Viktor Rydberg

• 1. Childhood And The Foster System

  ›

  Abraham Viktor Rydberg entered the world on the 18th of December 1828 in Gothenburg, Sweden. His father Johan worked as a soldier before becoming a prison guard. His mother Hedvig Düker practiced midwifery. They raised two sons and three daughters together. A cholera epidemic struck the city in 1834. Her death broke the spirit of his father. He yielded to hypochondria and alcoholism. This behavior contributed to the loss of employment for the family. Authorities removed young Viktor from their apartment. He boarded out to a series of foster homes during these early years. One of those foster homes later burnt down. That fire further traumatized the youth who had already lost his mother.

  16

• 2. Literary Rise And Political Career

  ›

  Rydberg attended grammar school from 1838 until 1847. He studied law at the University of Lund from 1851 to 1852. Financial reasons ended his university studies after one year without a degree. He took a job as a private tutor afterward. In 1855 he was offered work at the Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning newspaper. He remained employed there for more than 20 years. His first novels saw print during this time. He became a central figure of late Romanticism in Sweden. By 1859 he was generally regarded in the first rank of Swedish novelists. He wrote a pamphlet on national defense in 1859. It inspired the Sharpshooter's movement. A voluntary militia gained political importance during the 1860s. He represented the traditional economic system of Sweden from 1870 to 1872. Rydberg served as a member of the Swedish Parliament. He supported the Lantmanna Party while serving. He gave the keynote speech in the parliamentary debate to enact a law granting all non-Lutherans full civil rights.

  23579

• 3. Religious Controversy And Theological Critique

  ›

  In 1862 he wrote and published Bibelns lära om Kristus. This work introduced modern Biblical criticism to Scandinavia. He used the New Testament itself to deny the divinity of Christ. The book was hugely successful upon release. At a conference of the Swedish church in 1865 Mr. Rydberg pleaded his cause with eloquence. He made a favorable impression upon his most eminent official opponents. The agitation which he called forth made his name known throughout Sweden. In 1870 he was elected a member of parliament. He boldly advocated democratic principles there. The long-term effects of the book included the weakening of Church authority over educated classes. August Strindberg acknowledged the liberating influence of this work on his generation. It taught freedom of individual conscience. Predictably this book attracted the ire of the orthodox religious establishment. It is generally credited for Rydberg's exclusion from the Swedish Academy until 1877. From 1865 to 1868 he suffered a severe bout of depression caused by theological struggle. A broken engagement occurred in 1865 during that period.

  48101213

• 4. Norse Mythology And Comparative Studies

  ›

  Between 1886 and 1889 his literary work focused on Norse and broader Germanic mythology. He published several works including two articles on the origins of the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá. He debated the authenticity of the poem with Norwegian scholar Sophus Bugge. An article by George Stephens appeared in The Antiquary in August 1881. It described Rydberg's response as brilliant. A century later Old Norse scholar Ursula Dronke characterized this work similarly. Even Sophus Bugge acknowledged that Rydberg won the argument. The result of his own investigations in prose was titled Segerssvärdet in 1882. Two volumes of mythic studies followed titled Undersökningar i germanisk mythologi. A children's version of Norse mythology appeared in 1887 titled Fädernas gudasaga. Henrik Schück wrote at the turn of the 20th century that he considered Rydberg the last poetically gifted member of the mythological school founded by Jacob Grimm. Jan de Vries said a large part of the myths of the Germanic tradition must be set back to when the undivided Proto-Indo-European people created their worldview.

  1115

• 5. Poetic Legacy And Christmas Traditions

  ›

  Lille Viggs äventyr på julafton appeared in 1871 as a short Christmas tale for all ages. It was originally written for a newspaper but later widely printed. It has since become a Christmas classic in Sweden. His poem Tomten remains a favorite during the holiday season today. The lyrics for Gläns över sjö och strand also come from his pen. Many of his works have been translated and remain in print. They are widely read in schools throughout Sweden. A group of three charter high schools carry his name. One middle school in Stockholm bears his name too. A street in Göteborg carries his name as well. A student dormitory and other buildings also bear his name. He is still listed in many English language encyclopedias as an individual entry. His grave in Gothenburg stands as a national monument today. A national day of mourning ensued all over Sweden after his death on the 21st of September 1895.

• 6. Racial Theory And Social Evolutionism

  ›

  His final publication was an essay titled Den hvita rasens framtid. It appeared posthumously as an introduction to the Swedish edition of Benjamin Kidd's Social Evolution. Rydberg's conception of race included Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists living in Asia, America and to some extent Africa. Swedish scholar Anna Lindén says what he actually criticizes is a phenomenon within Europe not on other continents. He viewed religion and ethics as most important for the survival of a race. Evolution is rightly said to be one of the most typical themes in 19th century Europe. Parallel to this optimism there was widespread anxiety for the degeneration of the population. Rydberg shared this anxiety about industrialism and unhealthy milieus. Low nativity combined with these factors created a dangerous threat to Europe. This stood in contrast to the steadily growing population in China and the Far East. He predicted that European culture would be overcome by the more industrious Chinese nation. The downfall would come because of moral degeneration and demographic conditions.