Abstract
Vicar Nikolaus Rungius’s (ca. 1560–1629) mummified remains have been the subject of research that has provided a wide variety of information on his life. This article examines the ways Rungius’s health and lifestyle highlight his status as a vicar, and this status is visible in his burial and funerary clothing. He was a relatively large man for his time. CT scans even include indications of certain conditions related to being overweight. Likewise, stable-isotope analyses of his nail keratin support the hypothesis that he was consuming a rather heavy, protein-rich diet. Given his status as the vicar of Kemi parish in northern Finland, he likely made sumptuous use of the rich local natural resources of fish, game, and domestic animals as part of his regular diet. In addition to his diet and health, the vicar’s high-quality clothes, while fragmentary, also open an avenue to extend the exploration of his social status and wealth.
Highlights
During the early 17th century, Kemi was a geographically large parish at the northeastern edge of the Swedish kingdom, northern Finland (Fig. 1)
In the 1610s, Bishop Erik Sorolainen appointed Nikolaus Rungius as the vicar of Kemi parish, which Rungius went on to lead for approximately 15 years (Vahtola 1997b:152–156)
Vicar Rungius was a native of southern Finland, as were most priests in the north at the time
Summary
During the early 17th century, Kemi was a geographically large parish at the northeastern edge of the Swedish kingdom, northern Finland (Fig. 1). Prior to the late 19th century, when the mummy’s damaged state compelled the bishop to order the parish officials to place the remains under lock and key, they could, be freely visited at the vicar’s original, high-ranking burial site by the chancel in the southeastern corner of the church (OMA 1728, 1862–1978; Cajanus 1927:28–29) It has been suggested that it is likely such mummification took place mostly during the winter months (Nuñéz, Paavola et al 2008)
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