Paper short abstract:

Bjarni Þorsteinsson's collection of Icelandic folk-music, published in 1906-09, was deemed inauthentic, amateurish and unworthy of publication by members of parliament and cultural institutions, but rose from virtual obscurity to being considered today a key source on Icelandic folk-music.

Paper long abstract:

Icelandic musical heritage is grounded in Bjarni Þorsteinsson's folk-music collection "Íslenzk þjóðlög" published in 1906-09, and today the collection is considered an invaluable source of Icelandic folk music; a national treasure.

The folklore collecting effort in 19th century Iceland, including collection and publication of folk-tales and legends, folk-poetry and games, proverbs, customs and traditions, along with a growing interest in Icelandic medieval literature (the Sagas and Eddas), played a key role in Icelandic nation building and subsequently in the declaration of independence in 1944.

During his collection effort (1880-1905) Bjarni did not receive the financial and moral support he sought from Alþingi (Icelandic Parliament) and cultural institutions and in some cases the collecting effort and publication was actively undermined and hindered by members of Alþingi and others, finally resulting in the publication being funded by the Danish Carlsberg Foundation.

After publication the collection was critizised harshly by authoritative figures in the field and was more or less met with silence by the Icelandic public. The collection gained prominence later in the 20th century, rising from virtual obscurity to being considered today a key source on Icelandic folk-music.

My paper aims to shed light on the opposition Bjarni faced during the publication of his folk-music collection bringing forward background information on the cultural, political and personal intrigues involved.