Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/813

 DENMARK

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DENMARK

awake. Howover, the poets of the seventeenth cen- tury were unable to rise above the purely formal con- ception of poetry; they slavishly followed German writers and were satisfieil with translations and adap- tations. Even the hymn-writer Ringo w;us not free from foreign influence. At last the conflict between English utilitarianism and the rapidly growing piet- ism under Christian IV prepared the way for genuine national poetry. The first Danish poet, in the proper sense of the word, is Holberg (1684-1754). His come- dies and epistles faithfully mirror the conceptions of the Danish provincial townsman. The sensualism of Bellman and other Swedish poets did not find a fav- ourable soil in Denmark. Neither did the French illuministic literature at first strike deep roots. It was not till the end of the French Revolution that the new tendencies found an enthusiastic champion in Hei- berg, who created a stir as a satirist and composer of political poems. Then, also, was inaugurated the necessary reaction against the undue intellectual sway of Germany. Though the dramatist John Ewald (1743-1781) was unable to throw off the yoke of German influence, he succeeded in eliciting purely national strains from his lyre. The same is true of Hens Baggesen (b. 1764), whose tales show clearly the influence of Wieland. Married to a German lady, and on friendly terms with the prominent German poets of his time, he produced almost as many and as good lyrics in that language as in his mother tongue. Both in success and popularity he was surpiissed by the greatest poetical genius of Denmark, Adam Gottlob Oehlenschliiger (1779-1850), the son of a German father. Oehlenschlager first became famous as a lyric poet, then treated myths in an epic form, and later cultivated the drama. It w;is his purpose, no le.ss than his merit, to breathe new life into the heroic tales of olden times. But even he did not use Danish exclusively. Rich in honour and glory, he died in 1850, at Copenhagen. J. G. Ilauch (1790-1872) a writer of mystical drama succeeded him. Ad. Will. Schack of Stafeld (1764-1826), whose ancestors were German, won renown as a lyric poet. WTiile these men may be regarded as fathers and representatives of romanticism in Denmark, Nik. Fred. Sev. Grundt- vig (1783-1872) was more "Old Scandinavian" than Oehlenschlager, and of course occasionally blundered. Far superior to his dramatic works are his religious and secular songs. (For his relation to Christianity and theology, see above.)

The path pointed out by Oehlenschlager was pur- sued by many yoimger writers. Among them Inge- mann (1789-1862), by his elegant dramas and popular historical romances, was the acknowledged favourite of large circles, especially of ladies. Some became famous outside of their country. Bredahl (1784- 1860), an imitator of Shakespeare; Blicher (1782- 1842); and the poet of sensual love, Winther (1796- 1876), whose novels strikingly reproduce the peculiar charms of the Danish landscape. A world-wide fame rewarded the renowned author of fairy-tales, Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875). In opposition to the poetrj^ of the Romanticists, Louis Heiberg (1791- 1S6) wrote his satires and theatrical pieces. Fred- erick Paludan Miiller (1809-1876) showed traces of the influence of Byron. The vigorous, highly original Soercn Kirkegaard (1815-05) showed how poor a sub- stitute for religion is festhetics. Molbech, Boegh, Runiohr, Etlar, fin.ally the Danish Jew Meir Gold- schmidt and W illiam Bergsoe must be considered as the heralds and pioneers of that Anglo-Gallic realism which under the favour of the Jewish critic George Brandes (b. 1842) found its way to the North, and has ever since influenced the literature of Denmark in every direction. Its controlling power is seen in the novels of the pessimist Jacob.sen, whose "Marie Gnibbe" and "Niels Lyhne" created a new school. Among other representatives of this school of litera-

ture (OyennembTuds literatiu-e) may be mentioned the lately deceased marine painter and poet Holger Drach- mann, Sophus Schandorf, Erik Gram, Hermann Bang. Drachmann (b. 1846) was in his youth influenced by Socialism, but later changed his views and wrote lyrics and prose successfully. Great popularity was attained by his patriotic work "Dero\Te fra Gransen" and his collections of poems "Sange ved Havet", "Ranker och Roser", "Gamle Guder og nye". Schandorf's power lies in his vivid portrayal of peasants and the lower middle class. Erik Gram, in his novel "Ger- trude Colbjornsen", follows in the footsteps of Jacob- sen, while a warm patriotism breathes in his book " HinsidesGrensen". Hermann Hang's ^\Titings have force, but his style is at times obscure. He has shown his many-sidedness as a dramatist, journalist, critic, actor, and lecturer.

Among the many modern Danish authors may be mentioned Pontoppidan, Topso. Manager, Bauditz, Nielsen, and .A.malie Skram (novels) ; von der Recke, Magdalene Thoresen (lyrics and dramas), Budde (ju- venile works), Lange (translations). Within the last two decades have appeared numerous works of more or less value in different fields. We mention here only two Catholics: John J6rgen.sen and John Fred- ericksen; the former is now reckoned among the most fertile WTiters of his nation, while the delicate " Digte" (poems) of the latter are worthy of wider recognition.

For the extensive historicil liferatvire of the past century', as far as it concerns Catholics, see Pkrger. in Kirchenlex., Ill, 1319 sqq., where is also given the specifically Catholic Hterature which developed from 1849 to 18S4. Since then it has grown in a gratifying way. both in volume and depth; see Forteq- XELSE, Dansk Kathohk Littcratur som faas ifjennem (Copen- hagen, -i; MiKKEi.sEN. Dnn^k ,S;„-.„;/.„rf (C. mciilincen.

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The Fine Art.s. — a. Architecture. — As mentioned above, the first Christian temple on Danish soil was the church at Hedeby (Schleswig). According to Adam of Bremen (d. 1075), Denmark possessed in his time .300 churches in Skane, 2.50 in Zealand, 100 on Fiinen; probably all were con.structed of wood. Even the cathedral of Rtiskilde was originally of this ma- terial. The same holds good for the churches nrf S. Mariam and ad S. Alhunum at Odense, in which Saint Canute met his death and which was not torn down till after the Reformation. The wooden cathedral of St. Olaf at Aarhus fell down in 1548. Wooden churches remained long in use in South Jutland (Schleswig). But in North Jutland and on the islands, as early as the middle of the twelfth century, other material was used, according as the quarries were close at hanti or easily accessible, e. g. granite, sand- stone, limestone, or chalk-stone; sometimes tufa from the Rhine was employed. Freipiently only the ex- terior of the walls was constructed of stronger ma- terial, the intervals were filled up with a mixture. The use of burned brick wa.s soon adopted everywhere. Waldemar I (d. 1182) sub.stituted for the wooden pali- sades of the Danawerk (see above) a wall of brick. After him most of the new buildings were exclusively constructed of this material, e. g. the churches at Aar- hus, Randers, Elsinore, Roskilde, Ringsted, Niestved, Maribo, etc. Often free-stone was used for the foim- dations (up to a certain height), while walls and arches were built of brick. In some places (e. g. in Kjoge) layers of different stone alternate. The variations of