Finnur Jónsson

Finnur Jónsson (* May 29, 1858 in Akureyri, † March 30, 1934 in Copenhagen) was an Icelandic skandinavistischer medievalist. Jónsson was Professor of Nordic Philology at the University of Copenhagen. His scientific work continues to the present after by his editions of the works of the Old Norse literature from Saga, Edda and skaldic poetry.

He studied from 1878 in Copenhagen, was there in 1884 his doctorate with a dissertation on the skaldic. There followed in 1887 the first job as a lecturer. In 1889 he became a full professor of Scandinavian studies until his retirement in 1928.

Teaching and research focus Jónsson were the Norse poems of the early to high Middle Ages. His major works include The norsk - Islandske skjaldedigtning, an edition of the entire corpus of skaldic verse in two parts. Another is the lexicon Poeticum, A Dictionary of Old Norse poetry and with the oldnorske above oldislandske litteraturs history a history of Old Norse literature.