Chapter CXVII: The Burning of Bishop Adam

WHEN Bishop Jón, he who was maimed by the order of Earl Harald, died in Caithness, a man who was called Adam was made Bishop in his stead. None knew his family, because when a child he was found at the door of a certain church. The Caithnessmen found him rather exacting in his office, and blamed a certain monk who was with him chiefly for that. It was an ancient custom that the Bishop should receive a spann[463] of butter of every twenty cows. Every Bondi in Caithness had to pay this—he more who had more cows, and he who had fewer less, and so in proportion. Bishop Adam wished to increase the impost, and demanded a spann of every fifteen cows; and when that was obtained, he demanded it of twelve; and when this too was conceded, he demanded it of ten. But this was thought by all men most unreasonable.

Then the Caithnessmen went to see Earl Jón, who was then in Caithness, and they complained of this before the Earl. He said he would have nothing to do with it, adding that the case was not a difficult one. There were two alternatives: this was not to be endured, yet he would not say what the other might be.

Bishop Adam was at Há Kirkia,[464] in Thorsdal, and Earl Jón was a short distance off. The Caithnessmen held a meeting on a hill above the village where the Bishop was. Lawman Rafn was with the Bishop, and begged him to spare the inhabitants, saying that otherwise he feared the consequences. The Bishop asked him to be of good cheer, saying that the Bœndr (farmers) would become quiet of their own accord. Then a man was sent to Earl Jón, requesting him to make peace between them and the Bishop. But the Earl would not meddle with the matter at all. Then the Bœndr ran down from the hill in great excitement, and when Lawman Rafn saw it he warned the Bishop to take care of himself. The Bishop and his friends were drinking in a loft there, and when the Bœndr arrived the monk went to the door, and he was immediately hewn across the face, and fell back into the room dead. When the Bishop heard it, he said: “This did not happen sooner than might have been expected, for his interference in our transactions has generally been unfortunate.” Then Rafn asked the Bishop to tell the Bœndr that he was willing to come to an agreement with them; and when they heard it, all the wiser men among them were very glad. Then the Bishop went out to make an arrangement with them; but when he was seen by the more wicked ones, who were most furious, they seized the Bishop, brought him into a small house, and set fire to it, and the house burnt so quickly that those who wished to save the Bishop could not do anything. Bishop Adam perished there.[465] His body was not much burnt when it was found. Then the body was buried suitably and honourably; but those who had been the best friends of the Bishop sent men to the King of Scots. Alexander, son of the holy King William, was then King of Scotland. When he heard the tidings, he became so enraged that the punishments inflicted by him for the burning of the Bishop, by mutilation and death, confiscation and outlawry from the land, are still in fresh memory.

And now we cannot relate more distinctly than we have here done the events concerning the Earls of Orkney.

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