Árni Magnússon

Árni Magnússon (born November 13, 1663, Kvennabrekka, Iceland—died January 7, 1730, Copenhagen, Denmark) was a Scandinavian antiquarian and philologist who built up the most important collection of early Icelandic literary manuscripts. Magnússon graduated from the University of Copenhagen in theology in 1685 but was interested chiefly in the early history and literature of Scandinavia. He traveled extensively in Norway, Sweden, and Iceland, collecting books and manuscripts. In 1697 Magnússon was appointed secretary of the secret...