Faroese literature
Encyclopedia
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
many poems and stories were handed down orally
Oral literature
Oral literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. It thus forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do...
. These works were split into the following divisions: sagnir (historical), ævintyr (stories) and kvæði (ballads, often set to music and dance). These were eventually written down in the 19th century.
In the 13th century the Færeyinga saga
Færeyinga Saga
The Færeyinga Saga , the Norse saga of Faroemen, is the story of how the Faroes were converted to Christianity and became a part of the Kingdom of Norway.-Summary:It was written in Iceland shortly after 1200...
(Saga of the Faroe Islanders) was written in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. It tells the story of the settlement and early history of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, though it is doubtful that it is entirely historically accurate.
Faroese literature in the traditional sense of the word has only really developed in the past 100–200 years. This is mainly because of the islands' isolation, and also because the Faroese language
Faroese language
Faroese , is an Insular Nordic language spoken by 48,000 people in the Faroe Islands and about 25,000 Faroese people in Denmark and elsewhere...
was not written down in a standardised format until 1890. The Danish language
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
was also encouraged at the expense of Faroese. Nevertheless, the Faroes have produced several authors and poets. In the early 19th century the liberalist Nólsoyar Páll - Poul Poulson Nólsoy
Nólsoyar Páll
Nólsoyar Páll is a Faroese national hero. He was a seaman, trader, poet, farmer and boat builder who tried to develop direct trade between the Faroes and the rest of Europe and introduced vaccination to the islands...
tried to end the trading monopoly that was affecting the islands. He wrote many poems, including his most famous work Fuglakvæði. Other poets include the brothers Janus
Janus Djurhuus
Jens Hendrik Oliver Djurhuus, called Janus Djurhuus, was the first modern Faroese poet...
and Hans Andreas Djurhuus, and Rói Patursson
Rói Patursson
Rói Reynagarð Patursson is a Faroese writer and philosopher. He is also the director of the Folk High School of the Faroes....
. Other famous authors from the Faroes include Heðin Brú
Heðin Brú
Heðin Brú was the penname of Hans Jacob Jacobsen, a Faroese novelist and translator.Heðin Brú is considered to be the most important Faroese writer of his generation and is known for his fresh and ironic style...
(The Old Man and His Son), Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen
Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen
Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen occupies a distinct place in Scandinavian literature. He is the only Faroese writer to achieve international best-seller status...
(who wrote in Danish) (known for his sole novel Barbara) and William Heinesen
William Heinesen
Andreas William Heinesen was a poet, composer and painter from the Faroe Islands.- His Writing :The Faroese capital Tórshavn is always the centre of Heinesen's writing. He is famous for having once called Tórshavn "The Navel of the World". His writing focuses on contrasts between darkness and...
(The Black Cauldron, who also wrote in Danish).
Both Heinesen and Patursson have been awarded The Nordic Council's Literature Prize
The Nordic Council's Literature Prize
The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth 350,000 Danish kroner...
.
Most famous Faroese writers
- Heðin BrúHeðin BrúHeðin Brú was the penname of Hans Jacob Jacobsen, a Faroese novelist and translator.Heðin Brú is considered to be the most important Faroese writer of his generation and is known for his fresh and ironic style...
- Joen DanielsenJoen DanielsenJoen Danielsen Known as Kvívíks-Jógvan , . He married and settled in the town of Gjógv....
- Hans Andrias Djurhuus
- Janus DjurhuusJanus DjurhuusJens Hendrik Oliver Djurhuus, called Janus Djurhuus, was the first modern Faroese poet...
- Karsten Hoydal
- Jørgen-Frantz JacobsenJørgen-Frantz JacobsenJørgen-Frantz Jacobsen occupies a distinct place in Scandinavian literature. He is the only Faroese writer to achieve international best-seller status...
- Martin Joensen
- Poul F. Joensen
- Christian Matras
- Kristian Osvald ViderøKristian Osvald ViderøKristian Osvald Viderø was a Faroese clergyman, poet and Bible translator. After theological studies in Denmark, he oversaw the completion of a translation of the Old Testament into the Faroese language, which Jákup Dahl had worked on until his death in 1944. He was the parish priest of Hattarvík...
- William HeinesenWilliam HeinesenAndreas William Heinesen was a poet, composer and painter from the Faroe Islands.- His Writing :The Faroese capital Tórshavn is always the centre of Heinesen's writing. He is famous for having once called Tórshavn "The Navel of the World". His writing focuses on contrasts between darkness and...