LITERATURE 



12S9 



he recorded his interesting impressions. Dur- 

 ing this century Neils Petersen translated many 

 of the sagas; Molbeck edited the first good Dan- 

 ish dictionary; Schouw, an eminent botanist, 

 Dreier and Japetus, well-known zoologists, 

 wrote on these sciences; Kierkegaard left philo- 

 sophical works, and Nikolia de Saint Aubain 

 gublished some charming romances. Georg 

 randes, belonging to the last half of the cen- 

 tury, stands conspicuous in his country as an 

 advocate for liberal culture and speculation. 



Norwegian and Danish literatures are con- 

 nected in much the same way as the literatures 

 of England and America; there was the same 

 desire of a new nation to express local emo- 

 tions and condition, though using the old lan- 

 guage. The founding of the University in 

 < hri-tiana in the year 1811, and the separation 

 of Norway from Denmark in 1814, led to intel- 

 lectual as well as political independence. If all 

 Norse writers were taken from Danish literature, 

 the close connection between the two would be 

 more plainly marked, for many of the noted 

 names belong to Norway. 



The first book printed in Norway was an 

 almanac brought out in 1643 by a wandering 

 printer who carried types from Copenhagen. 

 The earliest purely Norwegian writer who could 

 claim originality was the wife of the pastor 

 Bardenbeck (1634-1716), who wrote several 

 volumes of religious poetry, morbidly devotional, 

 which became very popular. A few real Nor- 

 wegians were distinguished in science: Gunnerus, 

 the botanist; Schoning, the historian; and 

 Strom, the zoologist, but these authors also 

 wrote in Latin and Danish. In the year 1772 

 the Norwegian poets were so strong in Copen- 

 hagen that they formed a Norwegian society, 

 and there is no notice of anyone counted among 

 Danish authors who was born in Norway since 

 the year 1800. The first independent form taken 

 in Norwegian literature seems to be what 

 was called the poetry of the Seventeenth of 

 May, the date on which Norway proclaimed her 

 king. 



The acknowledged creator of this new litera- 

 ture was the poet Wergeland (1808-1845), who 

 urged the worth of individual liberty and national 

 independence, but he was imaginative and lack- 

 ing in knowledge, and his writings were coldly 



received by critics; a volume of his patriotic 

 poems, however, attracted readers and resulted 

 in making him a power in politics. A more 

 wholesome influence was that of Welhaven 

 (1807-1873), whose first publications were di- 

 rected against Wergeland, and raised a contro- 

 versy that became the topic of the day. \\ ! 

 haven preached conservatism in a collection of 

 satirical sonnets called "The Dawn of Norway," 

 and his advice was soon appreciated and drew 

 attention to a wider field. He did good work 

 both as poet and critic. Contemporary with 

 these poets, but taking no part in the feud, was 

 Andreas Munch. Two of his historical dramas 

 became quite popular. Another poet, Landstad, 

 was employed by the government to prepare a 

 national hymn-book which was published in the 

 year 1861. 



The collection of old Norse folk-tales made by 

 Abjprnsen and Bishop Moe is prominent in Nor- 

 wegian literature. They began by writing 

 down the stories of the peasants, and publishing 

 at first in form for children's reading. The 

 entire collection was gathered, during many 

 years, from minstrels, boatmen, and wanderers 

 of all sorts, and thus they preserved the ancient 

 and historical legends. 



Old Norwegian laws, Runic inscriptions and 

 documents dealing with the medieval history 

 of the country have also been studied by other 

 writers, who have published the results in differ- 

 ent forms. 



Ibsen and Bjornson were the most prominent 

 writers in their generation, confining their work 

 almost entirely to the drama and the novel. 

 The name of Bjornson was made famous by his 

 "Symnove Solbakkan." which appeared in 1857, 

 and Arne, following in the next year. These are 

 romantic and yet realistic stories of life among 

 mountain peasants written in singularly attract- 

 ive style. He wrote other novels and several 

 dramas, among them a little comedy, "The 

 Newly Married Couple," which ^aine.l imme.li- 

 ate success, the drama. "Sigurd Slembe," also 

 adding to his fame. Of Ibsen s dramas " Brand ' ' 

 and "Peer Gynt," studies of modern life, and 

 "The Doll's House," "Ghosts," and others are 

 well known. Norway has also historians, theo- 

 logians, and scientific* men. who made their mark 

 in the literary world of the Nineteenth Century. 



GERMAN LITERATURE 



