Guðbrandur Vigfússon, known in English as Gudbrand Vigfusson, (13 March 1827 – 31 January 1889[1]) was one of the foremost Scandinavian scholars of the 19th century.
A portrait of Guðbrandur Vigfússon by Sigurður málari.
He was born of an Icelandic family in Breiðafjörður. He was brought up, until he went to a tutor's, by his kinswoman Kristín Vigfússdóttir, to whom, he records, he owed not only that he became a man of letters but almost everything. He was sent to the old school at Bessastaðir and (when it moved there) at Reykjavík. In 1849, already a fair scholar, he came to Copenhagen University in the Regense College,[2] where as an Icelander he received four-years free boarding under the Garðsvist system.[3]
After his student course, he was appointed stipendiarius by the Arna-Magnaean trustees, and worked for fourteen years in the Arna-Magnaean Library until, as he said, he knew every scrap of old vellum and of Icelandic written paper in that whole collection.[2]
In 1866, he settled in Oxford, which he made his home for the rest of his life. He held the office of Reader in Scandinavian at Oxford University (a post created for him) from 1884 until his death. He was made a Jubilee Doctor of Uppsala in 1877, and received the Danish order of the Dannebrog in 1885.[2]
He was an excellent judge of literature, reading most European languages well and being acquainted with their classics. His memory was remarkable, and if the Eddic poems had ever been lost, he could have written them all down from memory. He spoke English well, with a strong Icelandic accent. He wrote a beautiful, distinctive and clear hand, in spite of (or because of) the thousands of lines of manuscript copying he had done in his early life.[2]
His Tímatal (written between October 1854 and April 1855) laid the foundations for the chronology of Icelandic history. His editions of Icelandic classics (1858–1868), Biskupa sögur, Bárðar Saga, Fornsögur (with Mobius), Eyrbyggia Saga and Flateyjarbók (with Carl Rikard Unger) opened a new era of Icelandic scholarship. They can be compared to the Rolls Series editions of chronicles by William Stubbs, for the interest and value of their prefaces and texts.[2]
He spent the seven years 1866–1873 on the Oxford Icelandic-English Dictionary,[4] often denoted by the shorthand "Cleasby-Vigfusson",[5] the best guide to classic Icelandic, and a monumental example of single-handed work.[2] The end-product was more a product of Guðbrandur Vigfússon's undertaking than Cleasby's,[6] and is characterized as his most important legacy.[7]
His later series of editions (1874–1885) included Orkneyinga Saga and Hákonar Saga, the great and complex mass of Icelandic historical sagas known as Sturlunga, and the Corpus Poeticum Boreale, in which he edited the entire body of classic Scandinavian poetry. As an introduction to the Sturlunga, he wrote a complete, concise history of the classic Northern literature and its sources. In the introduction to the Corpus, he laid the foundations of a critical history of the Eddic poetry and Court poetry of the North in a series of well-supported theories.[2]
His little Icelandic Prose Reader (with F. York Powell) (1879) furnishes a path to a sound knowledge of Icelandic. The Grimm Centenary (1886) gives good examples of the range of his historic work, while his Appendix on Icelandic currency to Sir G. W. Dasent's Burnt Njal is a methodical investigation into an intricate subject.[2]
As a writer in his own tongue, he once gained a high position by his Relations of Travel in Norway and South Germany. In English, as his Visit to Grimm and his powerful letters to The Times show, he had attained no mean skill. His life is mainly a record of well-directed and efficient labor in Denmark and Oxford.[2]
Literature
Hans Fix: Gudbrand Vigfusson, Hugo Gering, and German Scholarship: Or, A Friendship Destroyed. in Frederic Amory in Memoriam. Old Norse-Icelandic Studies, edd. John Lindow & George Clark. Berkeley - Los Angeles: North Pinehurst Press 2015, S. 269–302. ISBN978-0692520161
Notes
^Jón þorkelsson, "Nekrolog över Guðbrandur Vigfússon" in Arkiv för nordisk filologi, Sjätte bandet (ny följd: andra bandet), Lund, 1889, pp 156-163.
^Lowe, Pardee Jr. (1884), Benediktsson, Hreinn [in Icelandic] (ed.), "Postulates for Making Bilingual Dictionaries", The Nordic Languages and Modern Linguistics: Proceedings, Visindafélag íslendinga, vol. 39, p. 406
^"Vigfusson, Gudbrandur", The New International Encyclopædia, vol. 20, New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1911, p. 131
References
Benedikz, Benedikt S. (1989), McTurk, Rory; Wawn, Andrew (eds.), "Guðbrandur Vigfússon: A Biographical Sketch", Úr Dölum til Dala: Guðbrandur Vigfússon centenary essays, Leeds Studies in English, pp. 11–34, ISBN9780902296213
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Powell, Frederick York (1911). "Vígfússon, Gúdbrandr". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 59.
External links
The grave of Guðbrandur Vigfússon in St Sepulchre's Cemetery, Oxford, with biography
An Icelandic-English Dictionary by Richard Cleasby and Gudbrand Vigfusson, published in 1874.
April 18, 2023
guðbrandur, vigfússon, this, icelandic, name, last, name, patronymic, family, name, this, person, referred, given, name, guðbrandur, known, english, gudbrand, vigfusson, march, 1827, january, 1889, foremost, scandinavian, scholars, 19th, century, portrait, sig. This is an Icelandic name The last name is patronymic not a family name this person is referred to by the given name Gudbrandur Gudbrandur Vigfusson known in English as Gudbrand Vigfusson 13 March 1827 31 January 1889 1 was one of the foremost Scandinavian scholars of the 19th century A portrait of Gudbrandur Vigfusson by Sigurdur malari Contents 1 Life 2 Work 3 Literature 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksLife EditHe was born of an Icelandic family in Breidafjordur He was brought up until he went to a tutor s by his kinswoman Kristin Vigfussdottir to whom he records he owed not only that he became a man of letters but almost everything He was sent to the old school at Bessastadir and when it moved there at Reykjavik In 1849 already a fair scholar he came to Copenhagen University in the Regense College 2 where as an Icelander he received four years free boarding under the Gardsvist system 3 After his student course he was appointed stipendiarius by the Arna Magnaean trustees and worked for fourteen years in the Arna Magnaean Library until as he said he knew every scrap of old vellum and of Icelandic written paper in that whole collection 2 In 1866 he settled in Oxford which he made his home for the rest of his life He held the office of Reader in Scandinavian at Oxford University a post created for him from 1884 until his death He was made a Jubilee Doctor of Uppsala in 1877 and received the Danish order of the Dannebrog in 1885 2 Gudbrandur died of cancer on 31 January 1889 He was buried in St Sepulchre s Cemetery Oxford on 3 February 1889 2 Work EditHe was an excellent judge of literature reading most European languages well and being acquainted with their classics His memory was remarkable and if the Eddic poems had ever been lost he could have written them all down from memory He spoke English well with a strong Icelandic accent He wrote a beautiful distinctive and clear hand in spite of or because of the thousands of lines of manuscript copying he had done in his early life 2 His Timatal written between October 1854 and April 1855 laid the foundations for the chronology of Icelandic history His editions of Icelandic classics 1858 1868 Biskupa sogur Bardar Saga Fornsogur with Mobius Eyrbyggia Saga and Flateyjarbok with Carl Rikard Unger opened a new era of Icelandic scholarship They can be compared to the Rolls Series editions of chronicles by William Stubbs for the interest and value of their prefaces and texts 2 He spent the seven years 1866 1873 on the Oxford Icelandic English Dictionary 4 often denoted by the shorthand Cleasby Vigfusson 5 the best guide to classic Icelandic and a monumental example of single handed work 2 The end product was more a product of Gudbrandur Vigfusson s undertaking than Cleasby s 6 and is characterized as his most important legacy 7 His later series of editions 1874 1885 included Orkneyinga Saga and Hakonar Saga the great and complex mass of Icelandic historical sagas known as Sturlunga and the Corpus Poeticum Boreale in which he edited the entire body of classic Scandinavian poetry As an introduction to the Sturlunga he wrote a complete concise history of the classic Northern literature and its sources In the introduction to the Corpus he laid the foundations of a critical history of the Eddic poetry and Court poetry of the North in a series of well supported theories 2 His little Icelandic Prose Reader with F York Powell 1879 furnishes a path to a sound knowledge of Icelandic The Grimm Centenary 1886 gives good examples of the range of his historic work while his Appendix on Icelandic currency to Sir G W Dasent s Burnt Njal is a methodical investigation into an intricate subject 2 As a writer in his own tongue he once gained a high position by his Relations of Travel in Norway and South Germany In English as his Visit to Grimm and his powerful letters to The Times show he had attained no mean skill His life is mainly a record of well directed and efficient labor in Denmark and Oxford 2 Literature EditHans Fix Gudbrand Vigfusson Hugo Gering and German Scholarship Or A Friendship Destroyed in Frederic Amory in Memoriam Old Norse Icelandic Studies edd John Lindow amp George Clark Berkeley Los Angeles North Pinehurst Press 2015 S 269 302 ISBN 978 0692520161Notes Edit Jon thorkelsson Nekrolog over Gudbrandur Vigfusson in Arkiv for nordisk filologi Sjatte bandet ny foljd andra bandet Lund 1889 pp 156 163 a b c d e f g h i j Powell 1911 Benedikz 1989 p 15 Cleasby Richard Gudbrandur Vigfusson 1884 An Icelandic English Dictionary Oxford Clarendon Press Lowe Pardee Jr 1884 Benediktsson Hreinn in Icelandic ed Postulates for Making Bilingual Dictionaries The Nordic Languages and Modern Linguistics Proceedings Visindafelag islendinga vol 39 p 406 Garnett Richard 1887 Cleasby Richard In Stephen Leslie ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 11 London Smith Elder amp Co Vigfusson Gudbrandur The New International Encyclopaedia vol 20 New York Dodd Mead and Company 1911 p 131References EditBenedikz Benedikt S 1989 McTurk Rory Wawn Andrew eds Gudbrandur Vigfusson A Biographical Sketch Ur Dolum til Dala Gudbrandur Vigfusson centenary essays Leeds Studies in English pp 11 34 ISBN 9780902296213 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Powell Frederick York 1911 Vigfusson Gudbrandr In Chisholm Hugh ed Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 28 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 59 External links EditThe grave of Gudbrandur Vigfusson in St Sepulchre s Cemetery Oxford with biography An Icelandic English Dictionary by Richard Cleasby and Gudbrand Vigfusson published in 1874 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gudbrandur Vigfusson amp oldid 1144401237, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
