In medieval Iceland, ageing often meant facing the uncertainty of who would care for a person in their final years. Families might be scattered or struggling, and no central state welfare existed. From these circumstances emerged a practice known as próventa, where elderly individuals entrusted their assets to religious institutions or, sometimes, households in exchange for lifelong maintenance.
Origins and continuity across centuries
The word próventa comes from the Latin prōvidēre, which means “to provide for.” Iceland also used Old Norse terms such as arfsal or arfsala, combinations of “inheritance” (arfr) and “sale” (sal), to describe these agreements. In essence, a person with the consent of their heirs gave up property rights for the promise of being cared for until death.
Although a precise starting point is unclear, records suggest próventa dates back at least to the 13th century. The Bishops’ Saga, describing events in Skálholt during Bishop Sigvarður Þéttmarsson’s time (1238–1268), refers to two women who arranged such contracts for themselves. Another early record, a letter from 1290, provides the oldest direct evidence of the tradition. While similar practices may have existed in neighbouring Nordic countries, such as Norway, written references are rare. Notably, Norway’s archbishop Páll of Nidaros banned monasteries from taking in these “corrodians” in 1334, though the custom may have persisted unofficially.
Legal contracts and daily care
In Iceland, widows most frequently took part in próventa, though couples or siblings sometimes arranged to pay for care together. The transfer might involve land, livestock, described by units such as kúgildi (a measurement of livestock equivalent or value), or other goods. The abbeys and monasteries benefitted from these arrangements, securing an important stream of income while fulfilling a social and spiritual duty.
Corrodians, called próventumaður for men and próventukona for women, typically received housing, food and a clothing allowance. An example contract from Reynistaður abbey in 1380 shows Jón Bjarnason and his sister Guðrún exchanging substantial assets, 27 kúgildi and significant quantities of horses, hay, wood and goods, for annual supplies of wadmal (a coarse woollen cloth), linen, and food.
Agreements were detailed, specifying clothing in lengths or ells of cloth, and listing food, often butter, dried fish and skyr (a traditional dairy product), but sometimes guaranteeing alternative diets and quantities by special request. While shoes were typically not included, other items like linen and broadcloth could be stipulated.
The practice endured beyond the Catholic abbeys’ closure in the mid-16th century. After monasteries were dissolved, individual households occasionally took on this responsibility. Próventa persisted in these new forms until around 1900, showing remarkable social endurance.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
