Baldur Ragnarsson
Encyclopedia
Baldur Ragnarsson is an Icelandic poet and author of Esperanto
works. He was a teacher and a superintendent of schools in Iceland
.
at school in 1949 and has been active in the movement to promote the use of this language since 1952.
Ragnarsson was president of the Icelandic Esperanto Association for many years. He presided over the World Esperanto Association
's literary contest from 1975 to 1985. He was president of the organizing committee for the 1977 World Esperanto Congress at Reykjavík
and vice-president of the UEA
in charge of culture and education from 1980 to 1986. He has since then been an honorary member of this organization.
A Member of the Esperanto Academy
since 1979, he was editor of the journal Norda Prismo from 1958 to 1974.
In 2007 the Association of Esperanto-speaking authors (Esperantlingva Verkista Asocio) nominated him as their candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature
following the death of William Auld
in 2006.
as well as books on the Icelandic language
. He has also written two celebrated collections of Esperanto poems: Ŝtupoj sen nomo and Esploroj.
In 2007 Edistudio published La lingvo serena, his complete works. In addition to the poems of his two previous collections, the book contains all the poems he has published subsequently, as well as all the essays which he has written on literature and linguistics.
Poetry
Translations into Esperanto
In addition, he has published dozens of translations in various journals, in recent times principally in the journal La tradukisto .
Essays
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
works. He was a teacher and a superintendent of schools in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
Esperanto
He learned EsperantoEsperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
at school in 1949 and has been active in the movement to promote the use of this language since 1952.
Ragnarsson was president of the Icelandic Esperanto Association for many years. He presided over the World Esperanto Association
World Esperanto Association
The World Esperanto Association is the largest international organization of Esperanto speakers, with members in 121 countries and in official relations with the United Nations and UNESCO. In addition to individual members, 70 national Esperanto organizations are affiliated to UEA...
's literary contest from 1975 to 1985. He was president of the organizing committee for the 1977 World Esperanto Congress at Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and vice-president of the UEA
World Esperanto Association
The World Esperanto Association is the largest international organization of Esperanto speakers, with members in 121 countries and in official relations with the United Nations and UNESCO. In addition to individual members, 70 national Esperanto organizations are affiliated to UEA...
in charge of culture and education from 1980 to 1986. He has since then been an honorary member of this organization.
A Member of the Esperanto Academy
Akademio de Esperanto
The Akademio de Esperanto is an independent body intended to control the evolution of the language Esperanto by keeping it consistent with the fundamental principles thereof. Modelled somewhat after the Académie française, it was proposed by L. L...
since 1979, he was editor of the journal Norda Prismo from 1958 to 1974.
In 2007 the Association of Esperanto-speaking authors (Esperantlingva Verkista Asocio) nominated him as their candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
following the death of William Auld
William Auld
William Auld was a Scottish poet, author, translator and magazine editor who wrote chiefly in Esperanto. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999, 2004, and 2006 making him the first and only person to be nominated for works in Esperanto...
in 2006.
Works
Ragnarsson has composed poetic works in IcelandicIcelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
as well as books on the Icelandic language
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
. He has also written two celebrated collections of Esperanto poems: Ŝtupoj sen nomo and Esploroj.
In 2007 Edistudio published La lingvo serena, his complete works. In addition to the poems of his two previous collections, the book contains all the poems he has published subsequently, as well as all the essays which he has written on literature and linguistics.
Poetry
- Ŝtupoj sen Nomo, 1959
- Esploroj, 1974
- "Deflorazione" and "Malvirgigo" in El la nova ĝardeno (Dal nuovo giardino), Dante Bertolini, ed., Pedrazzini: Locarno, 1979, 100 pp.
- La lingvo serena, 2007
- La neceso akceptebla, 2008
Translations into Esperanto
- Sub stelo rigida, two collections by the Icelandic poet Þorsteinn frá HamriÞorsteinn frá HamriÞorsteinn frá Hamri , is an Icelandic writer notable for having been nominated four times for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize over a period of two decades.-Writings:...
, 1963 - Islandaj pravoĉoj, three tales and a poem from Old Icelandic literature, 1964
- Sagao de Njal, Njáls saga, the greatest of the Icelandic sagas, 2003
- Sendependaj homoj, Halldór LaxnessHalldór LaxnessHalldór Kiljan Laxness was a twentieth-century Icelandic writer. Throughout his career Laxness wrote poetry, newspaper articles, plays, travelogues, short stories, and novels...
's Independent PeopleIndependent PeopleIndependent People is an epic novel by Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness, originally published in two volumes in 1934 and 1935; literally the title means "Self-standing [i.e. self-reliant] folk"...
, a novel about rural Iceland at the turn of the 20th century, 2007 - La Edda de Snorri Sturluson, Snorri SturlusonSnorri SturlusonSnorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
's Prose EddaProse EddaThe Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...
, 2008
In addition, he has published dozens of translations in various journals, in recent times principally in the journal La tradukisto .
Essays
- La Sagaoj kaj Zamenhof: stabiligaj faktoroj 1982
- Studado de alia lingvo 1982
- "Esperanto kiel anti-lingvo" in Serta gratulatoria in honorem Juan Régulo. Universidad de La Laguna, Salamanca, 3,266 pp., 1986 ISBN 84-600-4290-1
- La proza poemo: la ĝenro, ĝiaj latentoj kaj aplikoj 1987
- La Poezia Arto (Five lectures) 1988
- Cent jaroj de poezio en Esperanto". 1989
- La poezio de la skaldoj
- La poemoj de Armand Su 1993
- Kombino de poeta virtuozeco kaj ties instrumento 1994
- Tradukante la antikvan islandan literaturon en Esperanto 1998
- "La fono kaj la fronto: kelkaj konsideroj pri semiotikaj aspektoj de la Esperanta poezio" in Lingva arto. Vilmos Benczik, ed., Universala Esperanto-Asocio, Rotterdam: 1999, 217 pp. ISBN 92-9017-064-6
- La lingvo serena 2007
- Tungumál Veraldar 2009