hǿgendiskirkja (ON) hǿgendakirkja (ON) noun

A hǿgendiskirkja (‘proprietary church’) was an annex church or a private church, as well as a church built for comfort/convenience (hǿgindi) for a portion of a parish (distinguished from a heraðskirkja (q.v.) and a fjórðungskirkja (q.v.)). An individual man was allowed to build a private church when the journey to another church was considered (too) long and strenuous. The private churches were gradually included in the parish organisation; they were used by other people in the surrounding areas and even obtained the right to receive tithes. In this way, they formed the basis of a new parish organisation, which from the second half of the twelfth century onwards partly replaced the one of the regional laws.

comfort-church ONorw EidsL 39.1
ease-church ONorw EidsL 40.2
private chapel ONorw FrL KrbA 10, 13
ONorw GuL Krb
private church ONorw BorgL 8
proprietary church ONorw BorgL 8.11 10.5 Refs:

Bagge 2010, 232; Hagland and Sandnes 1997, 108; Helle 2001, 201–04; KLNM s.v.v. kirkegård, kyrkans finanser, privatkirke, sogn; Robberstad 1981, 326; Skre 1995, 198; Wood 2006, 85 (with further refs.), 918