Tyge (bishop)
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Tyge or Tuke or Tycho (d. 23 November 1272 on Samsø) was bishop of the Diocese of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark. Tyge completed studies in Paris where he obtained a magister degree. Tyge became bishop of Aarhus with the support of Pope Urban IV and was involved in the ouster of Jacob Erlandsen, Archbishop of the Diocese of Lund. Bishop Tyge was known as a staunch supporter of the Danish kings and was for a period the de facto head of church in Denmark. Tyge died on Samsø on 23 November 1273. His successor was the former arch deacon Peder Aaby who had been Tyge's and king Eric V'a trusted supporter during the conflict with the church.[1]
In 1260 there were elections in the diocese of Aarhus for bishop and Tyge received several votes although not enough to secure victory. Tyge traveled to the Pope in Rome to have the matter resolved but in the meantime the Archbishop of the Diocese of Lund Jacob Erlandsen appointed abbot Arnfast of Ryd Abbey bishop of Aarhus. Arnfast was by some suspected of having killed king Christoffer I in 1259 so it may have been a contentious decision. In Rome Tyge successfully gained the support of Pope Pope Urban IV who reprimanded Jacob Erlandsen and made Tyge bishop. In addition Tyge won the support of the pope for the candidate of the Danish state for archbishop in the Diocese of Lund. In 1262 Tyge returned to Denmark with rare relics and was quickly seen as the preeminent cleric in the diocese.[2][3]
Tyge had the papal nuntius magister Gerhard banish Jacob Erlandsen and Urban IV indicted Erlandsen in the papal courts with severe accusations resulting in Jacob Erlandsen and his supporters being forced to leave the country. In addition Tyge was entrusted with a number of positions. In 1263 he was tasked with designing a convent Princess Agnes was establishing, even though the convent was in Zealand. In the same year he was made responsible for collecting funds in Denmark for the crusades. In 1264 he was put in charge of the Diocese of Roskilde when bishop Peder Bang was exiled.[4]
