# History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North

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HISTORY OF THE LITERATURE
OF THE
SCANDINAVIAN NORTH
FROM
THE MOST ANCIENT TIMES TO THE PRESENT.
BY
FREDERIK WINKEL HORN, Ph.D.
REVISED BY THE AUTHOR,
AND TRANSLATED BY
RASMUS B. ANDERSON,
AUTHOR OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY, AMERICA NOT DISCOVERED BY COLUMBUS, VIKING TALES OF THE NORTH, AND OTHER WORKS,
WITH A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE IMPORTANT BOOKS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE RELATING TO THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES,
PREPARED FOR THE TRANSLATOR BY
THORVALD SOLBERG
OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, WASHINGTON, D. C.
CHICAGO:
S. C. GRIGGS AND COMPANY.
1884.
Copyright, 1883,
By S. C. GRIGGS AND COMPANY.
TO MY WIFE,
BERTHA KARINA ANDERSON,
THIS WORK IS
AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.
R. B. ANDERSON.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction, 1
PART I.
THE OLD NORSE AND ICELANDIC LITERATURE.
Works of Reference, 11
CHAPTER I.
Old Norse Literature.
Iceland peopled from Norway becomes the original home of the Old Norse Literature. Why the Icelanders became preëminently a historical people. The elder and younger Edda and their principal contents. The forms of Old Norse poetry. The Skaldic poetry and its developments from the drapas to the rhymes. The most famous skalds and their drapas. Saga-writings. Icelandic genealogies. Snorre Sturleson's Heimskringla. Mythic heroic sagas. Romances. Legends. Folk-lore. Laws, 13
CHAPTER II.
Modern Icelandic Literature.
Revival of literature in Iceland. Favorable and unfavorable conditions. Influence of the Reformation. Translations of the Bible. Psalmists. Collections of sermons. Participation of the Icelanders in the age of learning in the North. Arngrim Jonsson. The study of antiquities. Linguistic investigations. Aids to the study of manuscripts. Torfæus. Arne Magnusson. Vidalin. Finn Magnusson. Patriotic movement. Jon Sigurdsson. Revival of poetry. Rhymes. Modern poets, 74
PART II.
DENMARK AND NORWAY.
Works of Reference, 93
CHAPTER I.
The Middle Age.
The conditions under which the literature of the middle age began. Influence of the clergy. Latin literature. Theological writings. Suneson's Hexaämeron. Archbishop Absalon. Svend Aageson. Saxo Grammaticus and his great work. Works in the Danish language. Provincial laws. Popular ballads; their origin, character and forms. Different kinds of ballads. Suppression of the Latin by the Danish language. Translations of theological works. Religious poems. Ascendancy of German influence, 95
CHAPTER II.
The Age of the Reformation.
Introduction of the Reformation and the literary activity it produced. Christian Pederson, the founder of Danish literature. Translations of the Bible. Peder Plade. Hans Tausen and his conflict with the Catholic clergy. Paul Eliesen. Religious, satirical and dramatic productions, 136
CHAPTER III.
The Period of Learning.
Characteristics of the Age. The vernacular gives way to the Latin. Supreme influence of the Orthodox Theology. Niels Hemmingsen. Jesper Brochmand. Works for edification. Tyge Brahe. Ole Römer. Kaspar and Thomas Bartholin and Ole Borch. Polyhistors. Neils Stensen. Bergitte Thott. Leonora Ulfeldt. Anders Vedel. Huitfeldt. Lyskarider. The beginning of antiquarian research. Ole Worm. The service of the Icelanders to the study of Old Norse. Danish philology. Peder Syv. Poetical attempts, 156
CHAPTER IV.
Holberg and His Time (1700–1750).
Holberg's youth. His studies and journeys. First appointment as professor. Historical works. Publication of Peder Paars. Opening of the Danish theatre. Holberg's comedies. Interruption of his poetical activity. Travels abroad. Greater historical works. Continued dramatic composition. Niels Klim. Last works. Bequests to the Sorö Academy. Holberg's importance and influence considered. Christian Falster. Jörgen Sorterup. Ambrorius Stub. Hans Brorson. Frederik Eilschow. Erik Pontoppidan. Hans Gram. Jakob Langebek. Peter Suhm, 183
CHAPTER V.
The Age of Enlightenment (1750–1800).
The struggle between orthodoxy and rationalism. Victory of the latter and its consequences. Reaction against foreign influence. Sneedorf, Pram, Rahbek, Heiberg, Bruun, Society for the advancement of sciences. Klopstock and his influence on Danish literature. Stenersen. Tullin. Ewald, his works and his importance. Wessel and his poems. The Danish and Norwegian society of literature. Baggesen, 205
CHAPTER VI.
Modern Danish Literature (after 1800).
Oehlenschläger. His acquaintance with Steffens and the latter's influence on him. First works. Oehlensehläger's great productiveness. His relations to the Old Norse. War with Baggesen. Oehlensehläger's great importance. Staffeldt. Grundtvig and his works. His importance as poet and dogmatician. Ingemann, Hauch, Bredahl, Blicher, Möller, Winther, Andersen, J. L. Heiberg, Hertz, Paludan-Müller, Mrs. Gyllembourg and Carl Bernhard. Aarestrup, Bagger, Bödtcher and others. Ploug, Hostrup, Richardt, Kaalund, Bogh, Molbech, Carit Etlar, Goldschmidt, H. P. Ewald. Poets of the present. Science in Denmark in the nineteenth century, 228
CHAPTER VII.
Norwegian Literature since 1814.
Unfavorable conditions for the foundation of an independent Norwegian literature, and efforts to improve these conditions. Wergeland and Welhaven, their respective positions, their feuds and their significance. Munch, Asbjörnsen, Moe, Björnson, Ibsen, Lie and others. Contributions in the various departments of science, 293
PART III.
SWEDEN.
Works of Reference, 313
CHAPTER I.
The Middle Age (until 1520).
Beginnings of Swedish literature. Religious works. Popular songs. Rhymed chronicles. Romances of chivalry, 317
CHAPTER II.
Period of the Reformation (1520–1640).
Introduction of the Reformation. Translations of the Bible. Historical works. Mesmerism. Dramatical works. Religious literature, 322
CHAPTER III.
The Stjernhjelm Period (1640–1740).
Sweden's golden age, founded and advanced by great kings. Stjernhjelm as polyhistor and poet. His influence and his successors. Dahlstjerna. Poets of minor importance. Characteristics of Swedish historiography. Verelius. Rudbek. Werwing. Widekindi. Pufendorf . Peringskjöld and others. The other scientific branches, 331
CHAPTER IV.
The Dalin Age (1740–80).
The invasion of French elements. Dalin and his importance. Madame Nordenflycht and her influence. Crentz. Gyllenborg. Mörk. Wallenberg. Linné. Lagerbring. Botin. Höpken. Tessin. Ihre, 345
CHAPTER V.
The Gustavian Period (1780–1809).
The influence of King Gustav III on Swedish literature. Foundation of the Academy. The two main tendencies in Swedish literature. Kellgren. Leopold. Oxenstjerna. Adlerbeth. Bellman, Hallmann, Kexél and others. Lidner. Thorild. Anna Lenngren, 354
CHAPTER VI.
The Nineteenth Century.
Franzén. Wallin. Introduction of the new romanticism in Sweden. Phosphorists, Hammarsköld, Atterbom, Palmblad and others. Gothic school. Geijer. Ling. Tegnér. Beskow. Nicander. Tegnér's successors, Lindeblad and others. Novel literature. Almquist. Mrs. Bremer. Mrs. Flygare-Carlén. Gumälius. Crusenstolpe. Rydberg. Malmström. Böttiger and other poets. Runeberg and his imitators. Topelius Recent poets. Historiography. Other sciences, 373
Bibliography of Scandinavia, 413
Index 501
NORSE LITERATURE
PUBLISHED BY S. C. GRIGGS & COMPANY,
CHICAGO.
Anderson—Norse Mythology 2 50
Anderson—Viking Tales of the North 2 00
Anderson—The Younger Edda 2 00
Holcomb—Tegner's Fridthjof's Saga 1 50
Janson—The Spell-Bound Fiddler 1 50
Lie—The Pilot and his Wife 1 50
Lie—The Barque Future 1 00
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