“Excerpts from a Letter from Iceland” by Tómas Sæmundsson in the Context of his Grand Tour.

Abstract

In 1835, the very first issue of the periodical Fjölnir included “Úr bréfi frá Íslandi” (Excerpts from a Letter from Iceland) by Tómas Sæmundsson, who was one of the founders of the periodical. This article relates the “Letter” to his biography and experiences as a traveller. At the time, he had just returned to Iceland after a twoyear educational journey (Grand Tour) through much of the rest of Europe, and had actually been overseas for a total of seven years. He had become well-read in the contemporary travel literature of Europe and wished to establish travel writings as a regular Fjölnir item. In this article, reasons are presented for the possibility of interpreting his “Letter” as a travelogue recounting a trip in two stages: one from Copenhagen to Reykjavík and the next from there to the Aðaldalur area of North Iceland. It is noteworthy that Tómas Sæmundsson wrote the “Letter” in accordance with foreign conventions even though he was composing his travelogue as a letter to publish for Icelanders. In addition to stating clearly his view that it was the responsibility of educated people to pass on their knowledge and experience to their readers, he also expressed his critical opinion of current Icelandic affairs.

Keywords: Tómas Sæmundsson, Fjölnir, travel books, travelogues, educational journeys