Valdimar Ásmundsson (''Jóhann Valdimar Ásmundsson'', also ''Ásmundarson'') (10 July 1852 - 17 April 1902) was the founder and editor of '' Fjallkonan'' (The Lady of the Mountain magazine). Valdimar was married to

Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir (September 27, 1856 – March 16, 1940) was an early Icelandic advocate for women's liberation and women's suffrage. She founded the first women's magazine in Iceland, ''Kvennablaðið''. For a period of time she serv ...

, a feminist and publisher of '' Kvennablaðið''. Valdimar was born at Hvarf in Bárðardalur and grew up with his parents in Þistilfjörður. He was not sent to school but studied on his own. Between the ages of twenty and thirty, he went to Reykjavík and was involved in popular education for a while until he founded the magazine ''Fjallkonan'' in

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

. His other main job was to prepare the Icelandic sagas for printing by the publisher Sigurður Kristjánsson. Valdimar knew German, English and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

as well as Danish, but he had mostly learned all these languages himself. He was also very good at Icelandic. He wrote a book on Icelandic grammar, which soon became a widely used textbook. Valdimar translated '' Powers of Darkness'' (Swedish: Mörkrets Makter) by

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busine ...

from the Swedish serialization in ''Aftonbladets Halfvecko-Upplaga.'' His Icelandic translation was published under the title ''

Makt Myrkranna ''Powers of Darkness'' (Icelandic ''Makt Myrkranna'') is a 1901 Icelandic book by Valdimar Ásmundsson that claims to be a translation of ''Dracula'', by Bram Stoker. It was based upon an earlier adaptation of ''Dracula'', the Swedish adaptati ...

'', first for ''Fjallkonan'' in 1900,2139145 The power of the dark; appeared in Fjallkonun 1900
/ref> later in book form in 1901.

Halldór Laxness Halldór Kiljan Laxness (; born Halldór Guðjónsson; 23 April 1902 – 8 February 1998) was an Icelandic writer and winner of the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature. He wrote novels, poetry, newspaper articles, essays, plays, travelogues and s ...

reflects on the significance of this translation in one of his memoirs. Valdimar died after almost 24 hours of stroke or brain disease at the age of almost fifty.

References

External links

''Valdimar Ásmundsson'' obituary in Fjallkonun 1902

biographical sketch by H. C. de Roos
Valdimiar Ásmundarson
at worldcat Valdimar Asmundsson Valdimar Asmundsson 1852 births 1902 deaths {{Iceland-writer-stub