Johan Ludvig Runeberg
Johan Ludvig Runeberg | |
---|---|
Born | Jakobstad, Ostrobothnia, Swedish-ruled Finland | 5 February 1804
Died | 6 May 1877 | (aged 73)
Spouse | Fredrika Tengström |
Children | 8, including Walter Runeberg |
Signature | |
Johan Ludvig Runeberg (Finland Swedish: [ˈjuːhɑn ˈlʉdːviɡ ˈrʉːnebærj]; 5 February 1804 – 6 May 1877)[1] was a Finnish priest, lyric and epic poet. He wrote exclusively in Swedish. He is considered a national poet of Finland. He is the author of the lyrics to Vårt land (Our Land, Maamme in Finnish) which became an unofficial Finnish national anthem. Runeberg was also involved in the modernization of the Finnish Lutheran hymnal and produced many texts for the new edition.[2][3]
Background
Childhood
Runeberg was born into a Swedish-speaking family in Jakobstad, Finland, on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. His parents were sea captain Lorentz Ulrik Runeberg (1772–1828) and Anna Maria Malm (1782–1834).[4][5] Paternal grandfather Ludvig had moved to Finland from Sweden, and Anna Maria Malm was born to the merchant family from Jakobstad, which probably also had their roots in Sweden.[6]
As a child, Runeberg suffered from
Education
At the age of eight, Runeberg was sent to live with his uncle and attend school in
From 1837, he lived in Porvoo, where he served as professor of Latin literature in the Borgå gymnasium. Runeberg was the tutor of Carl Henrik Alopaeus, who would later become the bishop of Porvoo and an educator of the deaf. Runeberg also supported Carl Oscar Malm's school for the deaf in Porvoo (at which Alopaeus taught) as well as serving on its school board. Finnish salon hostess Natalia Castrén (1830–1881) was a member of Runeberg's cultural circle.[7][8][9]
Poetry
Many of his poems deal with life in rural Finland. The best known of these is Bonden Paavo, (Farmer Paavo, Saarijärven Paavo in Finnish), about a smallholding peasant farmer in the poor parish of Saarijärvi and his determination, sisu (guts) and unwavering faith in providence in the face of a harsh climate and years of bad harvests. Three times, a frosty night destroys his crops. Every time, he mixes double the amount of bark into his bark bread to stave off starvation and works ever harder to dry off marsh into dryer land that would not be as exposed to the night frost. After the fourth year, Paavo finally gets a rich crop. As his wife exults, thanks God and tells Paavo to enjoy full bread made entirely out of grain, Paavo instructs his wife to mix bark into grain once more, because their neighbour's crop has been lost in a frost and he gives half of his crop to the needy neighbour.[10][11]
Selected works
Runeberg's main works included the idealist poem "Älgskyttarna" (Elk Hunters, 1832) and the epic Kung Fjalar (King Fjalar, 1844). The heroic poem Fänrik Ståls Sägner (
Personal life
He was married to his second cousin Fredrika Runeberg, née Tengström, who wrote poems and novels. They were the parents of eight children, including the sculptor Walter Runeberg, who was their eldest son.[14][15] He also had several emotional affairs throughout his life, most notably with Maria Prytz and the younger poet Emilie Björkstén.[16]
Johan Ludvig Runeberg met Fredrika Wenman at a school in Vaasa. Runeberg dedicated his poem to Frigga. However, the courtship ended when Runeberg left to study at the Royal Academy of Turku in 1823.[17]
Legacy
Runeberg Day (Finnish: Runebergin päivä) is celebrated annually on 5 February, the day of Runeberg's birth. A pastry flavored with almonds called
There is a statue of Johan Ludwig Runeberg by his son
The Runeberginkatu street in central Helsinki is named after him.[21]
Runeberg was selected as the main motif of the Finnish commemorative coin, the €10 Johan Ludvig Runeberg and Finnish Poetry commemorative coin. It was minted in 2004 celebrating the 200th anniversary of his birth. The obverse of the coin features a stylized portrait of Runeberg's face. The reverse features an 1831 font sample from the Swedish-language newspaper Helsingfors Tidningar, since Runeberg wrote most of his work in Swedish.[22]
See also
- List of Swedish-language writers
- MS J. L. Runeberg
- Project Runeberg
- Runeberg Prize
- Runeberg torte
- Sven Dufva
References
- ^ "Runeberg: a patriotic 19th-century rapper". Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland). 5 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- ^ "Hannu Vapaavuori: Virsikirja ennen virsikirjaa". Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ "The Finnish National Anthem". Finland Promotion Board. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b Merikapteenin poika Archived 7 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine (in Finnish)
- ^ Runebergin perhe – Pietarsaaren kaupunginmuseo (in Finnish)
- ^ a b Helge Pohjolan-Pirhonen: Kansakunnan historia 3: kansakunta löytää itsensä, p. 529–550. Helsinki: WSOY, 1973. ISBN 951-0-05774-6. (in Finnish)
- ^ Suomen kansallisbiografia, National Biography of Finland. Accessed 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Johan Ludvig Runeberg". University of Helsinki, Faculty of Arts. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Carl Henrik Alopaeus". The Finnish Museum of the Deaf. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Matti Klinge, translated by Roderick Fletcher. "Runeberg, Johan Ludvig (1804–1877)". Biografiakeskus. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ June Pelo. "Johan Ludvig Runeberg – National Poet of Finland". sydaby.eget.net. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ Martti Turtola. "150th Anniversary of the Finnish National Anthem". Universitas Helsingiensis. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ Lotta Lotass. "Johan Ludvig Runeberg". litteraturbanken. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Fredrika Runeberg". Porvoon Museo. Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ Liisa Lindgren. "Walter Runeberg, Skulptör, professor". Biografiskt lexikon för Finland. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ Rahikainen, Agneta. "Ystävien seurassa". J.L.Runeberg (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "Johan Ludwig Runeberg". digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi (in Finnish). 30 January 1904. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ "Runebergintortut". Yle yhtiönä. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "Esplanadin puisto – Esplanade Park". City of Helsinki Public Works Department. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 30.
- ^ Helsingin Kadunnimet (PDF) (in Finnish) (2nd revised ed.). City of Helsinki. 1981. p. 132. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "J.L. Runeberg ja runous 10 €, BU". Suomen Rahapaja. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
External links
- Vårt land (Maamme)
- Works by Runeberg at Project Runeberg
- Johan Ludvig Runeberg at Swedish Wikisource
- Works by Johan Ludvig Runeberg at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Johan Ludvig Runeberg at Internet Archive
- Works by Johan Ludvig Runeberg at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- Recipe for Runeberg Torte (Finnish: Runebergintorttu; Swedish: Runebergstårta)
- Runeberg translations by Charles Wharton Stork, pp. 56–80
- Anthology of Swedish lyrics from 1750 to 1915 at the Internet Archive
- "Johan Ludvig Runeberg". Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. urn:NBN:fi:sls-4596-1416928957202.
- Works by or about Johan Ludvig Runeberg at Wikisource
- Media related to Johan Ludvig Runeberg at Wikimedia Commons