them of Snorre Sturlason's Heimskringla—are works of great merit. Johan Hadorph published several antiquarian documents and rhymed chronicles. The first Swedish church history in the native tongue was written by Haquin Spegel—already mentioned as author of religious poems—and his was followed by several similar works. Characteristic of the mania of this period for combining very learned deductions with the wildest day-dreams is the church history of Bang (1675), which was not brought down to the time of Christ even, and in which the author insists that Adam was bishop in the little Swedish town Kälkstad.[1]
During this period we also find the first works that made the Swedish language the object of scientific treatment. Nils Tjälmann wrote the first Swedish grammar (1696), and the works of the poet Johan Svedberg, a compendious grammar and a dictionary, are all the more important, since they established the orthography by substituting the spelling now in use for the older one.[2]
The literary productions in all other scientific branches consisted chiefly in Latin dissertations, but several important exceptions are to be mentioned. Urban Hjärne (1641-1724) was one of the most many-sided scholars of his age. After having dabbled in his youth with dramatic compositions, he made medicine his main branch. As a member of a commission that had been appointed to inquire into witchcraft, he was the first to attempt a rational solution of an evil which had cost the life of so many persons. He was also the first to point out the importance of the Swedish mineral waters, and the science of mining, so important to Sweden,
- ↑ J. Werwing: Konung Sigismunds och Konung Carl IX Historier, I-II, Stockholm, 1746. Joh. Widekindi: Gustaf Adolfs Historia, Stockholm, 1691. Pufendorf: Commentarioram de reb. suecicis libri xxvi ab expeditione Gustavi Adolphi regis in Germaniam ad abdicationem usque Christinæ, 1686. De rebus a Carolo Gustavo rege gestis commentarii Libri, VII, Nürnberg, 1696. Haquin Spegel: Then Svenska Kyrkohistoria, I-II, Linköping, 1707-08.
- ↑ Jesper (not Johan) Svedberg; Schibboleth, eller svenska språkets rycht och richtighet, Stockholm, 1716. Grammatica Svecana, Stockholm, 1722. En fullkomlig svensk ordabok exists in manuscript.
