author
Mattias Salamnius
1650–1691
A 17th-century Finnish priest and poet, he is remembered above all for Ilo-Laulu Jesuxesta, a lively retelling of the life of Christ in Finnish verse. The work helped secure his place as one of the notable early voices in Finnish-language literature.
1 Audiobook
Ilolaulu Jesuksesta
by Mattias Salamnius
About the author
Born around 1650 and thought to have come from North Ostrobothnia, Mattias Salamnius lived during a period when Finnish literature was still taking shape. Much about his background remains uncertain, but reliable biographical sources describe him as a Lutheran clergyman as well as a poet.
He is best known for Ilo-Laulu Jesuxesta, published in Turku in 1690. The poem tells the story of Jesus in Finnish and is often highlighted for its importance in the history of Finnish-language writing; scholarship has described it as an early long literary poem in the traditional Finnish runo metre.
Salamnius died in Pargas on January 21, 1691. Although only a small part of his life is clearly documented, his surviving work gave him a lasting place in Finland's literary and religious history.