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Early Oriental scholarship and literature in Sweden. |
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The first imprints with Oriental typefaces.
1. Luther's Cathecism translated into Syriac by Sveno Johannis Vestrogothus, professor of oriental languages at Uppsala. Printed by University printer Eskil Mattsson 1627. |
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2. The first Arabic imprint in Sweden. - Statua Honoris … Funeral sermon for
Petrus Kirstenius 1640.
Kirstenius was a doctor from Wroclaw who learnt Arabic to read Avicenna in the original. He set up an Arabic printing-press on his own expense and in 1608-11 published several linguistic works which were severely critizised by scholars. In 1636 he became professor of medicine at Uppsala and physician to Queen Christina and brought his Arabic typefaces. The only occasion when these distinct and attractive types were used was in his own funeral sermon, printed by his house printer Peter van Selow, who remained in Sweden. |
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The 'Turkish Terror' in Sweden ...
3. Luna Turcica Eller Turkeske Måne..., Jönköping 1694. Author Erland Dryselius (1641-1708), parish priest of Jönköping town, wrote several learned works, mainly on history. This book with several woodcuts describes the Turks as cruel tyrants but gives also a factual description of their social and political system, based on Claes Rålamb's reports. |
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... the same year as Olof Celsius' dissertation on Arabic history. 4. Qasas 'ala-'l-lugat sive Historia linguae & eruditionis Arabum, Uppsala 1694. Olof Celsius d.ä. (1670-1756) was the first Swedish humanist among the European scholars who laid the basis for modern Arabistics. His dissertation comprehends the late 17th century knowledge of the political and literary history of the Muslim East. Oriental fables. The Indian-Persian fable collection Kalila wa Dimna was translated from French into Swedish in 1663 for the infant king Charles XI. A selection of fables translated by Jacob Wilde was printed in 1745. The Indian author Bidpai had been renamed Pilpay. A second part was printed in 1762, translated by Peter Rubens from a Turkish manuscript beloning to Court Chancellor Edvard Carleson. |
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| 5. Den Wise Indianens Pilpay Sagor … 1745. |
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| 6. Fortsättning af den wisa Indianen Pilpays Sedo-Sagor eller Konunga-Spegel … 1762. |
| The Book of the Thousand nights and a night was read only in manuscript translations from the French and wasn't printed until the 19th century. |
| 7. Tusen och En Natt. Swedish by Hinrik Sandström. 1. Upsala, 1836. |
| 8. Tusen och en natt. First complete illustrated Swedish translation by Gustaf Thomée. Revised by H. G. Lindgren. Stockholm, 1854. |