Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - First part - IV. Education and Mental Culture - 10. Science - Archeology, Numismatics, Swedish Ethnography, and Folklore, by Docent O. Almgren, Ph. D., Uppsala - History of Literature, by Prof. H. Schück. Ph. D., Uppsala
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HISTORY OF LITERATURE.
449
brand has published descriptions of Swedish medals, H. Hildebrand of Swedish
medieval coins, and A. V. Stiernstedt (1812/80) of copper coins etc. Large
treasures of foreign silver coins from the 9th—11th centuries are frequently found
in the Swedish soil. Next to Russia, Sweden is also the richest depository of old
Oriental coins. Certain groups of these coins (preserved in the Myntkabinettet)
have been treated of in comprehensive monographies. Thus B. E. Hildebrand
has described the Anglo-saxon coins, and K. J. Tornberg (1807/77), in his work
Numi cufici regii numophylacii Holmiensis, the Oriental ones. —B. E. Hildebrand
has published a large work of engravings of Swedish seals from medieval times.
Dr. A. Hazelius (1833/1901) has done imperishable service to Swedish
ethnography (and Northern ethnography in general) by his grand creation, the
North Museum in Stockholm (about which cf. the preceding). Thanks to his
wonderful energy, this museum with its annex, the open air museum Skansen,
has from a modest beginning attained such proportions that it is at present the
foremost of its kind in Europe. Within its precincts are collected an immense
material for the study of Swedish folk-life during the last 3—4 centuries;
the scientific treatment of this material has only just begun. Å very excellent
monography about Lappland and the Lapps has been prepared by G. v. Duben
(1822/92).
Folk-lore investigations are as yet quite undeveloped in Sweden. As a
classical work on this topic may be mentioned »Värend och virdarne» (Värend and
its inhabitants — Värend being a part of the province of Småland) by G. 0.
Hyltén-Cavallius (1818/89). Also L. F. Rååf (1786/1872) and R. Dybeck
(1811/77) devoted themselves with interest to this science. In later years much
folk-lore material has been published in the periodical De svenska landsmålen,
issued by professor J. A. Lundell (born 1851), and in the publications by the
North Museum. Quite recently the collection of such material has received a
new impetus by the systematic investigations of the Swedish dialects undertaken
by university teachers and students at Uppsala.
History of Literature.
The history of literature is in Sweden, as in other countries, a comparatively
young branch of learning, and its development with us has passed through much
the same stages as in other countries.
It began as a branch of philological bibliography. Our oldest work on the
subject is J. Schefferus’ (1621/79) Svecia Litterata (1680), a list of books
excellent for its time, and this was followed by a number of other bibliographies
still existing in manuscript. During this first period people were almost
exclusively interested in the history of learning, and it was very common for a
person to treat the literature of a particular town or province. Most of these
works, however, are merely chaotic collections of notices, destitute alike of any
historical or esthetic value.
Under the influence of the French éloges a new start, introduced by 0. von
Dalin (1708/63), was made in the 18th century. Learned notices fell into
contempt, and the chief stress was laid on an eloquent presentation, which culminated
in bombastic and empty panegyric.
With the advent of the Neo-Romantic school the history of literature in
Sweden assumed, as elsewhere, a learned shape. The Neo-Romanticists were more
erudite, and held broader views than the old academicians, and they were,
for that reason, undeniably better fitted to do justice to past ages. But at the
beginning of that century all learning was dependent on philosophy, and, in
consequence of this, the history of literature now became a branch of philosophy,
Sweden. 29
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