Hallgrímur Pétursson

Margrét Eggertsdóttir; Katelin Parsons (Árna Magnússon Foundation for Icelandic Studies)
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Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674) is generally considered the most important religious poet of Iceland. His

Passíusálmar

[

Passion Hymns

] are one of the high points of Icelandic literature, and their author has long been one of the nation’s most beloved poets. Hallgrímur Pétursson was a versatile author who composed spiritual and secular poetry as well as religious prose. He served as a Lutheran minister in his homeland of Iceland from 1644 until leprosy rendered him unable to perform his duties in 1669. Iceland’s largest church, Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík, was named in his honour in the twentieth century.

Hallgrímur Pétursson’s path to the clergy was unusual in many ways. He was the second cousin of the incumbent bishop of Hólar, Guðbrandur Þorláksson (1542–1627),

3004 words

Citation: Eggertsdóttir, Margrét, Katelin Parsons. "Hallgrímur Pétursson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 June 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14816, accessed 06 October 2024.]

14816 Hallgrímur Pétursson 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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