Johan Nordahl Brun
Johan Nordahl Brun (also " Johan Nordal Brun " ) ( born March 21, 1745 in Byneset (now the district of Trondheim ), † July 26, 1816 in Bergen ) was a Norwegian Lutheran bishop and poet.
Youth and Education
His parents were the merchant and later a farmer Svend Busch Brun (1703-1784) and his second wife Mette Catharina Nordal ( 1721-1790 ). On September 2, 1773 he married Ingeborg Lind (February 2, 1746 - August 7, 1827 ), daughter of Christian Erichsen Lind and his wife Elen Svendsdatter Myhre.
Brun grew up in poverty, first in Byneset and from the age of four in Klæbu. Initially, he worked on a farm. At age 12, he was skiløperkorps sergeant in Nordenfjeldske. In 1760 he came to the cathedral school in Trondheim. There, the teachers, influenced him in history Gerhard Schøning. After the exam of Arts and the Anne examination, he worked from 1764 in Trondheim as a private tutor and operational theology in the self-study. In 1767, he put in Copenhagen from the theological state examination. He then worked for several years a teacher in Trondheim.
The poet
During these years he tried his hand as a poet in various fields and different styles. In 1768 he had published anonymously a little comedy Jomfru Pecunia ( Virgin Pecunia ). His first major work was the moral and allegorical didactic poem Religionens Reyse gjennom Forfængeligheds country ( travel of religion through the land of nothingness ), which was read in 1769 Det Norske Kongelige Videnskabers Selskab. In 1770 he wrote on the occasion of the return of the Bishop Johan Ernst Gunnerus from a trip to Finnmark " Naturens Navnedag " ( feast of nature ) according to Christian Braun man Tullins nature poetry. He has also written the anonymous prose En Øm fader Betragtninger ved sin dødfødde Sons Liig - Sten ( One of the considerations of a father over the burial stone of his stillborn son ).
Brun was hired by Bishop Gunnerus as secretary and librarian of the Scientific Society. 1771 he traveled with Gunnerus to Copenhagen and supported him there as a secretary in the reformation of the Danish university. He also was involved in the plans of Bishop establishing a separate Norwegian University. At the turn of 1771/1772 he wrote the patriotic Drinking Song For Norge Kiempers Fødeland ( For Norway, the homeland of the fighters ). The song was disapproved by the Danish authorities, but soon became popular among the Norwegian students in Copenhagen.
Because of his lack of knowledge of German Brun had to give up his office secretary. He worked as a playwright. In February, he won the prize in the competition for the first original Danish tragedy with the piece Zarine which he had devoted Gunnerus. It was premiered on 24 February 1772 success. This success was celebrated by the Norwegian students and led a few months later establishing the " Norwegian Society " (Norwegian company) in Copenhagen. Zarine is a love drama in Alexandrian verse by the French- classical pattern modeled after the tragedies of Voltaire. With this style, he became the target of Johan Herman Wessel in its parody Kierlighed uden STRØMPER (Love without stumps ).
After the tragedy Zarine he was invited by the Danish theater management, another tragedy, with material from the Norwegian history to write this time. Four months later, he returned from the tragedy One Tambeskielver. The shape was the same as in Zarine, but the substance was removed from Snorri Sturluson. The piece was rejected because in the Danish press an aggressive national- Norwegian trend was identified, which met with resistance. The trend is seen more ambivalent today: Loyalty to the King and love of Norwegian country, which saw the Danes as a Danish province only. This double bond remained life characteristic of Brun. In his essay Til Nordmænd om Troeskab mod Kongen og til Kierlighed Fædrenelandet. I Anledning One Tambeskiælver ( At the Norwegians about loyalty to the King and patriotism. Occasion of one Tambeskiælver ) he rejected the criticism of the Danish journalists. In it, he emphasized that the loyalty to the King of Norway is genuine. The difference between Norwegians and Danes, he led Montesquieu to the climatic and natural conditions in the two countries back: The colder climate producing harder people. Separatist aspirations lay his life outside of his thought.
After 1772, he had become pastor, he wrote mainly hymns and poems. A highlight is his Easter Psalm Jesus lever, Graven brast ( Jesus lives, the grave burst ) from the Evangeliske Sange (Evangelical songs ) ( 1786). His secular poems in Mindre dikte ( Minor Poems ) ( 1791) were marked by special clarity. The poem Jeg tog min nystemte Cithar i hands ( I took my neugestimmte zither in the hands ) is a good example of this. In many poems, there are national motives, the Norwegian nature in winter and the joy of skiing and ice skates to use. His last major poetic work, Jonathan (1796 ) is an extensive epic in Alexandrine verses with a biblical material. It was dedicated in all the countries of Israel and the Jews. The poem had indeed no success, was even panned by the critics, but Brun considered it his most important work.
Political Views
In 1791 he took over the substance of the one Tambeskiælver in the Singspiel Endres og Sigrid Brøllop, in which the two main characters are supposed to represent the union of Norway and Denmark allegorical. Although there was no doubt as to his loyalty to the king, he came into some difficulties, as without his knowledge, his song For Norge, Kaempers Fødeland was printed in 1785 in Kristiansand and disseminated in Trondheim. Maybe this was the reason why he did not join the movement for the establishment of a national- Norwegian University at this time. He wanted to avoid anything that might give the appearance of separatist thought. His writing Fornuftig Kjærlighed til Fædrenelandet ( Reasonable patriotism ) (1788 ), and his essays in the reactionary sheet Folke Vennen suggest.
The other pieces he wrote in the 90s, were bourgeois comedies in the tradition of Ludvig Holberg. This reflects the conservative, paternalistic and anti-revolutionary stance Bruns. This is most evident in Republikken paa Øen ( The Republic on the island) of 1793 expressed. In it, he is assumed that the ideal of equality is unrealistic. Only a strict social order would secure peace and freedom.
Brun defended in all, the legitimacy of the royal power and held the Danish absolutism for the best form of government. He turned with a vengeance in 1814, however, enter into a union with Sweden. As long as there was hope that Christian Friedrich was king in Norway, he paid homage to the Danish prince as " Norway's our man." He succeeded, that the representatives of Bergen voted in first extraordinary Storting against the union with Sweden. When the Union was completed, he accepted the position, but had no joy in the new democratic constitution. At first he feared that Prince Karl Johann would it settle before the meeting of the extraordinary Storting because of its obvious anti- Swedish agitation. But Charles John came by the delegates of mountains soon to an understanding of the attitude Bruns, recognized its importance and even won him soon as a pendant, so that he gave him a medal. Brun joined with the Swedish Great in an exchange of letters, and was respected by all.
In the development of the Norwegian identity Brun played a significant role. He was often placed in a row with the powerful personalities Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Grundtvig. Recent research emphasizes more opposites in his poetry and in his polemical writings. The to be found there urge for self-assertion was not the same as what was later connected to the term " nationalism ", but had been more of a patriotism which had referred to the regional roots and was proud of the Norwegian nature and history.
The spiritual career
On October 29, 1772 Brun was appointed resident chaplain in Byneset and he was born on April 14, 1774 pastor at the Holy Cross Church in Bergen. Here he devoted himself to the care of souls, and was a militant clergyman well when he said that the Church or the weak did not come into their own. He now also defended the rights of the diocese. In 1793 he was provost. As the resident bishop Ole Irgens went blind in 1797, he was entrusted with the exercise of episcopal duties, received in 1803 the title and rank of a bishop and took over after the death of Irgens in the same year on January 6, 1804, the diocese of Bergen.
As a bishop, he was very involved in the practical work and made many visitations, partly in areas in which a bishop had come never, for example Jostedal. He tried very hard to Christian proclamation. He sat the Enlightenment Christianity and the spreading deism a strongly internalized faith in the Christ of the Bible contrary. He despised the passivity and narcissism of pietism. However, he had one of the few clergymen quite indulgence with the attitude of the lay preacher Hans Nielsen Hauge. In general, he was tolerant in personal dealings and had constant dealings with the freethinkers Peter Andreas Heiberg, as he stayed in Bergen. In 1785 he wrote the script Vore gamle Kirkeskikke forsvarede mod Hr. Confessionarius og Doctor Bastholm ( defense of our old church rite against Mr. Confessionarius and Doctor Bastholm ), in which he defended the old liturgy against rationalist reforms of worship. His faith was closely associated with his patriotism. In 1815 he was admitted as an honorary member of the Lutheran Society in Stockholm. In his last years he worked for the establishment of a Norwegian Bible Society, whose founding he lived to see.
Brun was a great orator in his time and kept his collection of sermons Hellige Taler ( Holy speeches) ( 1797-1798 and 1805 ) for his spiritual testament. His use of biblical texts led the traditional interpretation further, and stood in contrast to the requirement of the Enlightenment after a scientific interpretation of the Bible.
Honors
Brun was because of the confidence of the king in his unswerving loyalty in 1810 and 1812 Knight Commander of the Dannebrog, 1813 Dannebrogsmann, 1815 clergyman member of the North Star Order and the day after his death, the commander of this Order. After his death, Crown Prince Karl Johan was in the cathedral of Bergen erect a monument to him.
Works
- Jomfru Pecunia ( Virgin Pecunia ), anonymous. Copenhagen 1768
- Naturens Navnedag ( feast of Nature), 1770
- Zarine. Et Sørgespil i ved fem Optog ohan Nordahl Brun ( Zarine. A tragedy in five acts by Johan Nordahl Brun ), Copenhagen 1772
- One Tambeskielver, Oslo 1945.
- Til Nordmænd om Troeskab mod Kongen og til Kierlighed Fædrenelandet. I Anledning One Tambeskiælver ( At the Norwegians about loyalty to the King and patriotism. Occasion of one Tambeskiælver ), Trondheim 1773
- Vore gamle Kirkeskikke forsvarede mod Hr. Confessionarius og Doctor Bastholm ( defense of our old church rite against Mr. Confessionarius and Doctor Bastholm ), 1785
- Tanker om Norges Odelsret (thoughts on Norway Odels law. 1788
- Endres og Sigrid Brøllop. Et Syngestykke i tre Handlinger ( The Wedding of Endres and Sigrid. A musical comedy in three acts ), Copenhagen 1791
- Republikken paa Øen. Et Skuespil i Fem Handlinger The Republic on the island. A drama in five acts ), Bergen 1793
- Evangeliske Sange over Høimessetexter (Evangelical songs on texts of the high mass ), Bergen 1786
Comments
The article is mainly based on the Norsk biografisk leksikon. Any other information will be shown separately.