Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/685

 ICONIUM

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ICONIUM

(Epitome of Norwegian Kings' Sagas). A collection of similar character is the so-called "Fagrskinna" (Fine Parchment), in which Skaldic poems are exten- sively used. But the greatest historic work in Ice- landic is the famous "Konungabok" of Snorri Sturl- uson (117S-1241), known also from its opening words as "Heimskringla" (earth's circle). Here the history of Norway is told from its mythic beginnings to 1177. The work was proljably completed Ijetween 1220 and 1230. Snorri's nephew, Sturla, was also an historian. He is the author of sagas of the Kings Hdkon Hdkon- son and Magnus.

But there were also sagas of purely fictitious con- tent, telling of folk-tales and adventure, generally localized in pre-historic Norway. Of this type are the so-called/ornaMarsojKr (stories of olden times), among which are reckoned the "Volsungasaga", based mainly on Eddie poems (see Edda), the "Fridhthj6fs.saga", and the "Hervararsaga". All these sagas are known only in late versions of the fourteenth century.

Under foreign influence, notably that of French courtly poetry, arose the riddarasiigur (knightly sto- ries), which treat of the adventures of the heroes of Arthurian romance, Tristan, Perceval, and others. Many of these sagas are mere translations or adapta- tions. The "Thidrekssaga", composed about 1250 in Norway, and based on Low German accounts, gives the stories of Dietrich of Bern and is of the greats est importance for the study of the Germanic heroic legends. Lastly we must mention the sagas that tell of sacred legends. Of these that of Barlaam and Josaphat is the most noteworthy.

The most remarkable monument of Icelandic erudi- tion is the "Snorra Edda". Legal literature plays a prominent part in Icelandic letters; the Northern lawbooks are very important for the study of Ger- manic civilization. The code of laws in force during the days of the republic was first set down by LUfjotr in 930, on the basis of the Norwegian law. The manuscript in which this code is transmitted was called since the seventeenth century by the strange name of "Grdgas" (gray goose).

With the end of the Middle Ages, Icelandic litera- ture declined. Little original writing that commands attention among the world's literature was produced after that. In the seventeenth century, during the great revival of learning in Scandinavia, Iceland furn- ished her quota of scholars. Thorlak Skulason trans- lated the Bible from Luther's German version; Bryn- jolf Sveinsson discovered the manuscript of the " Elder Edda" (q. v.); Thormod Torfason and Arne Mag- nusson figured prominently in the study of Northern antiquities. In the field of history Jan Espolin (d. 1836) won an enviable reputation. The number of poets in modern times is large, but there are few great names. Hallgrim Pjetursson (d. 1674) and Jon "Thor- kelsson Vidalin (d. 1720) gained fame as writers of psalms, while Bjarna Thorarenson (d. 1841) attained a commanding position in the nineteenth century. The attempts at the epic and drama call for no notice.

The Skaldic poems were edited rather uncritically by Vigfusson and Powell in the "Corpus poeticum boreale" (Oxford, 1883), with English versions and notes; a better edition is Wi.s^n's "Carmina norroena" (2 vols., Lund, 1886-89). Ari's "Islendingabok" was edited by Golther (Halle, 1892); the "Heimskringla" by F. Jonsson (4 vols., Copenhagen, 1893-1901), Eng- lish translation in Morris and Magm'isson's "Saga Library" (London, 1891): "Landndmabok", ed. J6nsson (Copenhagen, 1900), tr. EUwood (London, 1898). Some of the best sagas (including "Egils", "Eyrbyggja", and "Laxdjela") are edited in Ceder- schiold, Gering, and Mogk's "Altnordi.sche Sagabib- liothek" (Halle, 1.892—). The "Njdlssaga" was edited by Gfslason in the "Islendinga Sogur", III (Copen- hagen, 1843), 1 sq., also separately (Copenhagen, 1875); English translation byG. Webbe Dasent (Edin-

burgh, 1861). The saga material relating to the dis- covery of America was published in tlie "Antiquitates Americans" (Copenhagen, 1837); a phototypic edition of the "Ein'kssaga raudha" was given by Reeves, "The Finding of Wineland the Good" (London, 1890); critical edition of same saga by G. Storm (Copenhagen, 1891). The "Biskupasogur" were pub- lished by the Islenzka Buknientaf(51agi (2 vols., Copen- hagen, 1858-78). The Riddarasogur were edited Ijy Cederschiold under the title of "Fornsiigur Sudhr- landa" (Lund, 1884). The literature treating of the Blessed Virgin has been editetl by Unger under the title "Marfusaga" (Christiania, 1871).

The best histor>' of Old Norse literature is Jonsson, Den old- norske og oldislandske Lileralurs Historic (3 vols., Copenhagen, 1894-1902). Consult also Mogk, Geschichle der norweffisch- islandischen Literatur (2nd ed.. Strasburg, 1904), also in 2ud ed. of P.\uL, Grundriss der germnnischen Philologie; furthermore Golther, Nordische Lileralurgeschichte, p. I (Leipzig, 1905). The only English historj' is Horn. History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North, tr. Anderson (Chicago, 1S95). For Skaldic poetry see also Thorlaksson, Udsigt over de norsk- islandske Skj'alde fra 9. til 14. .4ar/i. (Copenhagen, 1S82); Meissner, Skaldenpoesie (1904). For the sagas consult Vic- Ft'S.soN, Prolegomena zur A usgahe der Sturlunga saga, I (Oxford, 1878); Morris and .MagnOsson's Saga Library, introd. Mo<lern poetry : Poestion, Islandische Dichter der Neuzeit (Leipzig, 1897).

Abthur F. J. Remy.

Iconium, a titular see of Lycaonia. Xenophon (Anab., I, ii, 19) says that it is the easternmost town of Phrygia; other writers, e. g., Cicero (Ad. famil.. Ill, 6; XV, 3), Ammianus Marcellinus (XIV, 2), place it in Lycaonia, and others in Galatia. It is known that the boundaries of these provinces were often changed. It was the possession of M. Antoninus Polemon, dynast of Olbe, to whom Antonv gave it, and who reigned from 39 to 26 B. c. (Pliny, "Hist. Natur.", V, 37; Strabo, XII, vi, 1). Iconium later formed part of the Roman Province of Galatia, when the latter was constituted, 25 B. c. Under Claudius the town became a Roman colony, mentioned on many coins and inscriptions. St. Paul preached here during his first mission and converted a goodly number of Jews and pagans; shortly afterwards he returned to organize the church he had founded (.\cts, xiv, 20; xvi, 2) ; he speaks else- where of the persecutions he endured there (II Tim., iii, 11). Saint Thecla was one of his converts there. Christianized rather early, the town was the scene in 235 of a council which decreed that the baptism of heretics was invalid. Le Quien (Oriens Christ., I, 1067-74) mentions thirty-six bishops down to the year 1721 ; the best-known is St. Amphilochus, the "friend of St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzus. The list might well be completed and brought down to the present time, for Iconium is yet the centre of a schismatical Greek diocese.

What constitutes the reputation of the town is that from 1063 to 1.309 it was the capital of the sul- tans of the Seljuk Turks, who on the extinction of their dynasty adopted as their heir Osman, the foun- der of the present dynasty. A great number of monuments or works of art of the period have been preserved, such as the ruins of tlie mosque of the Sultan Ala-ed-Din, the blue medressch (school), a vast hall of the palace with a magnificently decorated roof, the golden mosque, the mosque of Selim II, the tomb of Djelal-Eddin, a mystical poet and foimder of the whirling dervishes. The superior-general of these Turkish religious, surnamed 'Tchelebi, always resides at Koniah and has the privilege of girding each new sultan with the sabre of Osman, which for Turkish sovereigns corresponds to the ceremony of coronation. Koniah, the capital of a vilayet which numbers more than a million inhabitants, itself possesses nearly 50,000 inhaljitants, three-fourths of whom are Mus- sulmans. There are about 300 Catholics. In 1892 the Augustinians of the Assumption established a mission here with a school which is very prosperous to-day. The Oblate Sisters of the Assumption con-