Herdís Andrésdóttir

Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Kjerstin Moody (Gustavus Adolphus College), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

Born 13 Jul 1858
Died 1939

Places

Active in Iceland

Activities

Primary

Writer / Author

Resources

Andrésdóttir's Works

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The Icelandic twin sisters and poets Herdís and Ólína Andrésdóttir were born in Flatey in Breiðafjörður on 13 June 1858 and died in Reykjavík, Herdís in 1939. A third sister, María, became the oldest ever Icelander, dying at the age of 106 in 1965 and keeping the Icelandic longevity record until 1980. Herdís and Ólína published a volume of poetry together (called simply

Ljóðmæli

[Poetry]) in 1924, an expanded edition arriving in 1976. Because of this publishing process, they are often referred to by scholars as a unity, but in fact they were separated in childhood after losing their father at three and rarely met again until their old age in Reykjavík. There is also a considerable difference in their poetry. Ólína was more prolific and clearly more serious about her…

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967 words

Citation: Jakobsson, Ármann. "Herdís Andrésdóttir". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 January 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15033, accessed 03 May 2024.]

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