Sigurd Agrell
Per Sigurd Agrell(16 January 1881 inVärmland– 19 April 1937 inLund) was aSwedishpoet,translator,runologistand professor ofSlavic languagesatLund University.
Biography
[edit]Agrell's parents were Frans Vilhelm Agrell (1843–1900) and Ida Vendela Örtenholm (1851–1928).[1]After graduating from secondary school inNorrmalmin 1898, he was admitted toUppsala University,where he earned hislicentiate degreein 1907. He then continued his academic career at Lund University, where he in 1908 defended his PhD thesis onaspectinPolish.He received hisdoctoral degreein 1909 and was later appointed associate professor (docent) at the same university.
Having taught at Lund University since 1908, Agrell became professor of Slavic languages in 1921. He translated a number of Russian books, such as Slavic legends, andIvan Bunin's stories. His 1925 translation ofLeo Tolstoy'sAnna Kareninawas for a long time the standard translation of this novel in Sweden. At first, however, it was criticized for being more personal and original that a previous translation byWalborg Hedberg.[2]Alongside his work in Slavic languages, Agrell was also interested inrunology,and published a number of papers in this field.
He began his poetic career as a 16-year-old secondary school student inÖrebro,where he contributed with translations and own poems toLingvo internacia,anEsperantomagazine that had been published in Uppsala since 1895. Among others, he translated poems by Swedish authorsErik Johan StagneliusandPer Daniel Amadeus Atterbom.
During his studies in Uppsala, Agrell belonged, together with John Landquist,Sven LidmanandHarald BrisingtoLes quatre diables,a group of students with literary interests. Agrell wrote mainlysymbolistpoetry, with an emphasis on form, but his interest in writing diminished as modern free verse poetry gained popularity in Sweden. At the same time, he became more focused on his academic work.
He is perhaps most known for his work in runology, particularly for formulating theUthark theory.He focused on the magical and mystical aspects of runes (gematria).
Agrell married Anna Elvira Osterman. He was father to military psychologistJan Agrelland zoologistIvar Agrell,and grandfather to historianWilhelm Agrell.He died in 1937 and is buried at Norra kyrkogården in Lund.
Poem collections
[edit]- 1903 -Arabesker
- 1905 -Solitudo
- 1906 -Hundra och en sonett
- 1908 -Den dolda örtagården
- 1909 -Purpurhjärtat
- 1912 -Antika kaméer
- 1931 -Valda dikter
Selected works in philology
[edit]- 1908 -Aspektänderung und aktionsartbildung beim polnischen zeitworte
- 1913 -Intonation und auslaut im slavischen
- 1915 -Zur slavischen lautlehre
- 1917 -Slavische lautstudien
Selected works in runology
[edit]- 1927 -Runornas talmystik och dess antika förebild
- 1930 -Rökstenens chiffergåtor och andra runologiska problem (Available online via Projekt Runeberg)
- 1931 -Senantik mysteriereligion och nordisk runmagi: en inledning i den nutida runologiens grundproblem
- 1932 -Die spätantike Alphabet-Mystik und die Runenreihe
- 1934 -Lapptrummor och runmagi: tvenne kapitel ur trolldomsväsendets historia (Available online via Projekt Runeberg)
- 1936 -Die pergamenische Zauberscheibe und das Tarockspiel
- 1938 -Die Herkunft der Runenschrift
References
[edit]- ^Svenskt biografiskt lexikon.Stockholm. 1918. p. 282.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^Håkanson, Nils."Sigurd Agrell, 1881–1937".Svensk översättarlexikon.Södertörns högskolebibliotek.Retrieved2010-10-19.
External links
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