Oehlenschläger, Adam Gottlob

Related Category: Scandinavian Literature: Biographies

(ä´däm gŏt´lŏb ö´lənshlāgər), 1779–1850, Danish romantic poet and dramatist. Oehlenschläger turned for themes to the sagas and to Scandinavian history; he is known as the national poet of Denmark. His poem “The Golden Horns” (1803, tr. 1913) is an original and creative treatment of myth. Other works include lyrics, epics, and a series of historical plays, the best known of which, Earl Hakon the Mighty (1807, tr. 1857), describes the decline of heathenism in Scandinavia. Other dramas are Axel and Valborg (1810, tr. 1851) and Helge (1814). In 1829, Oehlenschläger was crowned Scandinavian poet laureate.