'' <'< ';':..: ' <:':; ' , i • W'-i ^«| vKv Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026360747 The date shows when this volume was taken To renew this book copy the call No. and give to the librarian. HOME All Books subject to Recall All borrowers must regis- tevn the library to borrow books for home use. All books must be re- turned at end of college year for inspection and repairs. Limited books must be re- turned within the four week limit and not renewed. Students must return all books before leaving town. Officers should arrange for the return of books wanted during their absence from town. Volumes of periodicals and of pamphlets are held in the library as much as possible. For special pur- poses they are given out for a limited time. Borrowers should not use their library privileges for the benefit of other persons. Books of special value and gift books, when the giver wishes it, are not allowed to circulate. Readers are asked to re- port all cases of books marked or mutilated. Cornell University Library PT 7060.W77 1884 lobo NORSE LITERATURE PUBLISHED BY S. C. GRIGGS & COMPANY, CHICAGO. Anderson — America not Discovered by Columbus $1 00 Anderson — Norse Mythology Anderson —Viking Tales of the North Anderson — The Younger, Edda Porestier — Echoes prom Mist-Land or, ; The Nibelungen Lay Revealed Holcomb — Tegner's Fridthjof's Saga Janson — The Spell-Bound Fiddler Lie — The Pilot and his Wife Lie — The Barque Future Peterson — Norwegian - Danish Grammar and Reader 1 25 HISTORY OF THE LITERATURE SCANDINAVIAN NORTH THE MOST ANCIENT TIMES TO THE PRESENT. FREDERIK WINKEL HORN, Ph.D. REVISED BY THE AUTHOR, AND TRANSLATED BY EASMUS bTaBTANDEESON, AUTHOR OP 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. GEIGGS AND COMPANY. 1884. *HV +-TP ^ORNELl\ UNIVERSITY V Copyright, 1888, Bt 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 op Reference, 11 CHAPTER I. Old Norse Literature. Iceland peopled from Norway becomes the original home of the Old Norse Literature. Why the Icelanders became preemi- nently 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 Heims- kringla. Mythic heroic sagas. Romances. Legends. Folk- lore. Laws, . 13 CHAPTER II. Modern Icelandic Literature. Revival of literature in Iceland. Favorable and unfavorable con- ditions. 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. Torfeus. Arne Mag- nusson. Vidalin. Finn Magnusson. Patriotic movement. Jon Sigurdsson. Revival of poetry. Rhymes. Modern ' poets, . 74 VI TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART II. DENMARK AND NORWAY. Works op 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 Hexaihneron. Archbishop Absalon. Svend Aageson. Saxo GrfShmaticus 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. Ascen- dancy of German influence, 95 CHAPTER II. The Age of the Reformation. Introduction of the Reformation and the literary activity it pro- duced. Christian Pederson, the founder of Danish litera- ture. 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 ROmer. Kaspar and Thomas Bartholin and Ole Borch. Polyhistors. Neils Stensen. Bergitte Thott. Leonora ITlfeldt. 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, TABLE OF CONTENTS. Vll CHAPTER IV. HOLBERG AND HlS TlME (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. Inter- ruption of his poetical activity. Travels abroad. Greater historical works. Continued dramatic composition. Niels Klim. Last works. Bequests to the Soro Academy. Hol- berg's importance and influence considered. Christian Palster. JOrgen Sorterup. Ambrorius Stub. Hans Brorson. Fred- erik Bilschow. 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 influ- ence. 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). Oehlenschlager. His acquaintance with Steffens and the lat- ter's influence on him. First works. Oehlensehlager's great productiveness. His relations to the Old Norse. War with Baggesen. Oehlensehlager's great importance. Staffeldt. Grundtvig and his works. His importance as poet and dog- matician. Ingemann, Hauch, Bredahl, Blicher, Moller, Whi- ther, Andersen, J. L. Heiberg, Hertz, Paludan-Miiller, Mrs. Gyllembourg and Carl Bemhard. Aarestrup, Bagger, Bodtcher and others. Ploug, Hostrup, Richardt, Kaalund, Bogh, Mol- bech, Carit Etlar, Goldschmidt, H. P. Ewald. Poets of the present. Science in Denmark in the nineteenth century, 228 VUl TABLE OF CONTENTS. 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, Asbjornsen, Moe, BjSrn- son, Ibsen, Lie and others. Contributions in the various de- partments of science, 293 PART III. SWEDEN. Works op 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 op the Reformation (1520-1640). Introduction of the Reformation. Translations of the Bible. Historical works. Mesmerism. Dramatical works. Reli- gious 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. Char- acteristics of Swedish historiography. Verelius. Rudbek. Werwing. Widekindi. Pufendorf . PeringskjOld and others. The other scientific branches, 331 TABLE OF CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER IV. The Dalin Age (1740-80). The invasion of French elements. Dalin and his importance. Madame Nordenflycht and her influence. Creutz. Gyllen- borg. M8rk. Wallenberg. Linne. Lagerbring. Botin. HSpken. Tessin. Ihre, 345 CHAPTER V. The Gustavian Period (1780-1809). The influence of King Gustav III on Swedish literature. Founda- tion of the Academy. The two main tendencies in Swedish literature. Kellgren. Leopold. Oxenstjerna. Adlerbeth. Bellman, Hallmann, Kexel and others. Lidner. Thorild. Anna Lenngren, 354 i CHAPTER VI. The Nineteenth Century. Franzen. Wallin. Introduction of the new romanticism in Sweden. Phosphorists, HammarskOld, Atterbom, Palmblad and others. Gothic school. Geijer. Ling. Tegner. Beskow. Meander. TegneVs successors, Lindeblad and others. Novel literature. Almquist. Mrs. Bremer. Mrs. Flygare-Carlen. Gumalius. Crusenstolpe. Rydberg. MalmstrSm. BSttiger and other poets. Runeberg and his imitators. Topelius Recent poets. Historiography. Other sciences, 373 Bibliography of Scandinavia, . 413 rNTKODTJOTIOK rT^HE Scandinavian nations constitute together a branch that in early times became detached from the great folk-tree which we usually call the Gothic-Germanic (or Teutonic) race. This branch embraces the inhabitants of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. The latter be- longs, though merely in a political sense, to Denmark. In the following review of the intellectual life of these nations, as it has, in the course of time, found expression in litera- ture, we propose to consider the inhabitants of the four countries named collectively, although they at the present time, not only in politics, but also in many other respects, possess strongly marked national