Nicholas Hermansson, St.
NICHOLAS HERMANSSON, ST.
Bishop, hymnographer; b. Skäninge, c. 1326; d. Linköping, Sweden, May 2, 1391. Having studied in Paris and Orléans, Nicholas (Nils or Nikolaus) was canon in Uppsala, Sweden, 1350; archdeacon in Linköping, 1360; and bishop of that diocese in 1374. He had educated bridget of sweden's sons, and in 1384 Vadstena, the motherhouse of the Bridgettines (see brigittine sisters), was founded in his diocese. He is regarded as the greatest of the hymnographers of medieval Sweden. He was an important and stern churchman and at times opposed the royal power. The cult of St. ansgar became popular in Sweden through his efforts. In 1414 his canonization was attempted without result, but in 1499 Rome gave permission for his relics to be translated; the translation was carried out in 1515.
Feast: July 24.
Bibliography: Bibliotheca hagographica latina antiquae et mediae aetatis (Brussels 1898–1901) 2:6101–03. Svenska män och kvinnor (Stockholm 1942–) v.5. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints ed. h. thurston and d. attwater (New York 1956) 3:178–179. t. lundÉn, Sankt Nikolaus av Linköping kanonisationsprocess: Processus canonizacionis beati Nicolai Lincopensis (Stockholm 1963).
[h. bekker–nielsen]