Status, clothing, political power and a kenning: The so-called dróttningar nautr

In two of the so-called Icelandic annals (the Flateyjar annáll and the Lǫgmanna annálar, in the entries relating to the years 1281-1283), it is stated that Queen Margaret of Norway (Margaret of Scotland, 1261-1283) had presented Bishop Jörundr of Hólar with a mantle of hers. The bishop then had the mantle re-made into a cape, which was officially called dróttningar nautr “the queen’s gift”. This piece of information is provided only by the annals, but is perhaps echoed in the Lárentíus saga, where it is said that King Eiríkr II had offered some “robes of rich stuff” to St John of Hólar to have good weather during a voyage across the sea. In this case, the mediator had been the Icelander Guðmundr Hallsson, and “of these robes were made dalmatics at Hólar”. Whoever the donor (whether King Eiríkr II or his queen) might have been, exchanges of garments seem to have taken place at the end of the 13th century between the Norwegian crown and Hólar.