Matthías Jochumsson (11 November 1835 – 18 November 1920) was an Icelandic Lutheran clergyman, poet, playwright, and translator. He is best known for his lyrical poetry and for writing the national anthem of Iceland, " Lofsöngur", in 1874. [1]
Life
He was born in Skógar in Þorskafjörður, western Iceland, into a poor family. He studied theology, was ordained priest and for a number of years served as pastor at Oddi, S Iceland, and later in Akureyri. He also worked as a newspaper editor and schoolteacher. In his religious views, Matthías leaned towards Unitarianism. Matthías made some trips to the continent to further his education.
Intending to become a businessman, Matthías discovered his passion for languages and literature. In addition to his own works, which include many hymns, Matthías was a prolific translator, especially from English and the Scandinavian languages. His translations from Shakespeare include Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and Romeo and Juliet.
Matthías's popular comedy, "Skugga-Sveinn", which premiered in 1860, is often hailed as Iceland's first successful performed play.
He wrote " Lofsöngur" with music by Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1874.
He died in Akureyri, where his house, Sigurhæðir, is now a museum, devoted to his life and work. He is buried in Akureyri.
References
- ^ History | Icelandic National Anthem | Subjects | Prime Minister´s Office. Eng.forsaetisraduneyti.is. Retrieved on 5 December 2013.
External links
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