Jón Þorláksson á Bægisá

Oddur Pálsson (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

Born 13 Dec 1744
Died 21 Oct 1819

Places

Active in Iceland

Activities

Primary

Prose writer

Resources

Þorláksson á Bægisá's Works

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Jón Þorláksson was an Icelandic priest, poet and a pioneering translator. Born in 1744 in Selárdalur in the west of Iceland, Jón was the son of the priest Þorlákur Guðmundsson and his wife Guðrún Tómasdóttir. Jón was five years old when his father lost his office due to excessive drinking. The family was forced to move around the country as Þorlákur served as a district magistrate [sýslumaður] in Ísafjörður in the westfjords, Vestmannaeyjar, and Árnessýslu in the south of Iceland.

In 1760 Jón went to Skálholt, the main bishopric of Iceland, and finished his education with excellent results in 1763. The following years he served as a scribe for the governor of Iceland [amtmaður], first in Leirá and later in Bessastaðir. Jón served his first clerical appointment

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1263 words

Citation: Pálsson, Oddur. "Jón Þorláksson á Bægisá". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 December 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15194, accessed 21 December 2024.]