Steinunn Finnsdóttir (c. 1640 – c. 1710) was the first known Icelandic female writer to leave a substantial body of poetry. Her major works are two ''

rímur In Icelandic literature, a ''ríma'' (, literally "a rhyme", pl. ''rímur'', ) is an epic poetry, epic poem written in any of the so-called ''rímnahættir'' (, "rímur meters"). They are rhymed, they alliterative verse, alliterate and consist of ...

'' cycles: ''Hyndlu rímur'' and ''Snækóngs rímur''. She also composed ''vikivaki'' carols, occasional verses and a poem on mediaeval Icelandic heroes. The material in both of Steinunn's ''rímur'' cycles is drawn from earlier

fairy tale 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 genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...

ballads and in each case the main character is a woman who has been placed under a spell, one turned into a dog and the other into a man. Early commentators considered Steinunn an unoriginal minor figure in the history of

Icelandic literature Icelandic literature refers to literature written in Iceland or by Icelandic people. It is best known for the sagas written in medieval times, starting in the 13th century. As Icelandic and Old Norse are almost the same, and because Icelandic wo ...

but recent critics have praised her for the originality of her '' mansöngvar'' and her "vision of a more just social system" Bergljót Kristjánsdóttir 1996, p. 340.

References

*Bergljót Kristjánsdóttir (1996). „Gunnlöð ekki gaf mér neitt / af geimsludrykknum forðum ...“ in ''Guðamjöður og Arnarleir'', edited by Sverrir Tómasson, pp. 165–219 and 339-40 (English summary). Reykjavík: Háskólaútgáfan. *Hughes, Shaun F.D. (2000). "The Re-emergence of Women's Voices in Icelandic Literature, 1500–1800." in ''Cold Counsel'', edited by Sarah M. Anderson and Karen Swenson, pp. 93–128. Routledge. *Steinunn Finnsdóttir (edited by Bjarni Vilhjálmsson) (1950). ''Rit Rímnafélagsins III: Hyndlu rímur og Snækóngs rímur''. Reykjavík: Rímnafélagið. 1640s births 1710s deaths 17th-century Icelandic poets Icelandic women poets 18th-century Icelandic poets Icelandic women writers 18th-century Icelandic women 18th-century Icelandic writers 17th-century Icelandic women 17th-century Icelandic writers {{Iceland-poet-stub