Mikael Agricola (Finnish:[ˈmikɑelˈɑɡrikolɑ]ⓘ; c. 1510 – 9 April 1557) was a
FinnishLutheran clergyman who became the de facto founder of literary
Finnish and a prominent proponent of the Protestant
Reformation in
Sweden, including
Finland, which was a Swedish territory at the time. He is often called the "father of literary Finnish".
Agricola was consecrated as the
bishop of Turku (Åbo) in 1554, without papal approval. He continued the
reform of the
Finnish church (then a part of the Church of Sweden) along
Lutheran lines. He translated the New Testament into Finnish and also produced the prayer book and hymns used in Finland's new Lutheran Church. This work set the rules of orthography that are the basis of modern Finnish spelling. His thorough work is particularly remarkable in that he accomplished it in only three years.
He died of sudden illness while returning from a trip during which he assisted in negotiating the
Treaty of Novgorod with the
Tsardom of Moscovy.
Biography
Early life
Michael Olaui or Mikael Olofsson (Finnish Mikael Olavinpoika) was born in c. 1510 in the village of Torsby in
Pernå (Pernaja),
Nyland (Uusimaa), in what now is part of
Finland but then was part of
Sweden. He was named after the patron saint of Pernå's church. The exact date of his birth, like most details of his life, is unknown. His family was a quite wealthy gentry family according to the local
bailiff's accounting. He had three sisters, but their names are not known. His teachers apparently recognized his aptitude for languages and his rector Bartholomeus sent him to
Viborg (Fi. Viipuri; now Vyborg,
Russia) for
Latin school and some
priestly training, where he attended the school of Erasmus. It is not known whether his first language was Finnish or Swedish; Pernå was mostly a Swedish-speaking district, but the language he used in his works indicates that he was a native speaker of Finnish.[1] However, he mastered both languages like a native speaker and was possibly a bilingual child.[2]
Studies
When Michael studied in
Viborg (Viipuri) he assumed the surname Agricola ("farmer" gv. "agriculture"); surnames based on one's father's status and occupation were common for first-generation scholars at the time. It was probably in Viipuri where he first came in touch with the
Reformation and
Humanism. The Viipuri castle was ruled by a German count,
Johann, who had served the king of Sweden,
Gustav Vasa. The count was a supporter of the Reformation, and they already held
Lutheran services.[2]
In 1528 Agricola followed his teacher to
Turku (Åbo), then the center of the Finnish side of the
Swedish realm and the capital of the
bishopric. There Agricola became a scribe in bishop
Martinus Skytte's office.[2] While in Turku Agricola met
Martin Luther's first Finnish student
Petrus Särkilahti, who eagerly spread the idea of the Reformation. Särkilahti died in 1529, and it was up to Agricola to continue Särkilahti's work. Agricola was ordained for priesthood sometime in the early 1530s.[3]
In 1536 the bishop of Turku sent Agricola to study in
Wittenberg in Germany. He concentrated on the lectures of
Philipp Melanchthon, who was an expert in
Greek, the original language of the
New Testament. In Wittenberg Agricola studied under Luther.[4] Agricola got recommendations to Swedish King
Gustav Vasa from both of the reformers.[3] He sent two letters to Gustav, asking for a confirmation for a
stipend. When the confirmation came, Agricola bought books (for example, the complete works of
Aristotle). In 1537 he started translating the New Testament into Finnish.[citation needed]
Rector and ordinarius
In 1539 Agricola returned to Turku and ended up as the rector of Turku (Cathedral) School. He did not like his job, calling his students "untamed animals". At the time Gustav Vasa had confiscated the property of the church when he was consolidating his power but he also drove the Reformation. In 1544 Agricola received an order from the crown to send several talented young men to
Stockholm's taxing offices. For some reason, Agricola did not obey until the order was sent again the next year, with a more menacing tone. This episode probably affected their relations negatively.[3]
In 1546 Agricola lost his home and school in the Fire of Turku. On 22 February 1548, Gustav Vasa ordered Agricola to retire from his position as a rector. At this time Agricola was already married, but history knows his wife only by her name: Pirjo Olavintytär (Bridget, "daughter of Olavi"; Birgitta Olafsdotter, Brigida Olaui). His only son,
Christian Agricola (Christianus Michaelis Agricola), was born 11 December 1550, and became the bishop of
Tallinn in 1584.[citation needed]
When an old bishop died in 1554, Gustav Vasa had Agricola consecrated as the ordinarius of Turku parish – for all practical purposes
Bishop of Turku and by extension the first Lutheran bishop for all Finland. Agricola was not a particularly strict or dedicated reformer, although he did remove the
Canon of the Mass.[citation needed]
Death
In 1557, Agricola headed a delegation going to
Russia on a diplomatic mission, and was in
Moscow from 21 February to 24 March negotiating a
peace treaty, the
Treaty of Novgorod (1557). On 9 April he fell ill and died on Kyrönniemi peninsula near the
Uusikirkko (now Polyane) village on the
Karelian Isthmus.[5] This day is also
Elias Lönnrot's birthday and it is celebrated in Finland as the day of the Finnish language.[3] Agricola was probably buried inside Viipuri's church, but the exact location of the grave is not known.[6]
Agricola had thought about translating the
New Testament in his early years of study. At the time, however, there was no standard written form of
Finnish, so he started developing it. His first book, Abckiria, which is nowadays known as the "ABC-kirja" or ABC book, was a
primer for reading and a
catechism. It was first printed in 1543.[7] The catechism was included because only very few people could afford the whole
Bible at the time. The first printing contained 16 pages.
A second printing was released in 1551[3] with 24 pages.
In 1966 Åke Åbergin, a librarian, discovered parts, while repairing book bindings, from an as yet unknown (likely the third) edition of the "ABC-kirja" that included the name of the printer, Amund Lauritsanpoika, and fortuitously the publishing date of 1559 (two years after the author's death) of the final as yet undiscovered 8 pages. The pages were likely the result of an imposing error and relegated to padding paper.[8]
Rucouskiria
Agricola's Rucouskiria Bibliasta (contemporary Finnish spelling: Rukouskirja; literally, "Prayer Book from the Bible") was printed in March 1544. At the beginning of the book, Agricola wrote about many topics concerning all-round
education and the Reformation's effects in Finland.[7] The book includes four prefaces and about 700 prayers on many topics;[3] it even has twelve structurally different kinds of prayers, instead of the usual two or three. It is the most independent work by Agricola and contains approximately 900 pages. His sources include the works of
Luther,
Melanchthon, and
Erasmus.[citation needed]
Agricola's most prominent book is the first
Finnish-language translation of the
New Testament. The manuscript was completed in 1548. It contains 718 pages and many illustrations.[7]
Liturgical books
While Agricola was in Wittenberg, he translated three smaller
liturgical books into Finnish. These books were printed in 1549.[7]
Käsikirja Castesta ia muista Christikunnan Menoista includes forms for christening, marriage and burial, as well as speeches for the sick, mourning and dying. It is translated from
Olaus Petri's corresponding work except for the christening and marriage portions, which are from Luther. It also contains minor elements translated from works of
Caspar Huberinus [
de].
Messu eli Herran echtolinen includes the form for a service. It is also based on Olaus Petri's work and a few Finnish manuscripts. In this book Agricola revealed his next mission: the translation of the
Old Testament.[3]
Se meiden Herran Jesusen Christusen Pina, ylesnousemus ia tauiaisen Astumus, niste Neliest Euangelisterist coghottuon tells about
Jesus Christ's suffering. It is collected from all four
gospels. This book was influenced heavily by
Johannes Bugenhagen,[7] a teacher in
Wittenberg. It was mainly translated from the German version, but some parts are influenced by the Swedish version and Agricola's own translation of the New Testament.[citation needed]
In 2007, 450 years after his death, Agricola was selected as the main motif for a commemorative coin, the €10
Mikael Agricola and Finnish language commemorative coin. This collector coin was issued to honor Agricola's life work as a contributor to the Protestant reformation in Finland and as the father of the Finnish written language. The reverse side depicts a quill to reference the writer, while the coin's obverse side contains an artistic interpretation of a human figure.[10]
Gallery
The original statue of Mikael Agricola in
Vyborg by
Emil Wikström, photographed on the day of its reveal in 21 June 1908 [note 1]
^
abcdefgHeininen, Simo (12 April 2021).
"Agricola, Mikael". Kansallisbiografia-verkkojulkaisu. Studia Biographica 4. (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura.
ISSN1799-4349. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
^Penttilä, presented by Aarni (1998). Näköispainos Mikael Agricolan ABCkirian eri painosten sälyneistä katkelmista (reproduction ed.). [Helsinki]: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. p. 32.
ISBN951-717-303-2.