Oluf Rygh

Oluf Rygh ( born September 5, 1833 in Verdal, † August 19 1899 in Ulefoss ) was a Norwegian historian, prehistorians and place names researchers. He is considered the founder of the Norwegian place names research.

Youth and Education

His parents were the peasant, vassal and Stortingsabgeordnete Peder beach Rygh (1800-1868) and his wife Ingeborg Marie Bentsen ( 1809-1878 ). He remained unmarried.

Rygh was the eldest of six children. One of his siblings was Evald Rygh. He left in 1850, the Cathedral School in Trondheim and then studied philology at the University of Christiania, where he passed the exam in 1856 with the highest grade ( "med innstilling "). At the same time he was a teacher at a school in Christiania, and in 1858 with Rudolf Keyser scholarship in history. At times he was a member of Det lærde Holland.

University career

From 1859 to 1861 he was a lecturer in history. Since autumn 1861 Rygh was practically the only teacher of history at the University, by Rudolf Keyser said goodbye during the semester of his students already in the middle. In 1860 he was also became an assistant to the antiquity collection, which he took over in 1862 by Keyser. As Peter Andreas Munch died in 1863 got its place. He held until 1875 This body, as the chair has been transformed into a chair of archeology at his request. In 1871 he finished the translation of Snorri's King Sagas, which had begun Munch.

Political Views

In contrast to his father, who was close to the peasant leader Ole Gabriel Ueland, he was to be very conservative, but politically not particularly engaged. He contented himself with can be set up from 1878 to 1891 in Christiania as an elector for the party Høyre. His brother Karl led the antiquity collection of " Det Norske Kongelige Videnskabers Selskab " in Trondheim.

Scientific activity

Together with the Empire archivist Michael Birkeland, Ludvig Ludvigsen Daae and Sophus Bugge, he founded " Den Norske Historiske Forening " was from 1869 a board member and chairman from 1879 to 1899. He played a major role in archeology in a time when this subject found his form in Scandinavia. He cataloged the ancient discoveries of Norway and contributed to the periodization of the history of Norway by his treatise " The ældre Jernalder i Norge " (1869 ) (The Early Iron Age in Norway) and " The yngre Jernalder i Norge " ( The Late Iron Age in Norway) ( 1877) with.

Rygh has led several excavations, one of which is the best known of the salvage Tuneschiffs in 1867. He was a pioneer in this field in the application of scientific methods, which he presented in the essay Norske Broncelegeringer fra Jernalderen (Norwegian bronze alloys of the Iron Age ) ( 1873). In 1882 he coined the term " bygdeborger " ( Rural Settlement ), in his treatise " Gamle Bygdeborge i Norge " ( Old rural settlements in Norway). The term became a central concept in the Norwegian archeology. but his most important work was Oldsager Norske (Norwegian antiquities ) ( 1885), which contained a complete catalog of Norwegian Antiquities.

Another field of his activity was the place-name research. In 1878 he revised together with Johan Sophus Bugge Fritzner and the spelling of Norwegian place names. This became the basis of Norske Gaardnavne work (Norwegian place names ), the first two volumes in 1897 and 1898 came out. The work was then continued by Karl Rygh, Magnus Olsen, Albert Kjær aforementioned Just Qvigstad. The complete works in 21 volumes was only in 1936 completed. It was a complete list of all field names with an explanation for Fylke Fylke and became the model for similar ventures, for example, in the UK. Rygh wanted to explore the oldest name forms and to add the current local term in the pronunciation of his time and therefore visited the areas in order to determine on the spot.

Rygh was a member of several academies, among others, Kungliga och Vitterhets History Antikvitets Academies (since 1880).

Ryghs importance

Ryghs effort to link the Norwegian historiography with the international branches of science was. This he undertook for archeology and place-name research. He felt this was important in connection with the formation of a Norwegian national identity and culture in the late 19th century. So he became an important engine in the development of a Norwegian nation in the sign of national romanticism.

Works

• " Skibsfundet fra Tune", Reprint from Den Norske Rigstidende No. 178, 1867
• "Om the ældre Jernalder i Norge ". In: Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og History, 1869, pp. 149-184.
• " Norske Broncelegeringer fra Jernalderen ". In: Scientific Society Kristiania. Negotiations in 1873, pp. 471-480
• "Om the yngre Jernalder i Norge ". In: Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og history. 1877, pp. 101-194.
• " Gamle Bygdeborge i Norge ". In: Aarsberetning / Foreningen til norske Fortidsminnesmerkers Bevaring. 1883, pp. 30-80
• Norske Oldsager. 1885
• " Norske Stedsnavne paa lo ( lá, SLO eller lignende ) ". In: Arkiv för nordisk filologi. 1891, pp. 244-256.
• " Norske Fjordnavne ". In: Sproglig - Historiske Studier tilegnede Professor CR Unger. 1896, pp. 30-86.
• Norske Gaardnavne. Oplysninger Samlede til Brug ved Matrikelens Revision, Vol 1 Smaalenenes office. 1897th Vol 2 Akershus office. In 1898.

Comments

The article is based on the Norsk biografisk leksikon. Any other information are shown separately.