Frans Gunnar Bengtsson
Encyclopedia
Frans Gunnar Bengtsson was a Swedish
novelist, essayist, poet and biographer. He was born in Tossjö (now in Ängelholm Municipality
) in Skåne and died at Ribbingsfors Manor in northern Västergötland
.
, Walter Scott
, Joseph Conrad
, and Stonewall Jackson
. His essays mainly dealt literary and historical subjects. A selection was translated into English in 1950 and published as A Walk to an Ant Hill and Other Essays.
His biography on the Swedish king Charles XII (Karl XII:s levnad) 1932 is his magnum opus
. He describes the king through excerpts from contemporary diaries by officers and common soldiers, and from a wealth of quotes from the published literature. Bengtsson's work draws heavily on the biography of Charles XII by Voltaire
published in 1731, thirteen years after the king’s death.
Later, Bengtsson became widely known for his Viking
saga novel Röde Orm (The Long Ships
), published in two parts in 1941 and 1945. The hero Orm, later called Röde Orm (Red Snake) because of his red beard, is kidnapped as a boy onto a raiding ship and leads an exciting life in the Mediterranean area around the year 1000 AD. Later, he makes an expedition eastward into what is now Russia.
Bengtsson once said: "Joan of Arc
, Charles XII, and Garibaldi
are the persons I would like to meet - for them the truth was more important than intrigues."
degree in English literature in 1930.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
novelist, essayist, poet and biographer. He was born in Tossjö (now in Ängelholm Municipality
Ängelholm Municipality
Ängelholm Municipality is a municipality in Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the city Ängelholm....
) in Skåne and died at Ribbingsfors Manor in northern Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
.
Literary career
Bengtsson began as a poet, with his debut work Tärningskast (Throwing Dice) published in 1923. In 1929 he published an essay collection titled Litteratörer och Militärer (Writers and Warriors) with contributions on François VillonFrançois Villon
François Villon was a French poet, thief, and vagabond. He is perhaps best known for his Testaments and his Ballade des Pendus, written while in prison...
, Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist.Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English, although he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties...
, and Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
. His essays mainly dealt literary and historical subjects. A selection was translated into English in 1950 and published as A Walk to an Ant Hill and Other Essays.
His biography on the Swedish king Charles XII (Karl XII:s levnad) 1932 is his magnum opus
Magnum opus
Magnum opus , from the Latin meaning "great work", refers to the largest, and perhaps the best, greatest, most popular, or most renowned achievement of a writer, artist, or composer.-Related terms:Sometimes the term magnum opus is used to refer to simply "a great work" rather than "the...
. He describes the king through excerpts from contemporary diaries by officers and common soldiers, and from a wealth of quotes from the published literature. Bengtsson's work draws heavily on the biography of Charles XII by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
published in 1731, thirteen years after the king’s death.
Later, Bengtsson became widely known for his Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
saga novel Röde Orm (The Long Ships
The Long Ships
The Long Ships or Red Orm is a best-selling Swedish novel written by Frans Gunnar Bengtsson . The novel is divided into two parts, published in 1941 and 1945, with two books each....
), published in two parts in 1941 and 1945. The hero Orm, later called Röde Orm (Red Snake) because of his red beard, is kidnapped as a boy onto a raiding ship and leads an exciting life in the Mediterranean area around the year 1000 AD. Later, he makes an expedition eastward into what is now Russia.
Bengtsson once said: "Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
, Charles XII, and Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
are the persons I would like to meet - for them the truth was more important than intrigues."
Personal life
Bengtsson married Gerda Fineman in 1939. He studied at the University of Lund from 1912, receiving a licentiateLicentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
degree in English literature in 1930.
External links
- Frans G. Bengtsson
- Frans G. Bengtsson-sällskapet (The Frans G. Bengtsson society, in Swedish)