Heðin Brú
Encyclopedia
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. His novel, Feðgar á ferð (The Old Man and His Sons), was chosen as the Book of the twentieth century by the Faroese.
. When he returned to the Faroes, he worked as an agricultural advisor—a job that took him to all parts of the country. The contacts he made with ordinary village people he met during this time had a lasting effect on his writing.
In 1930, his first novel, Lognbrá, which tells the story of a young man growing up in a Faroese village, was published. In 1935, its sequel, Fastatøkur, in which the young man works as a fisherman on a sloop
, followed. Both of these books were translated into Danish
in 1946 and published under the title Høgni.
Feðgar á ferð, Brú's most famous work, was published in Faroese
in 1940, in Danish in 1962 (Fattigmandsære), in German
in 1966 (Des armen Mannes Ehre, a translation of the Danish title), and in English
in 1970 under the title of The Old Man and his Sons. This was his first novel to be translated from Faroese into English. It tells the tale of the transformation of a rural society into a modern nation of fisheries and the conflicts between generations that result.
In 1963, he satirised the Faroese politics of the interwar period in his novel Leikum fagurt. His Men livið lær (1970) describes a Faroese village around 1800, and his Tað stóra takið of 1972 describes a similar village around a century later. While writing these novels, Heðin Brú also wrote three collections of novella
s and translated two Shakespeare plays (Hamlet
and The Tempest
). Until his death, he translated many pieces of world literature into Faroese. Between 1959 and 1974, he published a six-volume collection of Faroese fairy tales, Ævintýr I – VI (with illustrations by Elinborg Lützen). This is considered to be the standard work on the subject.
Jacobsen's son, Bárður, is considered by the Faroese to be the most important visual artist of our time.
were translated by Heðin Brú into Faroese:
Faroese people
The Faroese or Faroe Islanders are a Germanic ethnic group native to the Faeroe Islands. The Faroese are of mixed Norse and Gaelic origins.About 21,000 Faroese live in neighbouring countries, particularly in Denmark, Iceland and Norway....
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. His novel, Feðgar á ferð (The Old Man and His Sons), was chosen as the Book of the twentieth century by the Faroese.
Life and Works
Like many of his countrymen, Jacobsen worked as a fisherman in his early years. After two seasons, he left to study agriculture in DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. When he returned to the Faroes, he worked as an agricultural advisor—a job that took him to all parts of the country. The contacts he made with ordinary village people he met during this time had a lasting effect on his writing.
In 1930, his first novel, Lognbrá, which tells the story of a young man growing up in a Faroese village, was published. In 1935, its sequel, Fastatøkur, in which the young man works as a fisherman on a sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
, followed. Both of these books were translated into Danish
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...
in 1946 and published under the title Høgni.
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...
in 1940, in Danish in 1962 (Fattigmandsære), in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
in 1966 (Des armen Mannes Ehre, a translation of the Danish title), and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1970 under the title of The Old Man and his Sons. This was his first novel to be translated from Faroese into English. It tells the tale of the transformation of a rural society into a modern nation of fisheries and the conflicts between generations that result.
In 1963, he satirised the Faroese politics of the interwar period in his novel Leikum fagurt. His Men livið lær (1970) describes a Faroese village around 1800, and his Tað stóra takið of 1972 describes a similar village around a century later. While writing these novels, Heðin Brú also wrote three collections of novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
s and translated two Shakespeare plays (Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
and The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
). Until his death, he translated many pieces of world literature into Faroese. Between 1959 and 1974, he published a six-volume collection of Faroese fairy tales, Ævintýr I – VI (with illustrations by Elinborg Lützen). This is considered to be the standard work on the subject.
Jacobsen's son, Bárður, is considered by the Faroese to be the most important visual artist of our time.
Works
- Lognbrá. 1930 (Novel. many editions)
- Fastatøkur. 1935 (Novel. many editions)
- Berättelsen om Högni; Translation from Faroese into SwedishSwedish languageSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
by Niels Edberg and Sigfrid Lindström. Lund: Gleerups Förlag, 1939 - 440 pg. - Högni. Romanzo delle Faer-Öer; Translation into ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
by Piero Monaci. Milano: A Mondadori, 1942 - Högni; Translation into Spanish by Angel Giménez Ortiz. Barcelona: Hispano Americana de Ediciones, 1946 - 325 pg.
- Berättelsen om Högni; Translation from Faroese into Swedish
- Fjallaskuggin. 1936 (Novella)
- Fjallaskuggin; Illustrated by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Eigenverlag, 1967 - 135 pg. (2 initial editions, then more)
- Fjeldskyggen, noveller og skitser; Translation into Danish by Gunnvá and Povl Skårup. Kopenhagen: Gyldendal, 1963 - 140 pg.
- Fjällskuggan och andra noveller från Färöarna; Auswahl und Translation into Swedish by Birgitta Hylin; Cover image by Bárður Jákupsson. Stockholm: P.A. Norstedt & Söners förlag, 1981 - 169 pg.
- from it: The White Church in: Sven H. Rossel (ed.): Christmas in Scandinavia. University of Nebraska Press, 1996 - 182 pg. ISBN 0803239076 (more than one author)
- Fjallaskuggin; Illustrated by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Eigenverlag, 1967 - 135 pg. (2 initial editions, then more)
- (Grái táttur in: SosialurinSosialurinSosialurin is a Faroese Newspaper, founded in 1927. Originally it was associated with the Social Democrats, but in 2006 the political party sold their part of the shares. The news paper in partnership with Føroya Tele, a Faroese telecom, operates the website -External links:*...
, 1938 (Satire In Faroese on the Internet))*** - Feðgar á ferð. Tórshavn: Varðin, 1940 - 160 pg. (Novel. at least 5 editions)
- Feðgar á ferð; Translation into IcelandicIcelandic languageIcelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
by Aðalsteinn Sigmundsson. Reykjavík: Víkingsútgáfan, 1941 - 208 pg. - Fattigmandsære; Translation into Danish by Gunnvá and Povl Skårup; Foreword by 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...
. Kopenhagen: Gyldendal, 1962 - 146 pg. - Fattigfolk på ferde; Translation into Norwegian by Ivar Eskeland; Foreword by William Heinesen. Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, 1964 - 152 pg.
- Des armen Mannes Ehre; from the Danish translation by Alfred Anderau. With illustrations by Camille Corti and an afterword by William Heinesen (p. 221-223). Zürich: Flamberg, 1966 - 223 pg.
- nîsarnarsuíngôk / nugterissok; Translation from the Danish into GreenlandicKalaallisut languageGreenlandic is an Eskimo–Aleut language spoken by about 57,000 people in Greenland. It is closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada, such as Inuktitut...
by Jørgen Fleischer. Godthåb: Det Grønlandske Forlag, 1967 - 128 pg. - The old man and his sons; Translation into English and a foreword by John F. West; Drawings by Bárður Jákupsson. New York: Paul S. Eriksson, 1970 - 203 pg. ISBN 0839784120
- Honor biedaka; Translation into PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
by Henryk Anders and Maria Krysztofiak http://www.staff.amu.edu.pl/~ifguam/krysztofiak.htm. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, 1970 - 154 pg. - Ketil und die Wale; Translation from the Danish by Ernst Walter with references to the Faroese original. With an afterword by the translator (s. 187-192). Rostock: Hinstorff, 1971 - 192 pg.
- Fattigmans heder; Translation into Swedish by Birgitta Hylin; Cover image by William Heinesen. Stockholm: Bokförlaget Pan/Norstedts, 1977 - 137 pg.
- Feðgar á ferð; Translation into Icelandic
- Flókatrøll. Kopenhagen: Bókadeild Føroyingafelags, 1948 - 128 pg. (Novella. Translated together with Fjallaskuggin 1936. s.o.)
- from this: Niklas Niklái (EsperantoEsperantois the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
1949, 4 pg.) on the Internet
- from this: Niklas Niklái (Esperanto
- Ævintýr; Illustrations by Elinborg Lützen. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1959-1974 - 6 Volumes (Collection of Faroese Faity Tales. Two editions published since 1974)
- Føroyingasøga. Translations from Old NorseOld NorseOld Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
into Faroese by Heðin Brú and Rikard Long. Tórshavn: Skúlabókagrunnurin, 1962 - 105 pg. - Leikum fagurt ...; Single volume format by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Eigenverlag, 1963 - 195 pg. (many editions)
- Men lívið lær. Tórshavn: Varðin, 1970 - 321 S. (many editions, most lately as a schoolbook in 2001, ISBN 99918-0-267-3)
- Búravnurin ; Cover image by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1971 - 128 pg.
- Tað stóra takið; Cover image by Bárður Jákupsson. 1 edition, Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1972 - 251 pg.
- Endurminningar; Cover layout by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1980 - 389 pg. (Memoir. pub. in 2001 as a book tape, 15 tapes)
Translations
The following works of world literatureWorld literature
World literature refers to literature from all over the world, including African literature, American literature, Arabic literature, Asian literature, Australasian literature, Caribbean Literature, English literature, European literature, Indian literature, Latin American literature, Persian...
were translated by Heðin Brú into Faroese:
- Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: MásinThe SeagullThe Seagull is the first of what are generally considered to be the four major plays by the Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov. The Seagull was written in 1895 and first produced in 1896...
. (rus. Чайка. Without publisher or year. In the Faroese National Library vorhanden, 59 Pages. The piece was performed in the Faroes, but has not yet been released as a book) - "William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
: HarðveðriðThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
". In: Varðin 39, (Tórshavn) 1964 (engl. The Tempest) - William Shakespeare: Hamlet, prinsur av DanmørkHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
. Tórshavn: Varðin, 1969 - 244 pg. (engl. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark) - Henrik IbsenHenrik IbsenHenrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
: Hedda GablerHedda GablerHedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
. Sjónleikur í fýra pørtum. Tórshavn: Havnar sjónleikarfelag, 1969 - 108 pg. - Knut HamsunKnut HamsunKnut Hamsun was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway's soul....
: Vælferðin; Drawings by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1972 - 326 pg. - 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...
: Móðir Sjeystjørna; Title image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1975 - 135 pg. - William Heinesen: Glataðu spælimenninir; Title image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1975 - 298 pg.
- Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky: Tey á SteffansleitiThe Village of StepanchikovoСело Степанчиково и его обитатели or The Village of Stepanchikovo is a novel written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and first published in 1859...
. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1977 - 238 pg. (The Village of Stepanchikovo) - Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky: Karamasov-brøðurnirThe Brothers KaramazovThe Brothers Karamazov is the final novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Dostoyevsky spent nearly two years writing The Brothers Karamazov, which was published as a serial in The Russian Messenger and completed in November 1880...
; Cover image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1978 - 3 Volumes, IX+452, 382, 458 pg. (rus. Братья Карамазовы - The Brothers Karamazov) - Münchhausen greivi - sigur frá; Drawings by Zacharias HeinesenZacharias HeinesenZacharias Heinesen is a Faroese landscape painter. He is the son of the writer William Heinesen.He attended Myndlistaskóli Íslands in Reykjavik between 1957-58. In 1959-1963 he attended the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen. Through the years he has held a number of exhibitions and his...
. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1978 - 175 pg. http://www.muenchhausen-welt.de/welt/faring.htm - Astrid LindgrenAstrid LindgrenAstrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
: Brøðurnir LeyvuhjartaThe Brothers LionheartThe Brothers Lionheart is a children's fantasy novel written by Astrid Lindgren. It was published in the fall of 1973 and has been translated into 46 languages. Many of its themes are unusually dark and heavy for the children's book genre. Disease, death, tyranny, betrayal and rebellion are some...
.Tórshavn: Varðin, 1980 - 242 pg. (swed. Bröderna Lejonhjärta - The Brothers Lionheart) - Brothers GrimmBrothers GrimmThe Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
: Tann stóra ævintýrbókin. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1981 - 125 pg. ("The Great Fairy Tale Book") - Emily BrontëEmily BrontëEmily Jane Brontë 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother...
: Harðförar hæddir; Title image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1984 - 376 pg. (engl. Wuthering HeightsWuthering HeightsWuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
) - Astrid LindgrenAstrid LindgrenAstrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
: Søgur; Translations into Faroese by Heðin Brú et al. Velbastað: Dropin, 1986 - 263 pg. ("Histories") - Brüder Grimm: Ævintýrbókin; Translations into Faroese by Heðin Brú et al. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1989 - 251 pg. ("The Fairy Tale Book")
Honors
- 1964: The Faroese Literature PrizeFaroese Literature PrizeFaroese Literature Prize, also known as the M. A. Jacobsens Heiðursløn, is a prize for Faroese literature that began in Tórshavnar kommuna in 1958. Its winners include Heðin Brú and Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen.- List over Faroese Literature Prize Winners :...
- 1964: Statens Kunstfond (for Fjeldskyggen)
- 1980: Together with Elinborg Lützen: The Children's Book Prize of the Community of Tórshavn (for Ævintýr I-VI)
- 1982: The Holberg Medal