Letters from poet and sheriff Jón Thoroddsen

The manuscript collection recently received several letters from Elín Jónsdóttir (1841-1934), daughter of the poet and magistrate Jón Thoroddsen (1818-1868). These are five letters from Jón to Elín, written between 1861 and 1865. There is also a letter from Jón to his grandmother, Ólafar Hallgrímsdóttir Thorlacius (1816-1854), written in July 1842, along with other letters. Jón is best known for his novel, Piltur og stúlka, which was first published in 1850 and is often considered to be the first Icelandic novel written in a modern format. The letters cover a wide range of topics, but in his letter to Ólafur, Jón reports, among other things, on the proposed legislation on equal inheritance rights for men and women, which he considered a step forward, "a true gospel for the female nation." The letters have been given the collection number Lbs 5468 4to.

Click on the image to view a larger version.