Peder Povelsson Paus

{{Short description|Norwegian high-ranking cleric}} {{Infobox person | name = [[Dominus (title)|Sir]] Peder Povelsson Paus{{efn|name=name}} | image =  | alt =  | caption = | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{Birth date text|1590}} | birth_place = [[Oslo]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|1653|07|21|1590|df=y}} | death_place = [[Kviteseid]] | other_names = Petrus Paulinus Asloensis [Peter Paulson of Oslo] | occupation = [[Cleric]] | children = [[Paul Peterson Paus]] | alma_mater = {{Unbulleted list|[[Oslo Cathedral School]]|[[University of Copenhagen]]}} }} [[Dominus (title)|Sir]] '''Peder Povelsson Paus'''{{efn|name=name|Although the family name Paus is attested in his lifetime, he usually omitted it in everyday use in accordance with the custom of the time, and was often known by his given name and patronymic as Peter Paulson; the exact spelling of both names could vary, both in Latinized and Norwegian versions. His given name may be spelled Peder, Peter or in Latin Petrus; his patronymic is often spelled e.g. Povlsen, Povelsen, Povelsson, Paulson, Paulsson or in Latin Paulinus or Paullinus. In formal documents his name would typically be rendered in Latin, e.g. as ''Petrus Paullinus Asloensis'' [Peter Paulson of Oslo] in the records of the University of Copenhagen. As a member of the clergy, one of the two privileged [[Estates of the realm|estates]], he was [[style (manner of address)|styled]] as ''herr'' in Norwegian or ''[[Dominus (title)|Dominus]]'' in Latin, conventionally rendered as ''Sir'' as an ecclesiastical title in English; the Norwegian style ''herr'' was (until the 19th century) reserved for members of the clergy and the nobility and may be translated as "Sir" or "Lord"; its predecessor ''sira'' (sir) had been introduced as the style for clergymen in Norway in the 13th century and gradually been replaced by the Norwegianized version ''herr'' from the 15th century. Locally in Telemark he would typically only be addressed as Sir Per (''herr Per'', or a variant thereof; Per is a shortened form of Peter).}} (1590 in [[Oslo]] – 21 July 1653, in [[Kviteseid]]), also rendered as '''Peter Paus''' and known locally as '''Sir Per''' ({{langx|no|herr Per}}), was a Norwegian high-ranking [[cleric]] who served as the [[Provost (religion)#Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden|provost]] of [[Upper Telemark]] from 1633 until his death. As provost he was not only the religious leader of the vast region of Upper Telemark, but also one of the foremost government officials in [[Telemark]]; during his lifetime the state church was also an important part of the state administration. He is known through a loving poem in Latin written by his son [[Paul Peterson Paus]] in his memory in 1653, ''In memoriam Domini Petri Pavli'' ("In Memory of [[Dominus (title)|Sir]] Peter Paulson"). His descendants include the playwright [[Henrik Ibsen]] and the singer [[Ole Paus]].

==Life and work==

He grew up in Oslo together with his brother, fellow priest Sir Hans Paus (b. 1587); the brothers have long been known as the earliest certain ancestors of the family [[Paus]]. The fact that both brothers received the best and most costly education available in [[Denmark-Norway]] and their apparent social connections to powerful men in Oslo/Eastern Norway – both easily received attractive positions; the education of Peter's nephew was paid for by Chancellor [[Jens Bjelke]], Bishop [[Oluf Boesen]] and various members of the high nobility – show that they clearly belonged to the elite of 16th century Oslo. According to [[S. H. Finne-Grønn]], the brothers were almost certainly the sons of burgher of Oslo Povel Hansson (born ''ca.'' 1545–50), a son of [[Canon (priest)|canon]] at [[St Mary's Church, Oslo|St Mary's Church]] [[Hans Olufsson]] (died 1570), who held personal noble rank.<ref name="FG">[[S. H. Finne-Grønn]] (1943). "Hr. Peder Povlsen Paus." In: ''[http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2012052905061 Slekten Paus: dens oprindelse og 4 første generasjoner]'' (pp. 16–22). Oslo: Cammermeyer.</ref>

Peter attended [[Oslo Cathedral School]], where Bishop [[Niels Claussøn Senning]] in 1609 selected him as the third singer of the cathedral school's choir; like his brother he sang [[alto]]. He attended the [[University of Copenhagen]] from 7 June 1611, and is the first Norwegian appearing in preserved [[matriculation]] records of the University of Copenhagen, for centuries Denmark-Norway's only university, under the name ''Petrus Paulli[nus] Asloensis'' ("Peter Paulson of Oslo"). Following his studies, he became a member of the [[clergy]] of the [[Church of Norway|state church]], one of the two (next to the nobility) privileged [[Estates of the realm|estates]] in Denmark-Norway in his lifetime.<ref name="FG" /><ref>Blom, Andreas (1904). "Familien Paus i Telemarken". In Qvisling, J.L. (ed.), ''[http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2011072520001 Efterladte historiske optegnelser: særlig vedkommende Skien, Laardal og Kviteseid]''. Skien. pp. 31–64.</ref><ref>Qvisling, J.L. (1906). "Peder Povelsen". In ''[http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2014121208035 Øvre Telemarkens historie: i det 17de aarhundrede]''. Skien: Erik St. Nilssens Boghandel. pp. 11–16.</ref>

[[File:Kvitseid old church (1200 A.D.).jpg|thumb|[[Kviteseid Old Church]] (built ''ca.'' 1260), where Peter Paus was priest from 1633 and where he is interred under the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] floor; the church was the religious centre of the vast [[Upper Telemark]] region]] [[File:Nova et accurata tabula episcopatuum Stavangriensis, bergensis…. - no-nb krt 00534.jpg|thumb|A 1636 map of southern Norway shows [[Upper Telemark|(Upper) Telemark]] as a mostly white field, known for being a remote area inhabited by violent farmers who refused to pay taxes]] [[File:Summer landscape Telemark (2690578882).jpg|thumb|[[Vinje]], where Peter Paus was priest from around 1618 to 1633]] He was headmaster of [[Skien (town)|Skien]] Latin School as of 1617. In 1618 he became chaplain in [[Vinje]] and around 1621–1622 he became the parson (parish priest) of that district. In his lifetime the parishes were not only religious districts, but also the core territorial units in the state administration; as parson he was the foremost government official in Vinje. Around 1622 he married Johanne Madsdatter; in 1625 his oldest son [[Paul Peterson Paus|Paul Paus]] was born in Vinje. Due to the limited income provided by the very large but sparsely populated, mountainous and geographically remote district, he took a leave of absence in the midwinter of 1633 and went with his family to Oslo, where he immediately became a "12 o'clock priest" at [[St. Hallvard's Cathedral|Oslo Cathedral]]; the "12 o'clock priest" was responsible for the 12 o'clock sermon which was aimed particularly at young people and included the reading and explanation of the [[Luther's Large Catechism|Catechism]]. His daughter Helvig Paus (1633–1693) was born in Oslo on 12 July in that year.<ref name="FG" />

In the same year he was appointed by King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV of Denmark-Norway]] as parson (parish priest) of the wealthy and less remote district of [[Kviteseid]] (which then also included Brunkeberg, [[Nissedal]], [[Treungen]] and [[Vrådal]]), in succession to the late Sir Jens Michelsen. He was then additionally immediately elected as the new [[Provost (religion)#Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden|provost]] of all of [[Upper Telemark]], also in succession to Sir Jens. As provost he was not only the religious leader of the vast region of Upper Telemark, but also one of the foremost government officials in [[Telemark]]; Norway was at the time divided into around 40 provostships, larger territorial units that comprised multiple parishes, and the provost ranked between the parsons and the bishops. He lived at Kviteseid Farm, the largest farm in Kviteseid. From the 17th to the 19th century, his descendants were among the foremost of the regional elite, the close-knit "[[aristocracy of officials]]" in Upper Telemark, where many family members served as priests, judges and other officials and where several state and church offices in practice were hereditary in the family for extended periods.<ref name="Nygaard">Jon Nygaard (2013). ''"...af stort est du kommen." Henrik Ibsen og Skien'' (p. 68 and p. 74). Centre for Ibsen Studies. {{ISBN|9788291540122}}</ref> Peter Paus is the progenitor of all extant male lines of the family Paus.<ref name="FG" /> His descendants include the playwright [[Henrik Ibsen]],<ref name="Nygaard" /> the singer [[Ole Paus]] and the composer [[Marcus Paus]].

Peter was interred under the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] floor in the upper part of [[Kviteseid Old Church]]. His son Sir [[Paul Peterson Paus]] (1625–1682), who was parish priest in [[Hjartdal]] and who was regarded as a learned and contemplative personality, wrote the Latin poem "In memoriam Domini Petri Pavli" in "eternal memory of a deceased father written by his grieving son." The poem in [[Hexameter|hexa-]] and [[pentameter]]s is formed as an [[acrostic]] which together forms the phrase ''Petrus Pavli fi[liu]s pastor præpositus'' ("Peter Paulson pastor provost"). The first verse reads in English translation: {{Blockquote |text=Sing with me, my flute, a sorrowful song!<br/>bring forth trembling mournful songs!<br/>Cry, you [[Parcae]], over the sorrowful death of our dear father<br/>and then record his destiny in worthy rhythms |author=[[Paul Peterson Paus]] |title="In memoriam Domini Petri Pavli" (1653) }} The original was on display in Kviteseid Old Church from 1653 until it was given to the university library in Oslo by the widow of [[Magnus Brostrup Landstad]] in the 19th century. Peter Paulson Paus was succeeded as provost of Upper Telemark by [[Sakarias Jonsson Skancke]]. The tradition of Peter's great physical powers have been handed down in Kviteseid until the modern age.<ref name="FG" />

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{reflist}}

{{S-start}} {{S-rel}} {{S-bef|before=[[Jens Michelsen]]}} {{S-ttl|title=[[Provost (religion)|Provost]] of [[Upper Telemark]]|years=1633–1653}} {{S-aft|after=[[Sakarias Jonsson Skancke]]}} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paus, Peter Paulson}} [[Category:17th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy]] [[Category:Clergy from Oslo]] [[Category:People from Kviteseid]] [[Category:People educated at Oslo Cathedral School]] [[Category:University of Copenhagen alumni]] [[Category:Paus family|Peder Povelsson]] [[Category:1590 births]] [[Category:1653 deaths]]