The Rector of Veilbye
Encyclopedia
The Rector of Veilbye , is a crime mystery written in 1829
by Danish
author Steen Steensen Blicher
. The novella
is based upon a true murder case from 1626 in Vejlby
, Denmark
which Blicher knew partly from Erik Pontoppidan's Danish Church History (1741), and partly through oral tradition. Blicher's tragic tale has been adapted for the screen three times by Danish filmmakers.
In 2006, The Rector of Veilbye was included in the Cultural Canon of Denmark by the Danish Ministry of Culture. The ministry noted that "the style illuminates elegiac pain and discomfort in an eerily intense drama, and the story is difficult to shake off." Danish literary historian Søren Baggesen stated "Blicher is not just the first of Danish literature's great storytellers, he is one of the few tragic poets, Danish literature has ever had."
The story shifts to the diary entries of the new rector of Vejlby. Twenty years have passed when a beggar visits the rector and reveals that he is Niels Bruus, the alleged murder victim. Bruus has returned to the village only after the death of his brother, who had concocted the cruel hoax as revenge against the minister for rejecting him as a suitor for his daughter. The rector decides not reveal the truth to Sørensen—that he had executed an innocent man. However, Bruus tells the judge his story, and Judge Sørensen collapses from a heart attack. The next day, Bruus is discovered dead, lying across the grave of the Rector Qvist.
1829 in literature
The year 1829 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Edward George Bulwer-Lytton - Devereux*Honoré de Balzac - Les Chouans*Catherine Gore - Romances of Real Life...
by Danish
Denmark
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...
author Steen Steensen Blicher
Steen Steensen Blicher
Steen Steensen Blicher was an author and poet born in Vium near Viborg, Denmark.- Biography :Blicher was the son of a literarily inclined Jutlandic parson whose family was distantly related to Martin Luther....
. The 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...
is based upon a true murder case from 1626 in Vejlby
Vejlby
Vejlby is a north-eastern suburb of Aarhus in Denmark. It is located 5km from the city centre....
, Denmark
Denmark
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...
which Blicher knew partly from Erik Pontoppidan's Danish Church History (1741), and partly through oral tradition. Blicher's tragic tale has been adapted for the screen three times by Danish filmmakers.
In 2006, The Rector of Veilbye was included in the Cultural Canon of Denmark by the Danish Ministry of Culture. The ministry noted that "the style illuminates elegiac pain and discomfort in an eerily intense drama, and the story is difficult to shake off." Danish literary historian Søren Baggesen stated "Blicher is not just the first of Danish literature's great storytellers, he is one of the few tragic poets, Danish literature has ever had."
Synopsis
The story is told in the form of diary entries by Erik Sørensen, the judge and sheriff of the community of Vejlby. He writes about Søren Qvist, a village rector with a short-temper, who is accused of murdering his unlikeable servant, Niels Bruus, when Bruus disappears after a violent argument. Sørensen is forced to investigate by Bruus' brother, but he does so reluctantly because he is engaged to marry the rector's daughter, Mette, in three weeks. Sørensen wants nothing more than to clear Qvist's good name and marry Mette. However, the judge becomes distraught when more and more witnesses offer indisputable evidence against the Rector Qvist. The rector, although he doesn't remember any murder, believes the evidence is undeniable, decides he must have committed murder and confesses—condemning himself to death. The judge is forced to pass sentence—the rector is beheaded—and Judge Sørensen's relationship with Mette, the woman he loves, becomes forever impossible. Mette leaves town and Sørensen is condemned to spend the rest of his life alone.The story shifts to the diary entries of the new rector of Vejlby. Twenty years have passed when a beggar visits the rector and reveals that he is Niels Bruus, the alleged murder victim. Bruus has returned to the village only after the death of his brother, who had concocted the cruel hoax as revenge against the minister for rejecting him as a suitor for his daughter. The rector decides not reveal the truth to Sørensen—that he had executed an innocent man. However, Bruus tells the judge his story, and Judge Sørensen collapses from a heart attack. The next day, Bruus is discovered dead, lying across the grave of the Rector Qvist.
Adaptations
- Praesten i Vejlby (1922 film)Praesten i Vejlby (1922 film)The Vicar of Vejlby is a 1922 Danish crime mystery film directed by August Blom. It is also known as The Hand of Fate. The silent film is based on a novella by Steen Steensen Blicher about a true murder case from 1626. The story was adapted later by George Schnéevoigt The Vicar of Vejlby is a...
; - a silent film directed by August BlomAugust BlomAugust Blom was a Danish film director, production leader and pioneer of silent films during the "golden age" of Danish filmmaking from 1910 to 1914.-Career:...
. Considered the most faithful to the original story. - Praesten i Vejlby (1931 film) - directed by George SchnéevoigtGeorge SchnéevoigtGeorge Schnéevoigt was a Danish film director, cinematographer, and actor of the 1930s and early 1940s....
. Considered to be Denmark's first sound film. - Praesten i Vejlby (1972 film) - directed by Claus Ørsted.
External links
- Original Text in The Archive of Danish Literature Online (In Danish)
- The Rector of Veilbye in The Gutenberg Project Online