On Thursday, September 11, 2014, an exhibition was opened to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of the priest and hymn writer Hallgrímur Pétursson. The exhibition is a collaborative project between the National Library of Iceland – University Library and the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Margrét Eggertsdóttir is writing the exhibition text.
One of the greatest treasures of the manuscript collection of the National Library of Iceland – University Library is the poet's autograph copy of the Passion Psalms , JS 337 4to, written in 1659. The manuscript was among Jón Sigurðsson's manuscripts that were purchased for the National Library in 1877. The story behind the manuscript is remarkable, as Hallgrímur gave it to Bishop Ragnheiður Brynjólfsdóttir in 1661. Hallgrímur's autograph copy of the Passion Psalms is one of the very few manuscripts that have survived in his own hand.
Hallgrímur's works are preserved here in the museum in various forms. For the most part, Hallgrímur's poetry has come down to us through printed books and a myriad of manuscript copies. The National Library's manuscript collection contains around 600 manuscripts that are related to Hallgrímur in some way. His poems, verses, hymns and rhymes have been written down in numerous manuscripts, as has his biography and genealogy. Numerous manuscript copies of Hallgrímur's poetry and other works are also preserved here, a total of around 600 manuscripts. His works have also been printed in many editions. The Passion Hymns were first printed at Hólar in 1666, and there are now 90 editions of them in Icelandic.
The exhibition runs until May 3, 2015.