Jákup Dahl
Encyclopedia
Jákup Dahl (June 5, 1878 – 1944) was a Faroese
Provost
and Bible translator. In 1908 he became known as a linguist
with the first Faroese
grammar lessons for school students.
on the island of Suðuroy
in the Faroe Islands
. He was the son of the merchant Peter Hans Dahl and Elisabeth Súsanna Vilhelm.
Dahl was a classmate of Janus Djurhuus
at the high school in Tórshavn
, the capital of the Faroes. Djurhuus described Dahl’s delivery of the nationalist hymn Nú it tann stundin komin til handa by Jóannes Patursson
as his "linguistic baptism". While he was affiliated with Patursson's Party Sjálvstýrisflokkurin (Self-Government Party or Separatist Party), Jacob Dahl became famous during the Faroese language conflict
, when he refused, as a teacher in Tórshavn 1909, to continue to teach in Danish
. This matter back then was elevated to the Copenhagen
ministry of instruction. One of his former students was William Heinesen
, who reminisced about the time when Dahl still forced his students to use Danish.
In 1917 Dahl was elected Provost of the Faroes. In 1921 he published his translation of the Book of Psalms. The New Testament
was published in 1937. Subsequently he started the translation of the Old Testament
, but was unable to finish it prior to his death in 1944. This task was then taken over by Kristian Osvald Viderø
, to enable the Danske Folkekirke Church of Denmark
(which immediately authorized Dahl’s translations) to finally present a Bible
translation in Faroese language
in 1961. Besides the Bible translation, Dahl also supplied a transliteration of the Catechism
, a Bible story and a compilation of Faroese sermons for Layman Worships in remote villages. In addition Jákup Dahl translated dozens of church songs, including some by Martin Luther
into his native language.
A Bible translation by Victor Danielsen
already existed in 1948, but he based his on modern European editions, unlike Dahl’s translations from the older editions.
Jákup Dahl’s son Regin Dahl
(b. 1918) is an important Faroese poet and composer.
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....
Provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
and Bible translator. In 1908 he became known as a linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
with the first Faroese
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...
grammar lessons for school students.
Life and work
Dahl was born June 5, 1878, in VágurVágur
Vágur meaning Bay is a town on the Faroe Islands of Suðuroy, it is situated on the east coast of the island on the Vágsfjørður fjord, and dates from the fourteenth century. Expansion has meant that the nearby town of Nes is now a suburb of Vágur...
on the island of Suðuroy
Suðuroy
Suðuroy is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 km². In 2010 there were 4763 inhabitants, but there has been a gradual decline in the population numbers ever since the 1950s....
in 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...
. He was the son of the merchant Peter Hans Dahl and Elisabeth Súsanna Vilhelm.
Dahl was a classmate of Janus Djurhuus
Janus Djurhuus
Jens Hendrik Oliver Djurhuus, called Janus Djurhuus, was the first modern Faroese poet...
at the high school in Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
, the capital of the Faroes. Djurhuus described Dahl’s delivery of the nationalist hymn Nú it tann stundin komin til handa by Jóannes Patursson
Jóannes Patursson
Jóannes Patursson was a Faroese nationalist leader and poet.He was the great-grandson of the Faroese national hero Nólsoyar Páll. His brother Sverre Patursson was an important writer and his sister Susanna Helena Patursson the first feminist of the Faroe Islands.-Background:Jóannes was born in...
as his "linguistic baptism". While he was affiliated with Patursson's Party Sjálvstýrisflokkurin (Self-Government Party or Separatist Party), Jacob Dahl became famous during the Faroese language conflict
Faroese language conflict
The Faroese language conflict is a phase in the history of the Faroe Islands in the first half of the 20th century . It was the political and cultural argument between the requirements of the Faroese language in general use, and the Danish language as the official language of the Faroe Islands.At...
, when he refused, as a teacher in Tórshavn 1909, to continue to teach in 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...
. This matter back then was elevated to the Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
ministry of instruction. One of his former students was 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...
, who reminisced about the time when Dahl still forced his students to use Danish.
In 1917 Dahl was elected Provost of the Faroes. In 1921 he published his translation of the Book of Psalms. The New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
was published in 1937. Subsequently he started the translation of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, but was unable to finish it prior to his death in 1944. This task was then taken over by Kristian Osvald Viderø
Kristian Osvald Viderø
Kristian 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...
, to enable the Danske Folkekirke Church of Denmark
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church and largest denomination in Denmark and Greenland...
(which immediately authorized Dahl’s translations) to finally present a Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
translation in 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...
in 1961. Besides the Bible translation, Dahl also supplied a transliteration of the Catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
, a Bible story and a compilation of Faroese sermons for Layman Worships in remote villages. In addition Jákup Dahl translated dozens of church songs, including some by Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
into his native language.
A Bible translation by Victor Danielsen
Victor Danielsen
Victor Danielsen , was the first Faroese Bible translator and Plymouth Brethren missionary.Victor Danielsen played a pivotal role in the Plymouth Brethren's establishment in the Faroe Islands after it was introduced there by William Gibson Sloan in the late nineteenth century.- Biography :Victor...
already existed in 1948, but he based his on modern European editions, unlike Dahl’s translations from the older editions.
Jákup Dahl’s son Regin Dahl
Regin Dahl
Regin Dahl was a Faroese author and music composer.-Biography:Dahl came from a literary family; his father was translator and provost Jákup Dahl. His own poetry has been described as more modernistic than many previous Faroese poets...
(b. 1918) is an important Faroese poet and composer.
Works
- 1908: Føroysk mállæra til skúlabrúks. Tórshavn. (“Färöi language teachings for the school use”)
- 1913: Jólasálmar og morgun og kvøldsálmar (collection of Jákup Dahl and Símun av Skarði. Tórshavn: Fram - 30 pp. (Christmas carols and tomorrow and evening songs)
- 1928: Glottar. Tórshavn: H.N. Jacobsens Bókahandil - 96 pp.
- 1935: Ávegis. Tórshavn: H.N. Jacobsens Bókahandil 156 pp.
- 1948: Sólin og sóljan: Self-publishing house Regin Dahl. - 79 pp.
- 1948: Meðan hildið verður heilagt. Lestrarbók. Tórshavn: Føroyskt kirkjumál - 485 pp. (devotion book, lecture collection)
- 1970: Í jólahalguni. Sólarris. - Tórshavn: Heimamissiónsforlagið - 149 pp.
- Bíblia: Halgabók. Gamla testamenti og Nýggja. (From the original translations of Dahl and Viderø). Copenhagen: Det Danske Bibelselskab, 2000 - 1211 pp.
Literature
- Jákup Reinert Hansen: Mellem kor og skib. Jacob Dahl’s færøske more postiller. Århus: Det teologiske Fakultet, Aarhus Universitet, 2003. - 422 pp. (in Danish with short German summary. Dissertations with support of the fund of Queen Margrethe II.)
- Jákup Reinert Hansen: Mellem kor og skib. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag, 2004. - 477 pp. ISBN 9991841393
External links
- Dahl’s Bible – Faroese
- Faroe Art Stamps from Faroe Post – English
- Exhibition held in The National Libaray (2000) – Faroese