Staðamálin

Thestaðamál('church-estate conflict') was a conflict between the bishops and secular aristocrats ofIcelandover the control ofproprietary churcheswhich the arisocrats had established on their own estates and viewed as their own property (thus receiving part of thetithespertaining to them).

Thestaðamálproceeded in two waves. First, the year afterÞorlákur helgi Þórhallssonbecame bishop ofSkálholtin 1178, he began to demand control over ecclesiastical estates, following the reforms ofArchbishop Eysteinn ErlendssonofNiðarós.Thisstaðamálconcluded with Þorlákur seizing control over a number of ecclesiastical estates, but otherwise little changed except that it became clear to aristocrats that the Church did not view their control of proprietary churches as legal.

The laterstaðamálbegan whenBishop Árni Þorlákssonof Skálholt (who earned himself the nickname "Staða-Árni" ) undertook a further reorganisation of the local church, known asKristnirétt Árna,in 1275. This concluded with a special settlement between Árni and Iceland's secular aristocrats inÖgvaldsnesinNorwayin 1297, under the leadership ofJörundur ÞorsteinssonandKing Eiríkur Magnússon.It was decided that those establishments where the disputants owned half of the revenues or more should remain in the control of their former owners, but that the remainder should pass to the bishop. In this way, the Church gained independence from secular powers with regard to churches, priests, church law and customs. Subsequently, the power of the Church grew at the expense of secular aristocrats, and over time ever more church estates came under episcopal control.