Heðin Brú (pronounced ; August 17, 1901 – May 18, 1987) was the pen-name of Hans Jacob Jacobsen, a Faroese novelist and translator. Heðin Brú is considered to be the most important Faroese writer of his generation and is known for his fresh and ironic style. His novel, '' Feðgar á ferð'' (''The Old Man and His Sons''), was chosen as the ''Book of the twentieth century'' by the Faroese.

Life and Works

Hans Jacobsen was born in 1901 in Skálavík. Like many of his countrymen, Jacobsen worked as a fisherman in his early years. After two seasons, he left to study agriculture in Denmark. When he returned to the

Faroes The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

, he worked as an agricultural advisor—a job that took him to all parts of the country. The contacts he made with ordinary village people he met during this time had a lasting effect on his writing. In 1930, his first novel, ''Lognbrá'', which tells the story of a young man growing up in a Faroese village, was published. In 1935 there appeared its sequel, ''Fastatøkur'', in which the young man works as a fisherman on a sloop. Both of these books were translated into Danish in 1946 and published under the title ''Høgni''. '' Feðgar á ferð'', Brú's most famous work, was published in Faroese in 1940, in Danish in 1962 (''Fattigmandsære''), in German in 1966 (''Des armen Mannes Ehre'', a translation of the Danish title), and in English in 1970 under the title of ''The Old Man and his Sons''. This was his first novel to be translated from Faroese into English. It tells the tale of the transformation of a rural society into a modern nation of fisheries and the conflicts between generations that result. In 1963, he satirised the Faroese politics of the interwar period in his novel ''Leikum fagurt''. His ''Men livið lær'' (1970) describes a Faroese village around 1800, and his ''Tað stóra takið'' of 1972 describes a similar village around a century later. While writing these novels, Heðin Brú also wrote three collections of

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...

s and translated two

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

plays (''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' and ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

''). He translated many pieces of world literature into Faroese. Between 1959 and 1974, he published a six-volume collection of Faroese

fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the Folklore, folklore genre. Such stories typically feature Magic (supernatural), magic, Incantation, e ...

, ''Ævintýr I – VI'' (with illustrations by Elinborg Lützen). This is considered to be the standard work on the subject. Jacobsen died in 1987 in

Tórshavn Tórshavn (; ; Danish language, Danish: ''Thorshavn''), usually locally referred to as simply Havn, is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the northwest of th ...

. His son, Bárður Jákupsson, is considered by the Faroese to be the country's most important contemporary visual artist.

Works

* ''Lognbrá''. 1930 (Novel. many editions) * ''Fastatøkur''. 1935 (Novel. many editions) ** ''Berättelsen om Högni''; Translation from Faroese into Swedish by Niels Edberg and Sigfrid Lindström. Lund: Gleerups Förlag, 1939 - 440 pg. ** ''Högni. Romanzo delle Faer-Öer''; Translation into Italian by Piero Monaci. Milano: A Mondadori, 1942 ** ''Högni''; Translation into Spanish by Angel Giménez Ortiz. Barcelona: Hispano Americana de Ediciones, 1946 - 325 pg. * ''Fjallaskuggin''. 1936 (Short stories) ** ''Fjallaskuggin''; Illustrated by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Self-published, 1967 - 135 pg. (2 initial editions, then more) *** ''Fjeldskyggen, noveller og skitser''; Translation into Danish by Gunnvá and Povl Skårup. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1963 - 140 pg. *** ''Fjällskuggan och andra noveller från Färöarna''; Auswahl und Translation into Swedish by Birgitta Hylin; Cover image by Bárður Jákupsson. Stockholm: P.A. Norstedt & Söners förlag, 1981 - 169 pg. *** from it: ''The White Church'' in: Sven H. Rossel (ed.): ''Christmas in Scandinavia''. University of Nebraska Press, 1996 - 182 pg. (more than one author) * ''Grái táttur'' in: Sosialurin, 1938 (Satire In Faroese on the Internet) * '' Feðgar á ferð''. Tórshavn: Varðin, 1940 - 160 pg. (Novel. at least 5 editions) ** ''Feðgar á ferð''; Translation into Icelandic by Aðalsteinn Sigmundsson. Reykjavík: Víkingsútgáfan, 1941 - 208 pg. ** ''Fattigmandsære''; Translation into Danish by Gunnvá and Povl Skårup; foreword by William Heinesen. Kopenhagen: Gyldendal, 1962 - 146 pg. ** ''Fattigfolk på ferde''; Translation into Norwegian by Ivar Eskeland; foreword by William Heinesen. Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, 1964 - 152 pg. ** ''Des armen Mannes Ehre''; from the Danish translation by Alfred Anderau. With illustrations by Camille Corti and an afterword by William Heinesen (p. 221-223). Zürich: Flamberg, 1966 - 223 pg. ** ''nîsarnarsuíngôk / nugterissok''; Translation from the Danish into Greenlandic by Jørgen Fleischer. Godthåb: Det Grønlandske Forlag, 1967 - 128 pg. ** ''The old man and his sons''; Translation into English and a foreword by John F. West; Drawings by Bárður Jákupsson. New York: Paul S. Eriksson, 1970 - 203 pg. ** ''Honor biedaka''; Translation into Polish by Henryk Anders and Maria Krysztofiak. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, 1970 - 154 pg. ** ''Ketil und die Wale''; Translation from the Danish by Ernst Walter with references to the Faroese original. With an afterword by the translator (s. 187-192). Rostock: Hinstorff, 1971 - 192 pg. ** ''Fattigmans heder''; Translation into Swedish by Birgitta Hylin; Cover image by William Heinesen. Stockholm: Bokförlaget Pan/Norstedts, 1977 - 137 pg. * ''Flókatrøll''. Copenhagen: Bókadeild Føroyingafelags, 1948 - 128 pg. (Short stories. Translated together with ''Fjallaskuggin'' 1936. s.o.) ** from this: ''Niklas Niklái'' (

Esperanto Esperanto (, ) is the world's most widely spoken Constructed language, constructed international auxiliary language. Created by L. L. Zamenhof in 1887 to be 'the International Language' (), it is intended to be a universal second language for ...

1949, 4 pg.) * ''Ævintýr''; Illustrations by Elinborg Lützen. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1959-1974 - 6 Volumes (Collection of Faroese Faity Tales. Two editions published since 1974) * '' Føroyingasøga''. Translations from

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

into Faroese by Heðin Brú and Rikard Long. Tórshavn: Skúlabókagrunnurin, 1962 - 105 pg. * ''Leikum fagurt'' ...; Single volume format by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Self-published, 1963 - 195 pg. (many editions) * ''Purkhús''. 1966, Tórshavn (short stories); illustrations by Bárður Jákupsson ** from it: ''Einsamallur í Lítlu Dímun'', translated into English and published in The Threepenny Review, Issue 148: Winter 2017, as ''Alone on Lítla Dímun''; translated by Henrik Bergquist * ''Men lívið lær''. Tórshavn: Varðin, 1970 - 321 S. (many editions, most recently as a schoolbook in 2001, ) * ''Búravnurin ''; Cover image by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1971 - 128 pg. * ''Tað stóra takið''; Cover image by Bárður Jákupsson. 1 edition, Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1972 - 251 pg. * ''Endurminningar''; Cover layout by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1980 - 389 pg. (Memoir. pub. in 2001 as a book tape, 15 tapes)

Translations

The following works of

world literature World literature is used to refer to the world's total national literature and the circulation of works into the wider world beyond their country of origin. In the past, it primarily referred to the masterpieces of Western European literature. ...

were translated by Heðin Brú into Faroese: * Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: '' Másin''. (Russ. ''Чайка''. Without publisher or year. Available in the Faroese National Library, 59 pages. The piece was performed in the Faroes, but has not yet been released as a book) * "

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

: Harðveðrið". In: '' Varðin'' 39, (Tórshavn) 1964 (engl. ''The Tempest'') * William Shakespeare: '' Hamlet, prinsur av Danmørk''. Tórshavn: Varðin, 1969 - 244 pg. (Engl. ''Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'') *

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

: '' Hedda Gabler. Sjónleikur í fýra pørtum''. Tórshavn: Havnar sjónleikarfelag, 1969 - 108 pg. *

Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...

: ''Vælferðin''; Drawings by Bárður Jákupsson. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1972 - 326 pg. * William Heinesen: ''Móðir Sjeystjørna''; Title image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1975 - 135 pg. * William Heinesen: ''Glataðu spælimenninir''; Title image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1975 - 298 pg. * Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky: '' Tey á Steffansleiti''. Tórshavn: Emil Thomsen, 1977 - 238 pg. (The Village of Stepanchikovo) * Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky: '' Karamasov-brøðurnir''; Cover image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1978 - 3 Volumes, IX+452, 382, 458 pg. (Russ. Братья Карамазовы - The Brothers Karamazov) * '' Münchhausen greivi - sigur frá''; Drawings by Zacharias Heinesen. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1978 - 175 pg. *

Astrid Lindgren Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren (; ; 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish writer of fiction and screenplays. She is best known for several children's book series, featuring Pippi Longstocking, Emil i Lönneberga, Emil of Lönneberga, ...

: '' Brøðurnir Leyvuhjarta''. Tórshavn: Varðin, 1980 - 242 pg. (swed. '' Bröderna Lejonhjärta'' - The Brothers Lionheart) *

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...

: ''Tann stóra ævintýrbókin''. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1981 - 125 pg. ("The Great Fairy Tale Book";

Grimms' Fairy Tales ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (, , commonly abbreviated as ''KHM''), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm, first publish ...

) *

Emily Brontë Emily Jane Brontë (, commonly ; 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English writer best known for her 1847 novel, ''Wuthering Heights''. She also co-authored a book of poetry with her sisters Charlotte Brontë, Charlotte and Anne Bront� ...

: ''Harðförar hæddir''; Title image by William Heinesen. Tórshavn: Bókagarður, Emil Thomsen, 1984 - 376 pg. (Engl. ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

'') *

: ''Søgur''; Translations into Faroese by Heðin Brú et al. Velbastað: Dropin, 1986 - 263 pg. ("Histories") *

: ''Ævintýrbókin''; Translations into Faroese by Heðin Brú et al. Tórshavn: Føroya lærarafelag, 1989 - 251 pg. ("The Fairy Tale Book"; ''

'')

Honors

*1964: The

Faroese Literature Prize The Faroese Literature Prize, also known as the Mentanarvirðisløn M. A. Jacobsens (M. A. Jacobsen's Cultural Award), is a prize for Faroese literature that was begun by the Tórshavnar kommuna (Tórshavn City Council) in 1958. Its winners inclu ...

*1964: Statens Kunstfond (for ''Fjeldskyggen'') *1980: Together with Elinborg Lützen: The Children's Book Prize of the Community of Tórshavn (for ''Ævintýr I-VI'') *1982: The Holberg Medal

References

;General *The information in this article is based on and/or translated from that in its German equivalent. *Hedin Brønner: ''Three Faroese Novelists: An Appreciation of Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen, William Heinesen and Hedin Bru''. New York: Twayne, 1973 (140 Pages) *Finnbogi Arge: ''Feðgar á ferð. Ein lysing av einum samfelagi í broyting''. In: Varðin, XLV, (Tórshavn) 1978, pg. 104-21. *W. Glyn Jones: ''Types of Determinism in the Work of Heðin Brú and Martin Joensen''. In: Skandinavistik, XIV, (Kiel) 1984, pg. 21-35. *Jógvan Isaksen: ''Det er umuligt at skrive i et lille samfund''. Heðin Brú 100 år/It is impossible to write in a small community. Heðin Brú's 100th anniversary. In: Nordisk Litteratur/Nordic Literature, 2003, pg. 50-53. *''Eitt hundrað ára minni um Heðin Brú''. In: Varðin, 68, (Tórshavn) 2001. *William Heinesen: ''Jacobsen, Hans Jacob''. In: Dansk Biografisk Leksikon, bind 7, Kbh. 1981, pg. 175. ;Specific

External links

Faroese Writers Association: Heðin Brú
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*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bru, Hedin 1901 births 1987 deaths People from Skálavík Municipality Faroese male novelists Faroese short story writers Sandoy Translators to Faroese Faroese Literature Prize recipients Faroese Children's Literature Prize recipients 20th-century translators 20th-century Danish novelists 20th-century Danish short story writers Danish male short story writers 20th-century Danish male writers