Denmark | Page 7

of the popular high-schools for
peasants, was born at his father's parsonage, Udby, South Seeland. He
was sent to school in Jutland, and soon learned to love his wild native
moors. While attending the Latin School in Aarhus he made friends
with an old shoemaker, who used to tell him interesting stories of the
old Norse heroes and sagas, often repeating the old Danish folk-songs.
The lad being a true Dane, a descendant of the old vikings, he soon
became very interested in the history of his race. Being sent to the
University of Copenhagen, he chose to study Icelandic in order to read
the ancient sagas, English to read Shakespeare, and German to read
Goethe. This studious youth was most patriotic, and the poetry of his
country appealed to him especially. Øehlenschläger's (a Danish poet)
works fired his poetical imagination.
Grundtvig's poems were for the people, the beloved Jutland moors and
Nature generally his theme. His songs and poems are loved by the
peasants, and used at all their festivals. He wrote songs "that would
make bare legs skip at sound of them," and, "like a bird in the
greenwood, he would sing for the country-folk." So successfully did he
write these folk-songs, that "bare legs" do skip at the sound of them
even to-day at every festivity. He was an educational enthusiast, and his
high-schools are peculiar to Denmark. It is owing to these that the
country possesses such a splendid band of peasant farmers. Being a
priest, he was given the honorary title of Bishop, and founded a sect
called "Grundtvigianere."

This noble man died in 1872, over ninety years of age, working and
preaching till the last, his deep-set eyes, flowing white hair and beard,
making him look like Moses of old.
Adam Øehlenschläger, the greatest Danish dramatist and poet, was a
Professor at the University of Copenhagen, and a marvellously gifted
man. He developed and gave character to Danish literature, and is
known as the "Goethe of the North." Some of his finest tragedies have
been translated into English. These have a distinctly northern ring
about them, dealing as they do with the legends and sagas of the
Scandinavian people. These tragedies of the mythical heroes of
Scandinavia, the history of their race, and, indeed, all the works of this
king of northern poets, are greatly loved by all Scandinavians. Every
young Dane delights in Øehlenschläger as we do in Shakespeare, and
by reading his works the youths of Denmark lay the foundation of their
education in poetry. This bard was crowned Laureate in Lund (Sweden)
by the greatest of Swedish poets, Esaias Tegner, 1829. Buried by his
own request at his birth-place, Frederiksberg, two Danish miles (which
means eight English miles) from Copenhagen, his loving countrymen
insisted on carrying him the whole distance, so great was their
admiration for this King of dramatists.
Niels Ryberg Finsen, whose name I am sure you have heard because
his scientific research gave us the "light-cure"--which has been
established at the London Hospital by our Queen Alexandra, who
generously gave the costly apparatus required for the cure in order to
benefit afflicted English people--was born at Thorshavn, the capital of
the Faroe Islands. These islands are under Denmark, and lie north of
the Shetlands. His father was magistrate there. His parents were
Icelanders. At twelve years of age Niels was sent to school in Denmark,
and after a few years at the Grammar School of Herlufholm, he
returned to his parents, who were now stationed in their native town,
Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Niels continued his studies there, and
when old enough returned to Denmark to commence his medical work
at the University of Copenhagen.
Hitherto he had shown no particular aptitude, but in his medical work

he soon distinguished himself, and his skill gained him a place in the
laboratory. He now began to study the effect of light as a curative
remedy. All his life Finsen thought the sunlight the most beautiful thing
in the world--perhaps because he saw so little of it in his childhood. He
had watched its wonderful effect on all living things, being much
impressed by the transformation caused in nature by the warm
life-giving rays. With observations on lizards, which he found
charmingly responsive to sun effects, he accidentally made his
discovery, and gave to the world this famous remedy for diseases of the
skin, which has relieved thousands of sufferers of all nations.
CHAPTER V
LEGENDARY LORE AND FOLK DANCES
The legend of Holger Danske, who is to be Denmark's deliverer when
heavy troubles come upon her, is one which has its counterpart in other
countries, resembling that of our own King Arthur and the German
Frederick Barbarossa. When Denmark's necessity demands, Holger
Danske will come to her aid; till then