asking for guidance for what to do with donations that normally would have gone to the archdiocese at Nidaros. The pope's response was to distribute them to the poor. The pope also described Yoan as pious and full of veneration and obedience toward the pope and the Holy see. This letter said in part quote, we therefore pronounce on you our highest recognition in the Lord and exhort you with the flock entrusted to you to persevere in the same mind. For this you will receive praise from men here on earth and from God himself, eternal life in heaven. Yon saw this as confirmation that what he was doing was right and had the pope's support, and he had it translated into Icelandic, and then he distributed that around the diocese.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Then Jon sent two of his sons to Skalholt to try to arrest Martin Einarsson and Davi Gudmundson. One of the sons, Ari, was a lomodr, or a lawyer or law speaker, and the other one, Bjorn, was a priest. They did manage to capture the bishop, but Dadi's men reportedly put on gray clothing to camouflage themselves and then were able to ambush yon's men and drive them back.

[Holly Fry]

Bishop Martin was kept in Ari's custody at a monastery, where he was forced to work drying cod. We said earlier that most of Yoan Arison's poetry was religious, but he also wrote a number of insulting poems about Martin while he was in custody, and about a cleric named Arne Arneson, who had also been captured.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In 1550, the next time the Althing convened, Jon, Ari, and Bjorn were all there, Jon with 200 men, and Ary and Bjorn with a hundred men apiece. Before the gathered assembly, they all declared that one of the very prominent Lutheran priests in Iceland was a heretic. Ultimately, that led this priest to flee to Denmark.

[Holly Fry]

Later in the summer, Jon and Dottie arranged a thing at which they would discuss their various grievances. But once they were there, Dadi announced that he was going to put things off until the next Althing. The following spring, an official thing was supposed to come along with protections for its participants. But postponing the proceedings meant those protections essentially disappeared. Realizing they were under threat, Yohn declared himself and his sons to be under the king's protection. But Dadi's men took them captive.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Something else that was supposed to happen at this point was that the three men would be held until they could be tried at the next Althing. Christian Scriever, who was the governor's representative, took custody of yon and his sons on October 23, 1550. So the idea was they were going to hold them until the following summer, but everybody knew that doing that would be challenging at best. Even with the reduced travel during the colder months, there would probably be people from the north who would be coming to yon's defense. Unrest would probably be spreading through and from the north without yon there.

[Holly Fry]

This led to a lot of discussion among yon's captors, and a clergyman named Jon Bjarnason is often cited as offering this solution. The axe and the earth will keep them best. On November 6, 1550, Christian Scriever gave a recitation of all the purported crimes of Jon Arason and his sons. And even though there had been no real trial, they were all beheaded the next day.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Various accounts give some different details, but Ari Johnson was beheaded first, with his head severed in one blow. Bjorn Jonsson was next, and it took four blows to decapitate him. And then for Jon arson, it took seven blows, and he gave his last words after the third, saying in Latin, into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. He died at the age of 66, or, you know, 76 if you're looking at that date. Discrepancy Our the story that our guide God told us on our trip about why it took seven blows was that the regular executioner didn't want to behead Jon Arason. So this task instead fell to somebody who was not considered to be particularly smart and did not have a sharp axe.

[Holly Fry]

If Danish authorities were trying to avoid a hassle by executing Jon and his sons rather than holding them until the Althing that really did not work out for them, especially in the north of Iceland, Jon was immediately seen as a martyr. A force from the north, which may have been sent by Jon's daughter Thorne, marched to Skalholt and killed every Danish person there.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

In the spring, another party was sent from Holar to claim the bodies of Yohn and his sons. Their bodies were exhumed and placed in coffins still covered in mud. Those coffins had bells attached, and they were carried from Skalholt back to Holar. This party stopped at Leugervaden, which was home to a consecrated hot spring where the bodies were washed before being returned to their coffins. There are six stones beside this pool which, according to tradition, are where the coffins were laid while the bodies were being cleaned and prepared.

[Holly Fry]

Also, according to legend, church bells rang as this processional passed on the way back to Hollar. This ended with the largest bell at the Holar Cathedral, which started ringing by itself as the procession came down into the valley and continued ringing until they were in sight of town, at which point it cracked.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

There had once again been very little Danish presence in Iceland over the winter of 1550-1551 because they were all dead. But four Danish warships arrived in the spring and troops started marching on the north. They had been sent to arrest Jon Arsson, not knowing when they set sail that he had already been executed. Jon was posthumously condemned as a traitor and troops re established Danish and Lutheran control over Iceland. Catholicism was made illegal and Catholics were outlawed. The remaining monastic houses in Iceland were dissolved and their assets were all seized. And that included that chalice that Jon had delivered the gold for early in his years as a priest. During all of this, Jon's common law wife Helga, Sigurd's daughter, had to go into hiding. Most Catholic Icelanders who refused to convert to Lutheranism left. A lot of them went to Scotland, where for the moment, Catholicism was still legal. But then that changed in 1560.

[Holly Fry]

From an outsider's perspective, Jon Arason's legacy is fascinating. Joan died as one of the wealthiest men in all of Iceland, if not the wealthiest. He had stewardship of more than 350 estates. One of the sources used in this episode said that he controlled 18% of Iceland's real estate. There was one Danish official who wrote that if you were riding through Iceland and asked whose farm that was, the answer was either Bishop Jons or Bjorn Jonsson. He was incredibly rich at a time when people in Iceland overwhelmingly were not, and he faced criticism for that wealth while he was alive. But he and his sons Ari and Bjorn are also seen as emblematic of Iceland's past. 19th century Icelandic historian Jon Sigurdsson called them the last Icelanders.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

There's another degree of irony in Jon Arason's status as a national hero in Iceland. He was fighting against something that's now part of the national fabric of Iceland today. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland is the state church of ICELAND. More than 60% of the population are members the religion yon observed and fought for. Washington outlawed in Iceland for centuries, with Catholics only starting to return to Iceland in the extremely late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Apostolic Prefecture of Iceland was established in 1923, and it became the Roman Catholic Diocese of Reykjavik in 1968. According to Statistics Iceland, only 3.9% of people in Iceland are Catholic today. And between two thirds and three quarters of those are people who immigrated to Iceland from places where Catholicism is a lot more widely practiced.

[Holly Fry]

This irony connects to some debate and varying interpretations around Jon's motivations. How much of it was about religious faith, how much about his ambition and personal wealth and how that was tied to the Catholic Church. And how much was about wanting Iceland to be free of royal control by Denmark. That last part is definitely connected to his status as an icon and national hero. Centuries passed before Iceland became independent. It became a sovereign state in a union with Denmark in 1918 and an independent republic in 1944.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

There's also a saying that all Icelanders are descended from Jon Arson. The Icelandic Web of Science website tackled the question of whether this was True in a 2005 page piece by the late Gisli Gunnerson, who had been a history professor at the University of Iceland. This was translated into English by Nicholas Jones. This piece looked at math and at historical laws banning marriages between third and fourth cousins and of course, people more closely related than that. This piece approximated that a person living in 2005 would have about 65,536 ancestors who were alive in 1484 when Jon Arson was born. The population of Iceland in 1484 was probably less than that, and some of the people living in 1484 would, for various reasons not ever have any children. So this article concluded. It is at least possible that everyone with Icelandic heritage is related to Jon Arsen insanity some way.

[Holly Fry]

Do you have listener mail to take us out?

[Tracy V. Wilson]

I do have listener mail. This is from Lorena and Lorena wrote Hi Holly and Tracy. I listened to your SL1 reactor episode and the replay of the Demon Core episode with great interest Slash Horror this week. The extreme laxity and nuclear safety standards of the mid century was a surprise to me since I grew up in a nuclear town, Pickering, Ontario. As a child in the early 90s, we had nuclear drills which consisted of hiding under our desk question mark and being told that our teachers would issue us a potassium iodide pill if there was a real nuclear incident. Details were not provided, and since my main source of knowledge about nuclear exposure was the historical fiction about Sadako Chan and the Thousand Paper Cranes, I was under the impression that we would invariably die painful deaths if we were exposed to any radiation whatsoever. Nonetheless, it was clear that there was a protocol then. In 2000, my grade 13 OAC for the Ontarians Out There art project was helping paint a mural for the lunchroom at the nuclear plant. We painted the panels off site and I was only permitted a single tour of the working part of the plant after assuring them there was zero chance I could be pregnant. Even so, the staff got quite sharp with me because I kept putting my pen cap in my mouth as the tour began. The art opening was held outdoors and attendees were only permitted to go in briefly in small groups to view the mural wearing safety gear, so it seemed Pickering was very safety conscious. Wikipedia reveals that in fact the plant operations were rather lax at times, but we were blissfully ignorant. Thanks for your work. I've learned so much from the podcast in remittance of my pet tax, here are my weird little guys, Pippin and Mary. Pippin and Mary are so cute babies. I don't know all the cat breeds, but these look like Siamese to me and they are lounging in almost a little train along the back of a couch. Super duper cute. Thank you so much Lorena for this episode. A couple of random things. One of the reasons there used to be duck and cover drills. Like people like to make fun of duck and cover drills because it seem. It does seem completely pointless that if there was going to be a massive radiation exposure, how is hiding under your desk going to work? And the idea was that if you were not like at the center of the blast, there would be, you know, the force of an explosion also happening. So being under the desk was meant to protect you from things like falling debris, but it does seem kind of silly because also radiation happening. I don't know if Lorena has heard it, but we do have a two part episode back when we were celebrating our 1000th episode of the podcast about Sadako Sasaki folding a thousand paper cranes. If folks want to go listen to that. And then I just, I was sort of delighted by the whole putting your pen cap in your mouth being a cause for alarm. It totally makes sense why that would be the case. But yeah, I get that. And what great, what great kitty cats.

[Holly Fry]

Also, I have gone to open the email myself. We don't always both have them open when we're doing it. And yes, I would say those are chocolate Point Siamese.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Okay. Yeah, thank you for the confirmation of that. So thank you so much. Again, if you would like to send us an email, we'[e-mail] you can also subscribe to our show on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere else you'd like to get your podcasts. Stuff youf Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Maria Tremarke]

Welcome to the Criminalia Podcast. I'm Maria Tremarke.

[Holly Fry]

And I'm Holly Fry. Together we invite you into the dark and winding corridors of historical true crime.

[Maria Tremarke]

Each season we explore a new theme, from poisoners to art thieves.

[Holly Fry]

We uncover the secrets of history's most interesting figures, from legal injustices to body snatching.

[Maria Tremarke]

And tune in at the end of each episode as we indulge in cocktails and mocktails inspired by each story.

[Holly Fry]

Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jon Stewart]

Catch Jon Stewart back in action on the Daily show and in your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. From his hilarious satirical takes on today's politics and entertainment to the unique voices of correspondents and contributors, it's your perfect companion to stay on top of what's happening now. Plus, you'll get special content just for podcast listeners, like in depth interviews and a roundup of the week's top headlines. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Arturo Castro]

Hi, I'm Arturo Castro, and I've been lucky enough to do stuff like Broad City and Narcos and Roadhouse. And now I'm starting a podcast because honestly guys, I don't feel the space is crowded enough. Get ready for Greatest Escapes, a new comedy podcast about the wildest true escape stories in history. Each week I'll be sitting down with some of the most hilarious actors and writers and comedians. People like Ed Helms, Diane Guerrero, and Joseph Gordon Levitt.

[AJ Stephens]

I love storytelling and I love you, so I can't wait.

[Arturo Castro]

Listen and subscribe to greatest escapes starting January 14th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Holly Fry]

The forces shaping markets and the economy.

[AJ Stephens]

Are often hiding behind a blur of numbers.

[Maria Tremarke]

So that's why we created the Big Take from Bloomberg Podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all.

[Holly Fry]

Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.

[Maria Tremarke]

You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.

[Arturo Castro]

A lot of this Meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the SEC.

[Tracy V. Wilson]

Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.