Christiern Pedersen

Pedersen, Christiern 

Born circa 1480; died Jan. 16, 1554. Danish writer, humanist, and Reformation figure.

Pedersen was educated in Paris. In 1505 he became a canon in Lund, and in 1522 secretary to the Danish king, Christian II. After the king was deposed, Pedersen followed him into exile. He lived in the Netherlands from 1526 to 1532, and in 1532 and 1533 he was a printer in Malmö. In 1541 he settled in Copenhagen.

Pedersen translated Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum under the title Historia danica (1514) and the national Chronicle of Holger the Dane (published after 1532), among other works. His translations into Danish of part of the New Testament (1529) and of the Psalms (1531) had a great influence on Danish literature. He helped translate the Bible published in 1550 as Christian the Third’s Bible, and published books for popular reading. Pedersen also wrote Aesop’s Life and His Fables (1556).

WORKS

Danske skrifter, vols. 1–5. Copenhagen, 1850–55.

REFERENCES

Gorn, F. V. Istoriia skandinavskoi literatury. Moscow, 1894.
Jensenius, K. Dansk litteraturhistorie, 2nd ed. Copenhagen, 1955.
Norrild, S. Dansk litteraturhistorie. Copenhagen, 1956.

L. IU. BRAUDE