Danish literature

The Jelling stones are the best known runestones in Denmark.

Danish literature is, for the purposes of this article, the subset of Scandinavian literature composed in Denmark or by Danish people. Its history stretches from the Middle Ages into modern times and includes authors such as Saxo Grammaticus, Hans Christian Andersen and Karen Blixen.

Middle Ages

Main article: Rune stone

The earliest preserved texts from Denmark are runic inscriptions on memorial stones and other objects. Some of those contain short poems in alliterative verse. The advent of Christianity in the 10th century brought Denmark into contact with European learning, including the Latin alphabet and the Latin language, but it wasn't until the late 12th century that this was to bear significant literary fruit in Gesta Danorum an ambitious historical work by Saxo Grammaticus. Though secondary to the Icelandic Eddas, Saxo's work is a very important primary source for the study of Scandinavian myths and legends as well as a lively account of Danish history up to the author's own time. Other medieval literary works include the Danish ballads, more than 500 of which are known.

The 16th and 17th Centuries

The 16th century brought the Lutheran Reformation to Denmark and a new period in the nation's literature. Major authors of the time include the humanist Christiern Pedersen, who translated the New Testament into Danish, and Poul Helgesen who vigorously opposed the Reformation. The 16th century also saw Denmark's earliest plays, including the works of Hieronymus Justesen Ranch. The 17th century was an era of renewed interest in Scandinavian antiquities with scholars like Ole Worm at the forefront. Though religious dogmatism was on the rise the passionate hymns of Thomas Kingo transcended the genre with personal expression. External struggles with Sweden and internal rivalries among the nobility leading to Denmark's absolute monarchy in 1660 are chronicled from a royal prisoner's redemptive perspective in Jammersminde (Remembered Woes), in the heartfelt prose of Leonora Christina of the Blue Tower, written 1673–1698, but first published in 1869.

Writers

18th century

• Ludvig Holberg
• Hans Adolph Brorson
• Johan Herman Wessel
• Johannes Ewald
• Jens Baggesen

19th century

• Hans Christian Andersen
• Herman Bang
• Jens Peter Jacobsen
• Søren Kierkegaard
• Adam Oehlenschläger

20th century

• Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen)
• Peter Høeg
• Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
• Svend Aage Madsen
• Martin Andersen Nexø
• Dan Turèll
• Henrik S. Holck

External links

• A Short History of Danish Literature