Bishop Henry and Lalli as depicted in Missale Aboense.

Bishop Henry or Saint Henry (Piispa Henrik or Pyhä Henrik in Finnish) (died January 20, 1156) is claimed to have been an English-born bishop of Uppsala, who according to a legend was martyred by Lalli in Finland during a mission journay. Many modern historians see Bishop Henry as merely a fictional figure; there being no contemporary records (before his death) referring to him. Others, however, claim that since records from approximately three years after his death have survived in the papal archive in Vatican City to this date, there is sufficient reason to believe Henry was a historical figure. Image File history File links Piispa_Henrik_ja_Lalli. ... Image File history File links Piispa_Henrik_ja_Lalli. ... Jöns Buddes Missale Aboense was the first book printed for Finland. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Prince Yuriy Dolgorukiy fortifies Moscow, regarded as the date of the founding of the city Establishment of the Carmelite Order Hogen Rebellion in Japan January 20 - According to legend, freeholder Lalli slays English crusader Bishop Henry with an axe on the ice of the lake Köyliönjärvi... The Patriarchal cross The Archbishops Palace in Uppsala, designed in the 18th century by the architect Carl HÃ¥rleman, but built on older foundations. ... Lalli is a character in Finnish history. ...

Henry is said to have come to Sweden in 1153 with the papal legate Nicolas Breakspear (the future Pope Adrian IV) and was made bishop of Uppsala. Events January 6 - Henry of Anjou arrives in England. ... Adrian IV, born Nicholas Breakspear (ca. ...

When Erik the Holy, king of Sweden, decided to take a small armed force to help convert Finns to Christianity, he took Bishop Henry with him. Very soon after arriving on Finnish soil, however, he was according to the Lalli-legend slain by Lalli, most likely a rich man who owned a manor. Coat of Arms of Stockholm, depicting Eric IX of Sweden Eric IX of Sweden (or Erik the Lawgiver or Eric the Saint. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the Gospels. ... Lalli is a character in Finnish history. ... Lalli is a character in Finnish history. ...

Henry was canonized by Pope Adrian IV and he became the patron saint of Finland. In several forms of the church of Christianity, but especially in Roman Catholicism, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ...

The Legend

Very few facts are known about the real causes for Henry's death, but the incident is full of the hallmarks of legend. A folk poem from the 13th century called the "Piispa Henrikin surmavirsi" (The death-psalm of Bishop Henry) written in the same manner as the Kalevala has survived. // For other senses of this word, see Legend (disambiguation). ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... The Kalevala is an epic poem which Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish folk lore in the 19th century. ...

In the most well-known legend, Lalli's wife Kerttu alleged to him that upon leaving the manor, their ungrateful guest had without permission or recompense through violence taken food for himself and hay for his horse. This is supposed to have enraged Lalli so that he immediately grabbed his skis and went in pursuit of the thief, finally chasing Henry down on the ice of Lake Köyliönjärvi. There he killed him on the spot with an axe. Bishop Henry's body was buried at Nousiainen. Some other accounts describe Lalli as a miscreant and a criminal who, when reprimanded or excommunicated by Bishop Henry for his deeds, became enraged and killed the man. Province Western Finland Region Finland Proper District Turku City manager Hannu Rämö Official languages Finnish Area  - total  - land ranked 331st 198. ...

Heavenly retribution

Further legends enumerate the pestilences and misfortunes which befell Lalli after his "treacherous slaying" of the holy benefactor of the miserable Finnish pagans who were "twice removed" from the grace afforded by knowledge of Christ. His hair and scalp are said to have fallen out as he took off the bishop's cap, taken as a trophy. Furthermore, he is said to have been constantly nibbled by mice, which finally caused him such distress that he ran into a lake and drowned himself. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning a country dweller or civilian) is a blanket term which has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions, as opposed to the Abrahamic monotheistic religions. ... This page is about the title or the Divine Person. For the Christian figure, see Jesus. ...

Political use of the legend

This legend of Finnish ingratitude was much expanded upon by preachers to justify later harsh measures they took to ensure that Finnish conversions to Christianity were not mere words, but that they sincerely and unreservedly accepted church authority. Bishop Henry took the status of holy martyr, and Finnish folk revered him as a saint.

He was buried in Nousiainen, but in 1300 his bones were moved to Turku. They may have been removed by Russian soldiers in 1720. However, it is generally acknowledged that a piece of his funny bone had been placed in Bishop Hemminki's sarcophagus that was built in 1514 and treasured in the Cathedral of Turku. Also enclosed was a piece of parchment stating the bone belonged to Henry. During the restoration work of the cathedral, the relic was relocated to the Museum Department of the Ministry of Education. In the 1990s, the Museum Department claimed the relic as its own on the basis of the Finnish law on ancient objects and was contradicted by the Cathedral Parish of Turku. However, the Department let the bone be relocated in the Cathedral of Saint Henry in Helsinki, the oldest church in the Catholic diocese of Finland. Since then, the bone has been located inside the altar of the cathedral. Province Western Finland Region Finland Proper District Turku City manager Hannu Rämö Official languages Finnish Area  - total  - land ranked 331st 198. ... Events February 22 - Jubilee of Pope Boniface VIII. March 10 - Wardrobe accounts of King Edward I of Englanddo (aka Edward Longshanks) include a reference to a game called creag being played at the town of Newenden in Kent. ... Province Western Finland Region Finland Proper Sub-region Turku City manager Mikko Pukkinen Official languages Finnish, Swedish Area  - total  - land ranked 311th 245. ... // Events January 6 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings February 11 - Sweden and Prussia sign the (2nd Treaty of Stockholm) declaring peace. ... The ulnar nerve is a nerve that in humans runs down the arm and forearm, and into the hand. ... Stone sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah Detail of a stone sarcophagus in the Istanbul Archeological Museum showing a hunting scene Anthropoid sarcophagus discovered at Cádiz A sarcophagus is a stone container for a coffin or body. ... 1514 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...