The Classical or the Old Norse Myth? German and Danish Approaches to the Use of Myth in the Modern Literature at the Turn of the 18th and 19th Century
Abstract
In the paper, I would like to provide a comparative overview of the aesthetical debate that took place at the turn of the 18th and 19th century in Germany and Denmark concerning the use of the Old Norse versus the Classical mythology in literature. In Germany, it is Johann Gottfried Herder who discusses in his dialogue from 1796 called "Iduna oder der Apfel der Verjüngung" the role of a mythology for the art of poetry and proposes use of the Old Norse mythology as a rejuvenating impulse for the modern German literature.
On the other hand, his view does not suggest a complete rejection of the Classical, especially Greek models. In discussing his work, I will focus especially on the following question: How much room would the revitalization potential of the Norse myth as suggested by Herder leave for the classical inspirations? Herder's view will provide a starting point of the comparison for the situation in Denmark where the University of Copenhagen in 1800 posed in an announced essay contest following question: "Var det gavnligt for Nordens skjone Litteratur, om den nordiske Mythologie blev indfort og almindelig antaget i Stedet for den græske?" ("Would it be beneficial for the belles-lettres of the North if the Norse Mythology were introduced and generally accepted in place of the Greek one?").
The contributions to the contest represented the view of a young generation namely Adam Oehlenschläger, Jens Moller and Ludvig Stoud Platou, all of whom later became important figures of Danish cultural life. I would like to summarize their views and examine if there is any Herder's influence discernible in the debate.