Milli mála - 2023, Blaðsíða 207
MILLI MÁLA
Milli mála 15/2/2023 207
Abstract
Lost, Rediscovered and Misunderstood. A
Travelogue from Iceland, Supposed Journals, and
Other Manuscripts from the Literary Remains of
J.C. Poestion
The Austrian Josef Calasanz Poestion (1853–1922) was a translator
and expert in Icelandic cultural history and contemporary literature.
In the summer of 1906, he traveled through Iceland as a guest of
honor. After the visit, he composed the manuscript of a travelogue
that he failed to complete and publish before his death.
This paper examines the manuscript from two perspectives: by
contextualizing it within Poestion’s literary remains and with a view
to its publication for present-day readers. Poestion’s literary remains
comprised various unpublished manuscripts, letters, excerpts, transla-
tions, etc. Shortly after his death, these were divided up and dist-
ributed to various parties in Iceland and Austria. The paper traces the
history of these documents and describes whether and where they are
accessible. It details how comparison between manuscripts aids in the
interpretation of texts and understanding the author’s writing process
and collaboration with others, especially secretaries. A long-standing
misunderstanding about the existence of Poestion’s travel journal
from Iceland is corrected. Finally, the characteristics of the manusc-
ript, such as structure, handwriting, script etc., are considered with a
view to publishing the manuscript in a form that would be useful to
scholars and other readers.
Keywords: J.C. Poestion, literary remains, travelogue, travel journal,
manuscript, handwriting, script
MARION LERNER