The Icelandic medieval monastic garden - did it exist?

Abstract

AbstractIn the multidisciplinary project presented here, 12 known monastic grounds in Iceland were surveyed by a group of medievalists from different fields in the summers of 2009, 2010 and 2011. The aim of the survey was to increase knowledge of the Icelandic monastic garden and of the plants that were known and used there; to look for possible medieval cultural relict plants; to observe continental influence on the island; and to vitalize discussion and research. Landscape and plants were surveyed at the 12 monastic sites, and full botanical investigations made. Many of the plants found have a medieval past as medicinal and utility plants, and some of their properties may have been common knowledge to medieval Icelanders. An investigation of written sources and archaeological and archaeobotanical findings from excavated sites added to the investigators' knowledge. So were there monastic gardens in Iceland in the Middle Ages? The answer is a rather confident yes. With all the evidence combined, the investigators were able to trace the deliberate use of medicinal, food and utility plants in the monastic contexts. Whether they were cultivated, tended in situ, gathered growing wild or imported is another matter. Continental influence was more evident than has previously been observed.Keywords: Icelandic monasteriesmedieval gardeningcultural relict plantshistoric plant namesmedicinal plantsutility plantsornamental plants Notes1 Hugason, Kristni á Íslandi, vol. 1, 18–38; Sigurðsson, Det norrøne samfunnet, 66–77, 147–51.2 Compare for example Landsberg, The Medieval Garden, 4–10; Larsson and Lundquist, 'Icelandic Medieval Monastic Sites'.3 Larsson et al., Medeltida klostergrunder på Island, passim.4 See also Landsberg, The Medieval Garden, 4.5 The full report of the project (Larsson, Åsen, Kristjánsdóttir, and Lundquist Medeltida klostergrunder på Island) is available in Swedish and Norwegian at: http://pub.epsilon.slu.se/9033/. Complete lists of the botanical investigations can be found in Appendix 1 and a summary of the archaeobotanical investigations used in Appendix 2. In Appendix 3 there is a translation into Swedish of the guidebook to the present herb garden at Skálholt.6 Jónsson, 'Um klaustrin á Íslandi', 174–265.7 Guðmundsson, Kristni á Íslandi, vol. 2.8 Wolf, The Icelandic Legend of Saint Dorothy.9 Kristjánsdóttir, Sagan af klaustrinu á Skriðu, 62–4; Kristjánsdóttir, 'The Tip of the Iceberg'.10 Ibid., 97–9.11 Persson, Ansebo, and Solberg, 'Cultural Relict Plants in the Nordic Region'.12 Løjtnant, 'Aldersrekorder for reliktplanter', 4–14.13 Åsen, Norske klosterplanter.14 Complete inventory lists are published in Larsson, et al., Medeltida klostergrunder på Island, Appendix 1.15 Bjarnadóttir, 'Skriðuklaustur í Fljótsdal. Frjókornagreining – Niðurstöður í september 2004'; Bjarnadóttir, 'Skriðuklaustur í Fljótsdal. Frjókornagreining – Niðurstöður í október 2005'; Kristjánsdóttir, 'Skriðuklaustur Monastery – Medical Centre'; Shaw, Analysis of Soil Samples from Skriðuklaustur.16 Bjarnadóttir, 'Viðey Island'.17 Åsen, Norske klosterplanter.18 Kristjansdóttir, 'Skriðuklaustur Monastery – Medical Centre'.19 Wasowicz, Przedpelska-Wasowicz, and Kristinsson, 'Alien Vascular Plants in Iceland', 648–73.20 Lucas, 'The Tensions of Modernity'.21 Wasowicz, Przedpelska-Wasowicz, and Kristinsson, 'Alien Vascular Plants in Iceland'.22 Ibid.23 Ámundason, 'Krythóll'.24 Lawson, et al., 'Environmental Impacts of the Norse Settlement'.25 Wasowicz, Przedpelska-Wasowicz, and Kristinsson, 'Alien Vascular Plants in Iceland'.26 Ibid.27 Larsson, 'Beyond Byzantium', 184–209.28 Heizmann, Wörterbuch der Pflanzennamen im Altwestnordischen.29 Larsson, 'Skriftliga källor', 49–51.30 Larsson, 'Beyond Byzantium', 184–209; Larsson, 'Skriftliga källor', 49 f.; Kristensen, Harpestræng; Larsen, An Old Icelandic Medical Miscellany.31 Steindórsson, Nomina Plantarum Islandicum; Høeg, Planter og tradisjon, passim.32 Larsson, Millefolium, rölika, näsegräs.33 Hallsdóttir, 'Frjórannsókn á mósniðum úr Viðey'; Bjarnadóttir, 'Viðey Island'; Bjarnadóttir, 'Skriðuklaustur í Fljótsdal. Frjókornagreining – Niðurstöður í september 2004'; Bjarnadóttir, 'Skriðuklaustur í Fljótsdal. Frjókornagreining – niðurstöður í október 2005'; Kristjánsdóttir, 'Skriðuklaustur Monastery – Medical Centre'; Jensson, Garðrækt í Skriðuklaustri; Shaw, Analysis of Soil Samples from Skriðuklaustur, I.34 See Åsen, 'Villeple, Malus sylvestris, i Norge', 12–13 for conditions in Norway.35 Bjarnardóttir, 'Viðey Island', 41; Þórarinsson, Tefrokronologiska studier, 127–8; Einarsson, 'Vitnisburður frjógreiningar um gróður, veðurfar og landnám á Íslandi', 442–69.36 Larsson, Millefolium, rölika, näsegräs, 209.37 Griffin, 'Plant Remains from Medieval Oslo', 151–63; Griffin, 'Plant Remains from Oslogate 7', 124–33; Høeg, 'O. Pollenanalyse', 140–8; Krzywinski and Soltvedt, 'A Medieval Brewery (1200–1450) at Bryggen, Bergen', 1–68; Lindh and Tjeldvoll, Innberetning over de arkeologiske utgravningene i Storgaten 24/26, 56; Sandvik, Frå Nidarosen til Nidarneset, 6, 226; Sandvik, Analysar av plantemakrofossilar i jordprøver frå Nedre Langgate 40.38 Høeg, 'Pollenanalytiske undersøkelser av karpedam på Hovedøya', 6–159.39 Larsson, 'Skriftliga källor och äldre isländska växtnamn', 49–51, 71–2.40 Jensson, 'Garðrækt í Skriðuklaustri'; Shaw, Analysis of Soil Samples from Skriðuklaustur.41 Källman, Vilda växter som mat och medicin, 110 f.42 Larsson, 'Beyond Byzantium', 184–209.43 Except for Keldnaklaustur as we were not aware of its existence in 2009–2010 when the main investigations were undertaken.44 Hallsdóttir, Pollen Analytical Studies.45 Stopford, 'Some Approaches to the Archaeology of Christian Pilgrimage', 57–72.46 Arnórsson, 'Suðurgöngur Íslendinga í fornöld'.47 Diplomatarium Islandicum, vol. 9, 290.Additional informationNotes on contributorsSteinunn KristjánsdóttirSteinunn Kristjánsdóttir is Professor in Archaeology at the University of Iceland. Her research interests are Historical Archaeology, Archaeology of Gender, Social Archaeology, Christianity and Monasticism. In 2012, she finished the archaeological excavations on the ruins of a late-medieval friary at Skriðuklaustur in Eastern Iceland. In 2013 she started a new project, Monasticism in Iceland.Inger LarssonInger Larsson is Professor Emerita in Swedish language at the Department of Swedish Language and Multilingualism at Stockholm University. Her research has lately concentrated on medieval literacy in Sweden, historical plant names in the Scandinavian languages and the flora of Icelandic medieval monastic sites. Her present works also include studies in medieval Scandinavian laws, Nordic Medieval Legal Dictionary.Per Arvid ÅsenPer Arvid Åsen is Senior Curator at Agder Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden in Norway. He is in charge of the Botanical department and the Agder herbarium. His research lately has concentrated on historical plants such as roses, wild apples and medieval relict plants above all in Norway and Iceland.