Jón Ólafsson was a prolific Icelandic journalist, editor, and poet. He was born in Kolfreyjustaður in Fáskrúðsfjörður, Eastern Iceland, on 20 March 1850, the son of the vicar and poet Óláfur Indriðason (1796–1861) and his second wife. His much older half-brother was Páll Ólafsson (1827–1905), noted “folk poet” of the romantic era. Jón went to Reykjavík to study at the Latínuskólinn only 13 years old, took the first part of the final test in 1868, but never finished his studies since he was already a journalist at this tender age and noted for being intrepid and critical when writing about the government in an age when such criticism was rare. 

Jón’s juvenile poem “Íslendingabragur” (1869), meant to be sung to the tune of the La Marseillaise, became so

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Citation: Jakobsson, Ármann. "Jón Ólafsson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 October 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15190, accessed 21 November 2024.]