Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/895

* DANISH LANGUAGE. 777 DANISH LANGUAGE. Danish oi'th(^'ia|iliy is in an even more unset- tled state than the English. There are several distinct systems of spelling in use in Denmark, and at least two others in Norway. The otlicial system is employed in all school books and gov- ernment publications, but is generally disregard- ed by writers, whose system in turn is scorned by philologists. As in German, both the so-called Gothic and Roman type are in use, and substan- tives are sometimes uniformly spelled with ini- tial capitals, sometimes not. There is, however, a decided tendency in recent times toward sim- plification of spelling, and in time uniformity will probably be reached. BiBLiOGKAPUY. Dictionaries: Molbeck, Dansk Ordbog (Copenhagen, 1854-59), the standard dic- tionary in Danish; Larsen, a Dictionary of the Daiio-Xorucfiian and English Languages (3d ed., London, 1897) ; Rosing, English-Danish Diction- ary (7th ed. Copenhagen, 1899); Brynildsen, English-Dano-Nora-egian Dictionary (Chris- tiania, 1900 — ). This last, when completed, will be the best Danish international dictionary. There are also several dictionaries of foreign words in Danish, and dictionaries giving simply the forms of words. Pronouncing dictionaries are very little used. Grammars: Groth, Danish and DuHo-yorwegian Grammar (Boston, 1894), especially strong in the treatment of the Dano- Xorwegian. There is no good treatment in Eng- lish of Danish grammar. The best grammars in Danish are Jessen's and ilikkelsen's. The best recent history of the language in Danish is Ver- ner Dahlerup's (Copenhagen, 1896). There is a short survey by Ludvig Wimnier, translated by Lentzner, in Modern Language Notes (Balti- more. 1895). The oldest period is treated tech- nically by Noreen in Paul, Orundriss der Ger- inanisclien PhiloJogie, vol. i. (Strassburg, 1896). Literature. The first Danish book is a treat- ise on medicine by licnrik Harpestreng. who died in 1244. The first Danish law dates from 1386, but the first distinctively literary writings in the language are the chivalric ballads, Kjaempe- viscr, which must have been composed from 1300 to 1500, though they sun'ive only in six- teenth-century form, best edited by Gruntvig (6 vols., unfinished) and bv Abrahamson. Nyerup, and Rahbek (5 vols.. 1812-14). Of these" there are some 500, partly historical, partly mythical, but wholly popular in origin. The first Danish book was printed in 1495, and sequential liter- arj' historj- begins with Christian Pedersen, who translated the Bible (1550) and gave to his peo- ple the legends of Charlemagne and Ogier in their final form. Vcdel (1542-lOlli) stimulated national literature by jiublishing 100 of the Kjaempeviser (1591) and translating Saxo Gramniaticus (1575). Reynard the Fox had been translated into Danish in 1555. Hvitfeld gave Denmark its first history (1595) and Rauch its first drama (about 1600). Clausen'.s translation of the Icelandic Heimskrigla ap- peared in 1033. and Arrebo's (1587-1637) Uex- oemeron, the first Danish epic, in 1641. Hymn- writing was soon after inauLrurated bv Kingo (1634-1703) and Brorson (1694-1764'). But these beginnings were all overshadowed by the genius of Holberg (q.v.). the first Dane whose work is still an actuality in Danish culture. All branches of learning and art felt his stimulating influence, the university was reopened (1742), the Societj' of Sciences founded, and the Society for the Improvement of the Danish Language. Then Klopstock, wlio had settled at Copenhagen, though his direct infiuence was bad, fostered the fininding of the Society of the Fine Arts, and Frederick '. patronized all. liidcr these iiilluences, or the spirit that pre- jian'd for them, many poets were born (1742-49) — .lohannes Kvald, essel, Brun, Eriinann, Fasting. Pram, Storm — wlio brought about a lyric and dramatic revival in the last quarter of the century. The first, Evald (q.v.), aided the revival of interest in Scandinavian mythology; Wessel helped to emancipate the Danish stage from French bondage; the others, Norwegians by birth, gave the language a richer imagery. The only prose writer of importance till near the close of the eighteenth century was the philoso- pher Treschow (1751-1833); and poetry, after the passing of the group just named, sank into a mechanical insignificance, from which Bagge- sen (q.v.) and romanticism revived it. The literary births from 1758 to 1777 are mainly of prose writers — Rahbek (1760-18.30), a good novelist, catholic-spirited critic, and editor of older poets; Heiberg the elder (1758-1841), a political and a?sthetic critic; Jlalte-Brun (1775- 1826) and Olufsen (1764-1827), geographers; Xyerup (1759-1829), a diligent literary com- piler; Engelstoft (1774-1850), an historian; Mynster (1775-1854), a theologian; and the great and genial scientist Oersted (1777-1851), are the most prominent names for two decades, where the only poet of distinction is Baggesen (1764-1826), an erratic exception to prove the rule that au 'age of enlightenment is not an age of song.' The romantic movement in Denmark centres around Oehlenschlager (q.v.), and dates from 1802. His more important assisUints in foster- ing national individiialisra in literature were Blicher (q.v.), novelist and poet; Grundvig, scholar, antiquarian, poet, politician: Ingemann (q.v.), the historical novelist; Haueh (q.v.), a dramatist and novelist : Countess Gyllembourg- Ehrensvard (q.v.), the greatest woman writer of Denmark, and mother of J. L. Heiberg (q.v.), critic, poet, dramatist, and, on the whole, the most important figure of the generation. These writers were born between 1779 and 1791. To the second generation of the romanticists, born be- tween 1798 and 1809. belong Hertz (q.v.), the poet: Andersen, of the world-famed Fairy Tales; Bagger (1807-46), who died like Keats, with unmatched promise unfulfilled, and Paludan- >I(iller (1809-70). a dramatic and epic philo- sophic poet of much power. Aside from poetry the romantic period was not fruitful. One may note the antiquarians Rask (1787-1832). Rafn (1795-1864, q.v.). and Peter- sen (1791-1802); the lexicogi-apher ilolbech (1783-1857) : the botanist Schouw (1789-1852) ; and the philoso])her Sibbern (1785-1872); suc- ceeded by the brilliantly subtle Kierkegaard (1813-55). The period counts no significant nov- elist or dramatist who was not primarily .a poet, though writing perhaps like -- dersen, in i)ro.se. The thirty o<ld years that separate the birth of Pahidan-Miiller from that of Brandes are singu- larly unprfiiluitive of Danish literary genius. The most prominent names are those of the poet Ploug (1813-94), the novelist Goldschmidt (1819- 87). and Herman Evald (1821 — ). Politics ab- sorbed popular interest after 1848. Romanticism