Jón Bjarnason Academy - 01.05.1936, Blaðsíða 27

studied theology, and in 1865, at the age of thirty was granted
his degree from the Theological School. With the exception of
several years spent in journalistic work and travels abroad, he
served as pastor in various parts of Iceland until the end of the
century, for a six-year period (1881-1887) at Oddi in southern
Iceland, the historic seat of Soemund the Learned (Saemundr inn
froSi) and his descendants, long an intellectual center.4 From
1900 until his death Jochumsson received from the Icelandic
government an honorary pension and could therefore devote
himself entirely to literary work. The spirit of adventure was,
however, always alive in his heart, as was his desire to keep
abreast of the spiritual and material progress of the greater
world, outside his remote Iceland; therefore he made frequent
journeys abroad, eleven in all. Thus he represented Iceland at
the Chicago Exposition in 1893 and travelled extensively on
the American continent, visiting many of the Icelandic settle-
ments in the United States and Canada. These journeys abroad
were for him a spiritual tonic, opened him new worlds of
thought, and stimulated his creative urge.
On the occasion of Jochumsson’s eighty-fifth birthday, in
1920, the University of Iceland conferred on him the honorary
degree of Doctor of Divinity, and the town of Akureyri, in nor-
thern Iceland, where he had resided over thirty years, made him
an honorary citizen. But the aged poet was not long permitted
to enjoy these well-earned honors; he died a week later. His
funeral, which took place on December 4, was a solemn and
impressive affair. The Icelandic people at home and abroad
mourned the loss of its greatest contemporary poet and a pro-
found interpreter of its rich literary and cultural heritage.5
Jochumsson was both a versatile and a prolific writer: a
journalist, an essayist, a dramatist, and a lyric poet.6 His pro-
ductivity as well as the richness and the variety of his literary
production are particularly remarkable when one takes into
4 See: H. Hermannsson, Scemund Sigfiisson and the Oddverjar (Islandica
XXII), Ithaca, New York, 1932.
5 See the memorial volume: Erfiminning: rcedur—erfiljod—eftirnucU
(Matthias Jochumsson, 11. N6v. 1835—18. N6v. 1920), Reykjavik (Akureyri),
1921. Included are the notable funeral orations by Reverend Jakob Krist-
insson and Reverend Geir Ssemundsson, a number of memorial poems, and
the articles by Einar H. Kvaran and SigurSur Nordal referred to below.
6 About his literary career and works see: Porsteinn Glslason, “Matt-
hias Jochumsson ft. skftldfaknum,” and GuSmundur Finnbogason, “Matthias
Jochumsson viS Llkabong," Matthias Jochumsson, Reykjavik, 1905, pp.
78-112; Arni Pftlsson, “Ra?Sa,” Idunn, 1916, pp. 204-209; SigurSur GuS-
mundsson, “Matthias ftttraeSur,” Skirnir, 1916, pp. 1-16; SigurSur Nordal,
“Matthias viS Dettifoss,” Eimreidin, 1921, pp. 1-10; Eirlkur Briem, “Endur-
minningar um Matthias Jochumsson,” Eimreidin, 1921, pp. 11-16; Kristjftn
Albertsson, “Matthias Jochumsson,” Eimreidin, 1921, pp. 303-310; Einar H.
Kvaran “RseSa,” Skirnir, 1921, pp. 5-13, and “Nokkur MinningarorS,” Erfi-
minning, 1921, pp. 129-156. Shorter estimates together with translations in
German, Danish, and English respectively are found in the anthologies by
Poestion, Hansen, Kirkconnell, and Beck previously mentioned.
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