Overview

For centuries, the literary heritage preserved in Icelandic medieval manuscripts has played a vital role in the self-image of the Icelandic nation. From the late eighteenth century, Icelandic scholars had better opportunities than previously to study and publish this material on their own terms. Throughout the long nineteenth century they were intensely engaged in philological work on it. This coincided with an increasing awareness among Icelanders of a separate nationality and their growing demand for autonomy. What was the connection between the two developments? This literature was also important for the shaping of identities among other Northern European nations. The twelve chapters of this collection explore the interplay between various national discourses that characterized the scholarly reception of this heritage during the period. Contributors are: Alderik H. Blom, Clarence E. Glad, Matthew James Driscoll, Gylfi Gunnlaugsson, Simon Halink, Hjalti Snær Ægisson, Jon Gunnar Jørgensen, Annette Lassen, and Ragnheiður Mósesdóttir.

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9789004499652

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Reviews

""This volume (...) is highly descriptive, biographical, and of great utility. In twelve chapters, the fortunes and misfortunes of scholars and their motivations for claiming authority are explored. People otherwise lost to time and known only from the title pages of old volumes are brought to life, their work placed in context, and their connections, roles, and struggles made clear."" – Roderick McDonald, in: Parergon 40.2 (2023)

Author Information

Gylfi Gunnlaugsson, cand. mag. (1990), University of Iceland, is a researcher at the Reykjavik Academy. He has taught at the University of Kiel and the University of Iceland. He has published extensively on the reception of Old Norse literature in later periods.. Clarence E. Glad, Ph.D. (1992), Brown University, is a researcher at the Reykjavik Academy. He has published monographs and articles on nineteenth century Icelandic cultural nationalism and on the Pauline heritage in Early Christianity, including Paul and Philodemus (Brill, 1995).

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