Ein Ny Wiisna Bok (Ein ný vísnabók, A new book of verse) was published by Guðbrandur Þorláksson in 1612. The book contains religious and didactic poetry. The aim of the publication was to reduce the influence of secular poetry among ordinary people. Guðbrandur had many of the leading religious poets of the day write poems for the book. He also chose for it the works of many poets from as early as Catholic times. One of the Icelanders’ best-loved Christmas poems, “Kvæðið af stallinum Kristi” (The poem of Christ’s manger) by Einar Sigurðsson, was first published in the Vísnabók, and it is still popular today.
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