INGEMANN, BERNHARD SEVERIN, one of the most distinguished poets and novelists of Denmark, was b. May `28, 1789, in the island of Falster. His literary career may be divided into three distinct periods. The first of these, extending from 1811 to 1E14, embraces his best lyrical productions, viz., the collection of poems entitled Procne (1812), and the allegorical epic of De SortelMdere (1814); while the second, or dramatic, ending in 1822, was marked by the appearance of numerous tragedies, which have maintained their place on the national stage, and among which the best are his Nasaniello; Ranea Riisten i Ocrken (1815); Hyrden of Tolosa; Reinald; Underbarnet; Loveridderen (1816); and Tasso's Befriede (1819). After this period, Inge= nn's nritingsare characterized either by leaning to historical disquisition, or a strongly religious bias. His admirable epic poem of Vaidemar den Store og Bans Aland (1824) was the prelude to the various historical novels in which, taking Walter Scott for his model, be endeavored to portray the social life and habits of his own country in the middle ages. Valdemar Selo., the first of the series (1826), and Erik Heaved's Boredom (1828), which are generally regarded as the best of these productions, may compete favorably with some of the most successful efforts of his great model; while even in the less popular of his his torical novels, Kong Erik og de Fredlose (1833), and Prinds Otto og Ham Samtid (1835); may justly entitle him to rank among the first novelists of his time. The poems of
Dronning (1836) and Helper Danske (1837), which are based, like his novels, on incidents of Danish national history and tradition, rank among Ingemann's most suc cessful efforts. The religions element in this writer's mind has found expression in various productions of considerable merit—as, for instance, in his collection of anthems and psalms, HoOmessepsalmer (1825), in his of some of the symbolical or traditionary legends of the church in his Blade of lernsal7em's Skomager's Lommebog (1833); Salomon's Ring (1839); and in his allegorical poem, Guldceblet (1856). Ingema on held the chair of restheties and Danish literature at the royal academy of Sortie, near Copenhagen. His collective works have been published in 38 vols., 1857, Copenhagen, and the greater number of his prose works and many of his poems, have been translated into various languages. He died 1862.