Hallgrímur Pétursson

Margrét Eggertsdóttir; Katelin Parsons (Árna Magnússon Foundation for Icelandic Studies)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

Born 1614
Died 27 Oct 1674

Places

Born in Iceland
Active in Iceland

Activities

Primary

Poet

Resources

Pétursson's Works

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Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674) is generally considered the most important religious poet of Iceland. His

Passíusálmar

[

Passion Hymns

] are one of the high points of Icelandic literature, and their author has long been one of the nation’s most beloved poets. Hallgrímur Pétursson was a versatile author who composed spiritual and secular poetry as well as religious prose. He served as a Lutheran minister in his homeland of Iceland from 1644 until leprosy rendered him unable to perform his duties in 1669. Iceland’s largest church, Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík, was named in his honour in the twentieth century.

Hallgrímur Pétursson’s path to the clergy was unusual in many ways. He was the second cousin of the incumbent bishop of Hólar, Guðbrandur Þorláksson (1542–1627),

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3004 words

Citation: Eggertsdóttir, Margrét, Katelin Parsons. "Hallgrímur Pétursson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 June 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14816, accessed 24 November 2024.]