MAGNUSEN, Dlilg'11-seII, FINS ( 1781 1847 ) A Norse scholar and archeologist. He was born August 27, ]TSI, at Skalholt, in Ice land. He practiced law, but his strong bent toward arclueological pursuits led him in 1812 to return to Copenhagen. where he devoted him self with much zeal to his favorite studies, under the direction of his distinguished countrymen Thorkelin and Thorlacius. In 1815 he obtained a chair of literature in the university. Among his earliest and most noteworthy works are Ins papers on the aboriginal home and earliest mi grations of the Caucasian races (1818) ; his contributions to northern (1820) : the indices, glossaries, and lexicon which he compiled for the elucidation of the second and third of the Arne-Ma.!!nusen editions of the Ed das (1818 and 1825) ; his comprehensive trans lation of the Elder Edda, .Elder Edda, orersat og forklarct (1824) ; and his exposition of the same work (Eddalairrn og dens Oprindelse, 1S24 26). Among his later works, his llunamo og Huncrne (1841) has given rise to much angry discussion; and although many of his interpret ations of assumed runes have been proved to be untenable, the learning and acumen which he brought to bear on the subject of runes generally have thrown great light on this branch of amine ology. In conjunction with Rain. Magnusen elu
cidated the history and antiquities of Greenland in an able work (Gronlands historiske Mindes ma.rker, 1838-45) ; and he subsequently prose cuted a similar course of inquiry in regard to Russia in Antiguit6s cusses (1850-52). In ad dition to these works. Magnusen annotated many of the most important remains of old northern literature, as the Heimskringla.Hakonarmal. Gar dm/a-Saga. etc.; and besides numerous mono graphs on archaiological and historic subjects of interest, made ninny valuable contributions to current Icelandic literature. He died December 24, 1S47.