[Magdalen] A 13th century prayer

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/15/2015 4:43:42 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jay.weigel at gmail.com writes:

This  hymn/prayer was composed by an Icelandic chieftain around the year
1208,  asking for guidance and peace in the face of looming warfare.  >>>>>>
 
Impressive prayer.
 
The conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian countries was  relatively
late.  Though there was a Christian presence as early as the 800's,  the
real body of the population held to pagan beliefs much longer.
 
This chieftain was probably the exception rather than the rule at that  
time,
in that he was a practicing Christian.
 
At the time of the Protestant Reformation,  the Swedes were, as  was
typical, the last to accept the Reformation which came in stages 1544 -  
1565.
Ditto for Finland, which was part of the Swedish Empire.  Sweden  remains
high church, with High Mass at the archepiscopal Cathedral of Uppsala 
resembling the Tridentine Rite equivalent.
 
Such carrying's on would be stupefying to my Scandinavian relatives  in
the Upper Midwest.
 
Norway and Denmark (and therefore Iceland) accepted the Reformation
earlier secondary to royal shenanigans. 
 
 
David Strang.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianization_of_Scandinavia.