Hallgrimur Pétursson

Iceland's best-known religious poet

Hallgrímur Pétursson, Iceland's most famous religious poet, was born in Gröf on Höfðastrond in 1614. As a child, he moved with his father to the bishopric of Hólar in Hjaltadalur and received some education there. He then began studying blacksmithing in Copenhagen, but dropped out and was a student at Frúarskóli – 1637.

When a group of Icelanders, who had been captured in Iceland and enslaved by pirates from Algeria, were bought free and stopped in Copenhagen on their way home, Hallgrímur was asked to review Christian teachings with the people after they had spent years among Muslims. Guðríður Símonardóttir was among the group and they struck a chord.

Hallgrímur returns home to Iceland

Hallgrímur and Guðríður returned to Iceland, and Hallgrímur was given a priest's post in Hvalsnes and later in Saurbær on the shores of Hvalfjörður. He died in 1674.

Reverend Hallgrímur is best known for his Passion Psalms, fifty in number, which are a meditation on the martyrdom of Jesus Christ. Prayer verses from them have accompanied the Icelandic people from cradle to grave for centuries and are read every Lent on the Icelandic state radio.

The Passion Hymns have been translated into numerous languages, including Danish, Norwegian, English, German, Dutch, Hungarian, and Italian, and some of them into Chinese.

More about Hallgrímur on Wikipedia.