Ancient See of Hamar

(HAMARCOPIA; HAMARENSIS).

Hamar in Norway, embraced Hedemarken and Christians Amt, and was formed in 1152 out of that of Oslo, when Arnold, Bishop of Gardar, Greenland (1124-52), was appointed first Bishop of Hamar. He began to build the now ruined cathedral of Christ Church, which was completed about the time of Bishop Paul (1232-52). Bishop Thorfinn (1278-82) was exiled and died at Ter Doest in Flanders. Bishop Jörund (1285-86) was transferred to Trondhjem. A provincial council was held in 1380. The last Catholic bishop, Mogens (1513-37), was taken prisoner in his castle at Hamar by Truid Ulfstand, a Danish noble, and sent to Antvorskov in Denmark, where he was mildly treated until his death in 1542. There were at Hamar a cathedral chapter with ten canons, a school, a Dominican Priory of St. Olaf, and a monastery of the Canons Regular of St. Anthony of Vienne.

HANSEN, Hamar og dets Biskopper (Hamar, 1866); RAMSETH, Hamars Bys Historie (ibid., 1899); LANGE, De norske Klostres Historie (Christiania, 1856), 374-77, 389-91; Historisk Tidsskrift, 3rd series, I (Christiania, 1890), 113-40, 244-69, 277-334; III (Christiania, 1895), 379-411.

A.W. TAYLOR