Modern Denmark.— The revolution in the mode and view of life which characterizes the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern period has been treated fully by the Danish Professor Troels-Lund in his great work, (Dagligt Liv In Denmark the reli gious life was mostly affected. The time of the Reformation signifies principally opposition to the Catholic church and to the scholastic way of thinking. The religious liberation spread rapidly from Germany to the Scandinavian countries, while the effects of the renaissance came later. The literature of the Reformation period (16th century) shows very little orig inality, but has its great national significance by, beipg written in the mother tongue, the principal condition for having an independent literature. After the struggle about the new creed, it looked as if a really liberal view would win in all lines. New science arose, the educational system was improved, the Univer sity of Copenhagen (founded 1479) was re established in 1537, much work was done to have the history of Denmark written, the higher classes, including the court and the nobility, took much interest in art and science. But soon all interest centred in the establish ment of the Lutheran doctrine, theology itself became learned and made use, as the other sciences, of the Latin language; censor ship was established and checked all free liter ary development. It became Holberg's great mission to raise the people by making them acquainted with the progress made by the lead ing countries of Europe.
In the age of Reformation proper, Kristiern Pedersen (1480-1554), called "the father of Danish literature," was one of the leaders. His use of the Zealand dialect became the foundation of the literary language of the country. His translation of the New Testa ment was published in 1529, and the translation of Christian III's Bible (1550) is in the main his work. He also published a free adaptation of a book by Luther on how children should be kept in school. Hans Tausen (1494-1561) by his eloquence and with his pen contributed most to the reformation in Denmark. Peder Palladius (1503-60), Zealand's first evangeli cal bishop (superintendent), edited a number of books in Danish and Latin to advance the cause of general education, and morality. His most important work is his a collection of addresses delivered on his pro fessional visits through his bishopric. It gives a vivid picture both of the able and imperious bishop himself and of the times. Povel Hel gesen was the first to oppose the sale of in dulgences, even anticipating Luther himself, but later attacked the Lutherans for going too far in their attack on the Roman church. They called him Povel "Turncoat." His po lemical writings show the excellent style of this great humanist. His Chronicles' is the only historical work of importance from that time. Hymn writers were Hans Kristensen Sthen and Hans Thornesen, who published (1569) the first authorized hymn-book, which contained the best of the earlier hymns and very good contributions by himself.
The Period of Learning The majority of the writers of this period had no longer any use for the people and the ver nacular. They returned to the language of the gods," Latin, and subtle theological discourses and treatises now succeeded the religious re vival of the people. Melanchton's disciple, Niels Henuningsen (1513-1600), is the greatest theologian of the time. He published a num ber of highly valued commentaries on the New Testament, a great dogmatic work and also text books for the use of pastors. His fame spread over the whole of Europe and he re ceived the cognomen "The Teacher of Den mark." With his lege nature' he became the forerunner of the founders of "natural law." Grotius and Pufendorf. Because his views differed from the established orthodoxy he was discharged from the university. Jesper Brochmand (1585-1682), 'Bishop of Zealand, was the most learned theologian of Denmark in the 17th century and the orthodox leader who exercised a decisive influence on his epoch. On his (Universz Theologise Schema' is based his reputation in the •whole Lutheran church, while his Danish translated into sev eral languages, has been popular down to our days. It was a time characterized by trials of witches, bigotry and superstition, and both theologians and scientists showed the prejudices of the times. A number of men with much book learning brought together a wealth of ma terial in various sciences without much critical elaboration. Within the field of empirical sci ences, especially medicine and astronomy, Den mark had at this time several men of world renown. Tyge Brahe (1546-1601), a member of one of the oldest noble families, was an astronomer. 'Caspar Bartholin and his son Thomas (1616-80) were great anatomists. Ole Botch, also a polyhistor, excelled in chem istry and Latin. Simon Paulli, also much in terested in botany, established (1644) the Domus Anatomica in Copenhagen. Most fa mous, perhaps, was Niels Steensen (Nicolaus Steno, 1638-86), who made great discoveries in anatomy and founded the science of geology.
Ole Romer, the astronomer, gained for himself great celebrity by his scientific discoveries. His calculation of the velocity of light (1675) marked a new area in scientific research. Of interest is the fact that men and women of the old Danish nobility distinguished themselves in science and literature. Holger Rosenkrans was considered one of the best theologians of the time. Noble ladies made collections of popular ballads, many of them were learned and de voted to studies. Noblemen were liberal pa trons of the arts and sciences. Arild Huitfeldr published in ten volumes a chronicle of the Danish kingdom. Under the influence of Ger man-Dutch renaissance and also, after abso lutism was established (1660), of French classicism, what was of Danish native origin was more or less despised. But there also flowed through the period a national and to some extent a popular current, which was not very strong but is of great interest as a con tinuation of the great popular movement cre ated by the Reformation. Anders S. Vedel (1542-1616) published his excellent translation of
in 1575 and his selection of Danish ballads in 1591. Of Norwegian writers who after the Reformation and until 1814 belong to Danish literature, Peder Clausson Friis trans lated
and wrote his
of Norway,' both works printed after his death. Anders Arreboe (1587-1637) translated the Psalms of David and wrote
partly in hexameters and partly in alexandrines, according to the rules laid down by Opitz in his 'Prosodic Germania.> The poem is a free imitation of the French poem by Bartas, but many parts are original. Peder Syv published the first grammar in Danish (1685) ; Erik Pontoppidan also wrote a Danish grammar in Latin. Ole Worm, with his 'Monumenta Danica> (1643), is the founder of Danish runology and archaeology, and awakened an in terest in the study of the early Scandinavian (Norwegian-Icelandic) literature. Mathias Moth left in manuscript rich collections which were used in the compilation of a voluminous Danish dictionary. The most important Danish prose works of the period are, besides Christian V's