Árbók Landsbókasafns Íslands - Nýr flokkur - 01.01.1992, Side 127

ENGLISH SUMMARY
127
Einarsson’s important Sciagraphia historiæ literariæ Islandicæ (an outline of the
literary history of Iceland) in 1777, Gunnar wrote a laudatory poem about it and
the author, Hugdilla (A Pleasure to the Mind), printed at Hólar in 1783. A
unique copy of the printed edition of Hugdilla is preserved in the National
Library, and the poem is printed in full on pp. 61-63.
Kristín Bragadóttir: Sunnanfari. Landsbókasafn íslands. Árbók. Nýr flokkur 16
(1990). Rv. 1992, pp. 65-76.
Sunnanfari was a cultural monthly magazine in Icelandic, first published in
1891 by Icelanders in Copenhagen for distribution in Iceland and among Ice-
landers abroad. A publication of high quality and considerable ambition, it had
substantial influence on the cultural debate in Iceland at the turn of the century.
Illustrations were published regularly, but the main emphasis was on cultural
and social issues, literature in particular.
The fírst editor of Sunnanfari until 1896, was Jón Þorkelsson (1859-1924). He
shaped an editorial policy that gave Icelandic poetry and other literary texts the
most prominent part, but literary criticism or articles about literature as well as
discussions of current affairs and social issues were also important. The final
issue of Sunnanfari appeared in 1914.
Among the many Icelandic poets and authors that made contributions to the
magazine were Einar Benediktsson (1864—1940), Einar Hjörleifsson (1859-
1938), Porsteinn Erlingsson (1858-1914), Grímur Thomsen (1820-1896), and
Benedikt Gröndal (1826-1907). Numerous letters preserved in the National
Library of Iceland vividly illustrate the reaction of the public to Sunnanfari as well
as the editor’s relations with individual contributors. In spite of differences of
opinion about its contents, there is no doubt about the general success of
Sunnanfari.
Taniguchi, Yukio: Viðtökur íslenzkrabókmennta í Japan. Ræða, flutt á þýzku í
Reykjavík vorið 1990. Landsbókasafn íslands. Árbók. Nýr flokkur 16 (1990). Rv.
1992, pp. 77-83.
(A speech on the reception of Icelandic literature in Japan made by Mr
Taniguchi, who is one of the leading scholars of old Icelandic literature in Japan.)
Japanese scholars have shown interest in Icelandic literature since the close of
the 19th century. From 1896 to 1903 Mr Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) gave
lectures on the Sturlunga Saga and the Njáls Saga at the Imperial University in
Tokyo, and in the fírst decades of the 20th century, Icelandic literature was
sometimes studied in the English and German departments of the universities.
Mr Koji Iizuka (1906-1970), the geographer, is believed to have been the fírst
Japanese scientist to visit Iceland. Since World War II, Icelandic literature has
gradually become better known. There are Japanese translations of some of the
works of Jón Sveinsson (Nonni), Halldór Laxness, Guðbergur Bergsson, and
Svava Jakobsdóttir, and Icelandic folktales have also been translated. But most
attention has been paid to the old literature of Iceland, and there are translations
of most of the best known works, including Egils Saga, Njáls Saga, Grettis Saga,
Völsunga Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga, Laxdæla Saga, and the Eddaic Poems. Most of
this work has been done within the universities. Journals devoted to Icelandic
literature have been published and a learned society dedicated to Icelandic
studies is now active.