Þorvaldur Thoroddsen

Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland)

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), Nicole Kennedy (University of Newcastle), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

Born 6 Jun 1855
Died 28 Sep 1921

Places

Active in Iceland

Activities

Primary

Geographer
Geologist

Resources

Thoroddsen's Works

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Þorvaldur Thoroddsen was an Icelandic geologist, geographer, and author of several popular and respected scholarly works. He was born on 6 June 1855, the son of the writer Jón Thoroddsen, and partly raised by the famous folklorist Jón Árnason. Þorvaldur graduated from the Latin School in Reykjavík in 1875 and went to Copenhagen to study natural history and zoology at university, though he was also interested in geology. Þorvaldur was unable to complete his studies for financial reasons, but in 1880 he became a teacher at Möðruvellir Gymnasium in northern Iceland, where he worked until 1885 when he became an assistant at the Latin School. In 1887 he married Þóra, the daughter of the Bishop of Iceland, Pétur Pétursson, who was herself a well-known artist. They had one child,…

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1016 words

Citation: Jakobsson, Ármann. "Þorvaldur Thoroddsen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 January 2025 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15189, accessed 21 February 2025.]