| Sumario: | In the first half of the 19th century, the now largely forgotten Copenhagen-based Icelander Finnur Magnússon was considered Europe’s leading authority on Old Norse literature and runic inscriptions. His expert knowledge was called upon by scholars like the Grimm brothers, and his ground-breaking publications on Eddic mythology were inspired by the newest theories in comparative linguistics and philology. Finnur, an admirer of both Rasmus Rask and Walter Scott, dedicated himself to the emancipation of Old Norse mythology vis-à-vis hegemonial classical culture, and defended it ferociously against attacks of the so-called ‘anti-Eddists’. He also encouraged Nordic artists to turn to the Eddas for inspiration in their search for truly ‘national’ motifs. After his reputation was permanently destroyed due to his involvement in the ‘Runamo controversy’, Finnur’s legacy disappeared into oblivion, and his profound significance in the first generation of Icelandic (Romantic) nationalists has been overlooked ever since. What did his contribution to the fledgling national discourse in Iceland consist of? And how did his ideas on Nordic culture and mythology influence the Romantic movement in Scandinavia?
|
|---|