Scandinavian literature

Scandinavian literature, or Nordic literature, dates back roughly one thousand years. It encompasses written and oral works from the Nordic countries of Northern Europe, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Scandinavia’s various territories. Most of the literature is (or has been) written in various North Germanic languages. North Germanic represents one of three groups of Germanic languages, the others being Western and Eastern Germanic. In addition to North Germanic, Latin was prevalent in the Middle Ages and in more modern times, Finnish has also been used. Scandinavian literature is not defined by a single cultural identity, but includes multiple countries, some of which had been a part of other Scandinavian kingdoms in the past. However, their eventual independence also created unique histories that are simultaneously represented. Linguistically, Scandinavian writing and literature also have numerous similarities, largely because of the shared influence the nations had when they controlled neighboring kingdoms.

Brief history

The term Scandinavia came about in the eighteenth century when Danish and Swedish schools became outspoken about the commonalities and shared history and culture among Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. A southern province of Sweden known as Skåne became the focal point of efforts to promote the cultural similarities between nations. Skåne eventually led to the term Scandinavia. Continued use of Scandinavia was made popular by authors like Hans Christian Anderson, who wrote I am a Scandinavian in 1839.

Scandinavia includes Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Some individuals debate the inclusion of Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands, though the latter group of countries does not necessarily share the common heritage and North Germanic languages of the former group. Linguistically, Iceland and the Faroe Islands have populations where North Germanic languages prevail. However, Finland has a distinct language and population that includes influences from Eastern and Western Europe.

The Norse Sagas represent some of the earliest prose narratives written primarily in Iceland. Dating to the twelfth century, the sagas—a term meaning “what is said” in Old Norse—detailed Norse and Icelandic history and freely combined fact and fiction. The sagas can be divided into the Fornaldarsögur, or legendary sagas; Íslendingasögur, or family sagas; Konungasögur, or king’s sagas; Riddarasögur, or sagas of knights; and Samtíðarsögur, or contemporary sagas. Structurally, the sagas use a combination of prose and poetry and are organized chronologically. The pieces are also believed to have been created with the intention of being performed or read aloud.

Overview

Scandinavian works can be compartmentalized in various ways. One of the most frequent modes is by country, placing Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as individual categories under the Scandinavian umbrella. Because of the uniqueness of each country, there are few overarching similarities among Scandinavian authors. One exception to this is within Scandinavian or Nordic noir, which became popular late in the twentieth century.

Danish Literature

Denmark has been a dominant force in Scandinavian culture since the ninth and tenth centuries. Its influences can be seen in such classics as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf. Beowulf, a tale of a heroic warrior who battles monsters and dragons, was likely written in the tenth or eleventh century, but the story itself is far older. It is one of the most frequently translated pieces of Old English literature. However, the significance of Danish literature begins even earlier. Inscriptions using the runic alphabet carved into stone have been noted from about 250 CE. Once Christianity was introduced to Denmark in the late tenth century, Latin became the more common language. By 1536, the Lutheran Reformation reached Denmark and propaganda for—and against—the Catholic Church grew. Religion became a common theme in literature and poetry. By the seventeenth century, Danish authors and poets focused on allegorical and metaphorical writing. However, in the nineteenth century, the Romantic movement hit Denmark. Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger, a master of multiple forms of writing, was one of the leaders of the movement.

However, nineteenth-century author Hans Christian Andersen is the most well-known Danish writer. Andersen’s fairy tales are translated worldwide. He broke literary ground using verbal constructs with the written word. His stories did not all end happily, such as in The Little Mermaid (1837), in which the title character throws herself into the sea and turns to foam rather than kill the man she loves. Andersen’s ability to write pessimistically and optimistically made his work appealing to adults and children both then and now. Despite Andersen’s international success with his fairytales, his other works did not achieve a similar success.

Faroese Literature

The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory of Denmark. The literature of the islands can be divided into works written in Danish and Faroese. The Faroese language is less than two hundred years old, making it comparatively young. Faroese literature, specifically that literature which is written in Faroese, blends traditional themes and techniques with more contemporary writing approaches. One of the most famous Faroese authors, William Heinesen, did not write in Faroese, but instead wrote in Danish. His work has been translated into a variety of languages beyond the Faroe Islands and Scandinavia.

Icelandic Literature

Icelandic literature is the nation’s greatest cultural contribution to the world. Icelandic literature dates to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, but the stories told in the various sagas and poems began as oral tales dating back to the year 1000 and earlier. Many of the sagas originated as Norse history and legend. Explorers from Norway brought these tales with them when they settled in Iceland about the ninth and tenth centuries. Among the most famous are the Icelandic sagas the Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red, which recount the historical explorations of Erik the Red and his son Leif Erikson to Greenland and the North American coast about 1000.

Another saga, the Völsunga Saga, is an example of a heroic legend that includes family histories, mythical quests, battles with dragons, and magical rings. The saga inspired several later works including the opera Der ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) by German composer Richard Wagner and the fantasy novels of English author J.R.R. Tolkien.

During the thirteenth century, war broke out between Norway and Denmark resulting in Iceland being passed to Danish rule. By the nineteenth century, Iceland began to push for its independence. Icelandic literature addressed the cultural conflict and drive for independence through literature. In 1944, Iceland finally gained its independence. Post-war literature focused on nostalgia and gave nods to social and/or personal depression. Just two decades later, modernism became prevalent in Iceland and widened the gap between high and low culture.

Norwegian Literature

The sags of Iceland are sometimes called Norse sagas because they were predominantly about Norse kings, family histories, and legends. Norwegian literature also dates to about 1000 CE, it was not until 1814, when Norway broke away from Denmark, that Norwegian literature could clearly be identified. In its infancy, Norwegian literature was nearly identical to Icelandic literature, which also has its own connections to Denmark. Once Norway signed a new constitution, the task of creating a new culture and identity began. Some supported this move, while others argued that the Danish influence and culture should not be forgotten. Johan Sebastien Cammermeyer Welhaven was one of those who argued for the preservation of Danish culture. Henrik Wergeland argued on behalf of autonomy and a new culture. At that time, he also became well-established as a poet and social reformer. Henrik Ibsen is one of the most famous Norse writers. A playwright, Isben is often called the father of realism. His plays, in particular A Doll’s House (1922), are frequently performed throughout the world.

Swedish Literature

Swedish literature refers to literature that is written in Sweden or in the Swedish language. The first referenced Swedish text is the Rök Runestone from approximately 800 CE. Early monastic writers often wrote in Latin, limiting the number of works written in Swedish. Once the Swedish language was standardized in the sixteenth century, literature written in Swedish became much more common. The Reformation literature of that period is not often valued by scholars. Following the Reformation period, the Renaissance period lasted until the early-eighteenth century and fed into Sweden’s Golden Age of Literature. This ultimately led to periods of romanticism (nineteenth century) and realism. Some of Sweden’s children literature is also well-known, including Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking (1945).

Scandinavian Noir

Scandinavian or Nordic noir does not come from one particular country, but instead from the region of Scandinavia. Popularity for this true crime genre began in the 1990s and has not only been well-received in Scandinavia, but also worldwide. Scandinavian noir is typically written from the perspective of law enforcement. Plotlines are heavily influenced by the bleak, snowy Scandinavian landscapes. Henning Mankell as known is the father of Scandinavian noir, but numerous other writers have followed in his footsteps. Mankell wrote the Kurt Wallander books. Another popular noir writer was Swede Stieg Larsson whose Millennium crime trilogy—The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005), The Girl Who Played with Fire (2006), and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest (2007)—became huge best-sellers and spawned a series of popular films.

Norwegian author Jo Nesbø, born 1960, is one of the most well-known authors of Scandinavian Noir. A New York Times bestselling author, Nesbø’s books have been translated into fifty languages and he has sold over sixty million copies worldwide. Some of his most well-known titles include Flaggermusmannen (1997), which was published in English as The Bat; Snømannen (2007), translated as The Snowman, which was adapted to film in 2017; and Sønnen (2014), or The Son.  

Bibliography

Cipriani, Casey. “From Denmark to the Faroe Islands, Here Are 10 Pieces of Nordic Noir to Thrill Your Icy Cold Heart.” Time.Com, Mar. 2022, EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=155934753&site=ehost-live. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Groeneveld, Emma. “Saga,” World History Encyclopedia, 21 Feb. 2019, www.worldhistory.org/Saga/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Hansen, Bergur Djurhuus. “Faroese Literature.” Faroeislands, www.faroeislands.fo/arts-culture/literature/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Jordan, Tina & Stasio, Marilyn. “A Guide to Nordic Noir,” The New York Times, 24 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/books/review/nordic-noir-guide.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Kristánsdóttir, Dagny. “From Sagas to Novels,” Icelandic Literature Center, www.islit.is/en/promotion-and-translations/icelandic-literature/from-sagas-to-novels/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Norman, Rebecca Thandi. “Where is Scandinavia? A Guide to the Scandinavian Countries,” Scandinavia Standard, 16 May 2022, www.scandinaviastandard.com/where-is-scandinavia-a-guide-to-the-scandinavian-countries/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Sondrup, Steven P., et al., editors. Nordic Literature: A Comparative History. John Benjamins Publishing, 2017.

“Welcome to the Icelandic Saga Database.” The Icelandic Saga Database, sagadb.org/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.