GER 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Kronborg, Scandinavian Folklore, Christian Mortalism
Document Summary
Invented all of his tales, they were not given to him by informants, did not collect tales like grimm brothers did. Wrote every character as someone from his life, his own struggles, or struggles of people he met. Tales are often bitter sweet, more bitter than sweet. Compulsive autobiographer, wrote one for every decade of his adult life. Lived in secret because he could not live openly gay. Born during napoleonic wars; denmark was an ally of napoleon. British bombards copenhagen in 1807, danish no longer had ships to trade and economy tanked. 1813: denmark goes bankrupt and sold norway to sweden in 1814; a time of national humiliation. Danish people had no political power, so they went to the arts. Allied soldiers in town as a child; similar to brothers grimm. Never felt at home in the middle class, extremely poor family. Father read fairy tales to hans, mother was illiterate alcoholic but loving.
