Resumen de Den tidlige kirkeorganisasjonen i Stavanger stift
n this article, we present a new interpretation of the early medieval Church or-ganisation in Stavanger diocese, South-Eastern Norway. By merging parts of twodioceses, Selja in the west and Vik in the east (the two primary dioceses in Nor-way), Stavanger diocese is establish c. 1103–1123. We focus on the developmentand identification of the early public churches in this area. Based on various cri-teria, such as bishop’s itineraries, size of choir, presence of dean, spread of landedproperty (mensa), and co-location and nearness to thing-sites, we identify for thefirst time the fylkiskirkur in the diocese, the fjórðungskirkiur in Rogaland and otherpublic churches on lower levels in Rogaland, Nord-Agder and Valdres.In the twelfth century, there were three kinds of “public” churches in the west-ern part of the diocese: the fylkiskirkja (‘county church’), the fjórðungskirkja (‘quar-ter church’) and the attungskirkja (‘eight church’), in addition to private churchescalled høgendiskirkiur (‘convenience-churches’). While the eastern part includedonly the fylkiskirkja and the heraðskirkja (both public), in addition to privatechurches. In the thirteenth century a more homogenous church-system emerge,with hovedkirker (‘main churches’) and subordinate annekskirker (parish-churches, including former private churches).Overall, the early public church organisation seem based on civil subdivisionsof the fylki. It connects closely to the various levels of judicial districts (þing, as-semblies). The rural deanery (Norw. prosti), which was an ecclesiastical ratherthan a civil division, developed from one of these civil subdivisions, the fjórðung.However, the thirteenth-century formation of the lower ecclesiastical units(prestegjeld and sogn) followed its own course detached from older civil divisions.In Rogaland and Nord-Agder, the fylkiskirkur were located relatively far northin their counties. This applies to Avaldsnes or possibly Hesby, Mariakirken inStavanger and Vanse. The location may have been adapted to the bishop’s travelsfrom the north (Selja). We propose Tromøy c. 1100 as the fylkiskirkja in Aust-Agder, Vik diocese, before the incorporation into Stavanger diocese. Later, Land-vik church (built in first half of the twelfth century) may have taken its role asfylkiskirkja. The bishop of Stavanger seems to have preferred a church more cen-tral to Aust-Agder as fylkiskirkja. Landvik retained its high status until Agder divides into three deaneries c. 1400. Øyestad and Halså now became the foremostcentral churches, while Vanse shows continuity throughout the Middle Ages.Further, we identify Slidre as fylkiskirkja in Valdres, Torpo in Hallingdal and Byg-land in Råbyggelag
