Julius Krohn

Julius Leopold Fredrik Krohn (April 19 1835 – August 28 1888) was a Finnish folk poetry researcher, a professor of Finnish literature, a poet, a hymn writer, a translator and a journalist. He was born in Vyborg. Krohn worked as a lecturer on Finnish language in Helsinki University from the year 1875 and as a supernumerary professor from 1885. He was one of the most notable researchers into Finnish folk poetry in the 19th century. His native language was German.

Works and influence

Krohn mostly preferred not to write under his foreign surname, but either adopted nom de plume, or worked as a part of a collective, such as the fennomans, which he was a leading member of. Under pseudonyms, he translated many of Johan Ludvig Runebergs works into Finnish, and it has been assumed that also the Finnish lyrics for the Finnish national anthem came from his pen.

Under his most notable pseudonym Suonio he published poetry; e.g. "Mansikoita ja mustikoita" 1856–61 ("Strawberries and blueberries") and "Kuun tarinoita" ("Tales of the moon"). As Suonio, he worked as editor of "Suomen Kuvalehti" and translated many of Sir Walter Scotts novels, such as "A Legend of Montrose".

cientific work

An important contribution to a history of Finnish literature was Krohn's doctoral thesis "Suomenkielinen runollisuus ruotsinvallan aikana".Krohn was also the first to develop a scientific method for the study of folklore, the "historic-geographic method".

Julius Krohn died by drowning in Bay of Vyborg in a yachting accident at the age of 54. His work with folklore and the Finnish language was continued by his son Kaarle Krohn, who published much of his scientific work posthumously. This work was further developed by their student Antti Aarne.

Children

Krohn's son Ilmari Krohn became a composer of church music.His daughter "Aino" married the Estonian nationalist Oskar Kallas and was known as a writer by the name Aino Kallas. Another daughter Helmi Krohn, also an author, married Eemil Nestor Setälä, later the acting head of state of Finland in November 1917, after the abdication of Nicholas II of Russia.

Publications

* cite book
last = Krohn
first = Julius
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor = Kaarle Krohn
others = Roger L. Welsch (translator)
title = Folklore Methodology: Formulated by Julius Krohn and Expanded by Nordic Researchers
origdate =
origyear =
origmonth =
url = http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0292724322
format = Paperback
accessdate =
accessyear =
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edition =
date =
year = 1981
month = February
publisher = University of Texas Press
location = Austin, Texas
language = English
id = ISBN 0-292-72432-2
doi =
pages = 192
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/author/Julius_Krohn Etext books on-line] at the Project Gutenberg site
** " [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18808 Yrjö Aukusti Wallin ja hänen matkansa Arabiassa] " (in Finnish) Non fiction work on the world renoknowned ethnographer and adventurer Georg August Wallin
** " [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19088 Maksimilian Aukusti Myhrberg] " (in Finnish)
** " [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12802 Vanha tarina Montrosesta] " Finnish translation of "A Legend of Montrose" by Sir Walter Scott

References

* [http://www.hanko.uio.no/planses/Ulrika.html On the history of comparison in folklore studies]
* [http://www.helsinki.fi/hum/folkloristiikka/folkeng.htm#Finnish%20Folklore%20Scholarship Finnish Folklore Scholarship]
* [http://www.helsinki.fi/yliopistonhistoria/oivallukset/6_oivallus.htm Maantieteellis-historiallinen metodi] at the University of Helsinki site (in Finnish)
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