Sveinn Pálsson’s unpublished writings reveal Icelandic daily life

Six years of work on the writings of Icelandic doctor and natural scientist Sveinn Pálsson will culminate in the publication of a collected volume this autumn, mbl.is reports. The collection will include material that has never been published before, including Sveinn’s diaries, offering insight into everyday life in Iceland during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sveinn began his studies at Hólar School before travelling to Copenhagen for further education. He also apprenticed under the chief medical officer.

Kristján B. Jónasson, who is overseeing the publication, said Sveinn’s early writings already show what he called a “researcher’s eye” and a scientific way of thinking.

“He is constantly observing his surroundings, recording what is happening and gathering knowledge so that he can later look things up, make comparisons and draw conclusions from them,” Kristján said.

Sveinn lived during the Age of Enlightenment, and its ideas can be seen in his writing. Kristján said the movement, which was influential in several northern European countries at the time, held that people had a duty to study nature so they could make use of it.

The approach was also based on the idea that the Earth’s resources were distributed more or less evenly around the globe and simply had to be found.

“This is the idea that knowledge can improve life,” Kristján said.

He said Sveinn devoted considerable time to teaching his compatriots medical methods, as well as practical ways to make use of nature’s resources.