Dorothe Engelbretsdotter

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Dorothe Engelbretsdotter (January 16, 1634 in Bergen, Norway – February 19, 1713 in Bergen), was a Norwegian poet, the daughter of Engelbret Jørgenssøn and Anna Wrangel. She was Norway's first recognized woman author.

Engelbretsdotter was born in Bergen; her father, Engelbrecht Jorgensen, was originally rector of the high school in that city, and afterwards dean of the cathedral.

In 1652 she married Ambrosius Hardenbech, a theological writer famous for his flowery funeral sermons, who succeeded her father at the cathedral in 1659. They had five sons and four daughters. In 1678 her first volume appeared, Själens aandelige Sangoffer ("The Souls Spiritual Offering of Song") published at Copenhagen. This volume of hymns and devotional pieces, very modestly brought out, had an unparalleled success. The fortunate poetess was invited to Denmark, and on her arrival at Copenhagen was presented at court. She was also introduced to Thomas Hansen Kingo, the father of Danish poetry, and the two greeted one another with improvised couplets, which have been preserved and of which the poetess' reply is incomparably the neater.

In 1683 her husband died. She had nine children, but seven of them died and two of them disappeared. Her sorrow is evident in examples such as the poem Afften Psalme. Her first work, Siælens Sang-offer, was published 1678. In the midst of her troubles appeared her second work, the Tåreoffer ("Sacrifice of Tears"), published for the first time in 1685. It is a continuous religious poem in four books. This was combined with the Sangoffer, and no fewer than three editions of the united works were published before her death, and many after it. In 1698 she brought out a third volume of sacred verse, Et kristeligt Valet fra Verden ("A Christian Farewell to the World"), a very tame production. She died on 19 February 1716. The first verses of Engelbrechtsdatter are the best; her Sangoffer was dedicated to Jesus, the Tåreoffer to Queen Charlotte Amalia; this is significant of her changed position in the eyes of the world.

She has been characterized as Norway's first feminist before feminism became a recognized concept. She was the first female author to make her living by writing.