Icelandic Poems Translated by F. W. Bergmann
Friedrich Wilhelm Bergmann, was a linguist, born in Strassburg
on February 9th, 1812. He attended the academy there, where he earned
his degree, "Bachelor of Theology”, in 1834. He later studied Sanskrit
and Old Arabic in Göttingen and Berlin. In 1836, he moved to Paris, where
he studied Arabic, Ethiopian, and Zend under Silvestre de Sacy and Eugene Burnouf
for two years. At Burnouf's request, he devoted himself to the study of Nordic
languages and literature, in which field he would develop a very extensive bibliography,
making Bergmann one of the earliest scholars in the field. Well-respected, Bergmann's
works would be cited in most all of the important works on the Eddas published
in the next 100 years.
In 1838, he published Poëmes Islandais (Icelandic Poems), including one of the first complete and exact translations of Völuspá, Váfþrúðnismál, and Lokasenna, in any modern European language. In 1839 he became "Doctor of Letters” and in 1840, a professor in foreign literature with "la Faculté des Lettres" (College of Letters) in Strassburg, where he lectured on Nordic literature. A prolific author, Bergmann published many works in the following years, including:
In 1838, he published Poëmes Islandais (Icelandic Poems), including one of the first complete and exact translations of Völuspá, Váfþrúðnismál, and Lokasenna, in any modern European language. In 1839 he became "Doctor of Letters” and in 1840, a professor in foreign literature with "la Faculté des Lettres" (College of Letters) in Strassburg, where he lectured on Nordic literature. A prolific author, Bergmann published many works in the following years, including:
• Les aventures de Thor dans l'enceinte-extérieure, racontées par Snorri, fils de Sturla, 1853. (The adventures of Thor in the outer enclosure, told by Snorri Sturlusson)
• Les chants de sôl (Sólarljóð), 1858.
• La fascination de Gulfi (Gylfaginning), 1861.
• Le Message de Skirnir et les Dits de Grimnir (Skírnismál and Grímnismál), 1871.
In 1871, as a concession after the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1),
France ceded Alsace to the Germans and the region became known as the Reichsland
Elsass-Lothringen or the Alsace-Lorraine. Strassburg thus fell under German
rule, continuing until World War I (1914-1918), after which, Alsace was returned
to France. Thus, after 1871, Bergmann's works were published in German. Among
these are:
• Das Graubartslied, Lokis Spottreden auf Thôr. Norrænisches Gedicht der Sæmunds Edda, 1872. (Hárbardsljóð, Loki's mockery of Thor. A Norse Poem from Saemund's Edda).
• Vielgewandts Sprüche und Groa's Zaubersang Zwei norränische Gedichte der Sæmunds-Edda. 1874. (Fjölsvinnsmál and Grougaldr, Two Nordic Poems from Saemund's Edda).
• Weggewohnts Lied der Odins raben orakelsang und der Seherin Voraussicht. Drei eschatologische Gedichte der Sæmunds-Edda, 1875. (Vegtamskviða, Hrafnagaldr Óðins, and Völuspá. Three Eschatological Poems from Saemund's Edda).
• Rig's Sprüche und das Hyndla-Lied Zwei social-ethische Gedichte der Saemunds-Edda. Strassburg, 1876. (Rígsþula and Hyndluljóð. Two Socio-ethic Poems from Saemund's Edda.).
• Des Hehren Sprüche und altnordische Sprüche, Priameln und Rûnenlehren. Ethische und magische Gedichte aus der Sæmunds-Edda, 1877. (Hávamál and Old Norse Sayings, Saws, and Runic Teachings. Ethical and Magical Poems from Saemund's Edda).
• Allweise's Sprüche, Thryms-Sagelied, Hymis-Sagelied und Loki's Wortstreit. Vier eddische Gedichte des Thôr-Cyclus, 1878. (Alvíssmál, Thrymskviða, Hymískviða, and Lokasenna, Four Eddic Poems from the Thor-Cycle).
• Die Edda-Gedichte der nordischen Heldensage, 1879. (The Eddic Poems of the Nordic Hero-saga).
Biography
Frederich Wilhem Bergmann died in Strassburg in 1877, at age 75.
Primary Source: Nordisk familjebok at www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/nf/
A Complete Bibliography of F. W. Bergmann's works can be found at:
www.angelfire.com/moon/drsinner/bergbib.html
Quotes from other scholars concerning Bergmann:
Primary Source: Nordisk familjebok at www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/nf/
A Complete Bibliography of F. W. Bergmann's works can be found at:
www.angelfire.com/moon/drsinner/bergbib.html
Quotes from other scholars concerning Bergmann:
"Bergmann was justly criticized for not being on a par with Eddic scholarship in his own age; for example, by relying too heavily on the Arnamagnæan Edda edition instead of Sophus Bugge's new edition. This may be why he found reason to complain about being somewhat neglected by his colleagues (Bergmann 1875, Preface), and not only, as he thought himself, because he wrote his first books in French. Thor Beck, who was concerned only with literature before 1855, has given a positive assessment of Bergmann's scholarship, underlining his intellectual independence. My impression is that Bergmann's book from 1838, which contains a subtle analysis of Völuspá is less marked by the excessive constructions marring his later works."
- Bjarne Fidestøl, The Dating of Eddic Poetry, 1999
"F. G. Bergmann, who is the author of a number of distinguished publications on comparative linguistics and on Icelandic language and literature, gave in his Poémes Islandais, 1838, one of the weightiest contributions to Franco-Scandinavian scholarship of the entire epoch. He is probably the only research scholar of the time who keeps aloof from the spell of the Orient—except for some admissions on certain points."
- Thor Beck, 1935
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