Mikael Agricola

Mikael Agricola (pronunciation (help· info)) (c. 1510 – April 9, 1557) was a Finnish clergyman who became de facto founder of written Finnish and one of the prominent proponents of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden-Finland. He is often called "The Father of Finnish written language." Download high resolution version (546x716, 78 KB)Mikael Agricola This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (546x716, 78 KB)Mikael Agricola This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Image File history File links Fi-Mikael_Agricola. ... 1510 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... Events Spain is effectively bankrupt. ... The Reformation was a movement in the 16th century to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. ... The traditional lands of Sweden. ... The following tables list men and women described as father or mother of something[1]. Exceptions are those people described as fathers or mothers of nations; these are listed at Father and Mother of the Nation. ...

Biography

Early life

Mikael Olavinpoika ("son of Olavi", Mikko Olavinpoika, Michael Olaui, or as some Swedish documents show, "Mikkel Olafsson") was born in Uusimaa in the village of Torstila in Pernaja, Finland, around the year 1510. He was named after the patron saint of Pernaja's church. The exact date of his birth, like most details of his life, is unknown. His family was a quite wealthy peasant family according to the local bailiff's accounting. He had three sisters, but their names are not known. His teachers apparently recognized his aptitude for languages and his rector Bartholomeus sent him to Vyborg (Fin: Viipuri, Swe: Viborg) for Latin school and some priestly training, where he attended the school of Johannes Erasmi. Nylandia, Nyland or Uusimaa is a historical province in the south of Finland. ... Pernå (Pernaja in Finnish) is a municipality of Finland. ... Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian (cf. ... A view of Vyborg from the castle tower Vyborg (Russian: ; Finnish: ; Swedish: ; German: ) is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, 130 km to the northwest of St. ... Roman Catholic priests in clerical clothing. ...

Agricola as a student

When he studied in Viipuri he assumed the surname Agricola ("farmer" gv. "agriculture"); surnames based on father’s status and occupation were common for first-generation scholars at the time. It was probably in Viipuri where he first came in touch with the Reformation and Humanism. Viipuri's castle was ruled by a German count Johann, who had served the king of Sweden, Gustav Vasa. The count was a supporter of the Reformation, and they already held Lutheran services. The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gustav I of Sweden, commonly known as Gustav Vasa, but originally known as Gustav Eriksson (May 12, 1496 – September 29, 1560) was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ...

In 1528 he followed his teacher to Turku, the practical center of the Finnish side of the Swedish realm and the capital of the bishopric, and became a scribe in bishop Martinus Skytte's office. While in Turku he met Martin Luther's first Finnish student Petrus Särkilahti, who eagerly spread the idea of the Reformation. Särkilahti died in 1529, and it was up to Agricola to continue his work. He was ordained for priesthood presumably in 1531. Turku (IPA: , Swedish:  ), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,868 (as of 2005). ... In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... Petrus Särkilahti (a. ...

In 1536 the bishop of Turku sent him to study in Wittenberg in Germany. He concentrated on lectures of Philipp Melanchthon, who was expert in Greek, the original language of the New Testament. In Wittenberg he also met Luther. He got recommendations to Gustav Vasa from both of the reformists. He sent two letters to Gustav, asking for a confirmation for a stipend. When the confirmation came, he bought books (for example, the complete works of Aristotle). In 1537 he started translating the New Testament into Finnish. Statue of Martin Luther in the main square Wittenberg, officially [Die] Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a town in Germany, in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, at 12° 59 E, 51° 51 N, on the Elbe river. ... Portrait of Philipp Melanchthon, by Lucas Cranach the Elder. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... A stipend is a form of payment or salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. ... Aristotle (Greek: Aristotélēs) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ...

Agricola as a rector and an ordinarius

Bronze bust of Agricola at the Cathedral of Turku

In 1539 Agricola returned to Turku and ended up as the rector of Turku (Cathedral) School. He did not like his job, calling his students "untamed animals". At the time Gustav Vasa had confiscated the property of the church when he was consolidating his power but also drove the Reformation. In 1544 Agricola received an order from the crown to send several talented young men to Stockholm's taxing offices. For some reason, Agricola did not obey until the order was sent again the next year, with a more menacing tone. This episode probably affected their relations negatively. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (800x1005, 209 KB) [edit] Summary Bronze bust of Mikael Agricola at the Cathedral of Turku, Finland. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (800x1005, 209 KB) [edit] Summary Bronze bust of Mikael Agricola at the Cathedral of Turku, Finland. ...   (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ...

In 1546 Agricola lost his home and school in the Fire of Turku. On February 22, 1548 Gustav Vasa ordered Agricola to retire from his position as a rector. At this time he was already married, but history knows his wife only by her name: Pirjo Olavintytär (Bridget, "daughter of Olavi"; Birgitta Olafsdotter, Brigida Olaui). His only son, Christian Agricola (Christianus Michaelis Agricola), was born December 11, 1550, and became the bishop of Tallinn in 1584. February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births September 2 - Vincenzo Scamozzi, Italian architect (died 1616) September 29 - William V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1626) Francesco Andreini, Italian actor (died 1624) Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, and occultist (burned at the stake) 1600 (died 1600) Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... County Harju County Mayor Jüri Ratas Area 159. ...

When an old bishop died in 1554, Gustav Vasa had Agricola consecrated as the ordinarius of Turku parish Рfor all practical purposes Bishop of Turku and by extension the first Lutheran bishop for all Finland. He was not particularly virulent in reform, although he did remove the Mass. A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... Two bishops assist at the Exhumation of Saint Hubert, who was a bishop too, at the ̩glise Saint-Pierre in Li̬ge. ... For other uses of Mass, see Mass (disambiguation). ...

In 1557 he joined the delegation that was going to Russia and was in Moscow from February 21 to March 24 negotiating a peace treaty. On April 9 he fell ill and died in the Kyrönniemi village on the Karelian Isthmus. This day is also Elias Lönnrot's birthday and it is celebrated in Finland as the day of the Finnish language. He was buried inside Viipuri's church, but the exact location of the grave is not known. Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in leap years). ... A peace treaty is an agreement (a peace treaty) between two hostile parties, usually countries or governments, that formally ends a war or armed conflict. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... The Karelian Isthmus is the narrow stretch of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. ... Elias Lönnrot Elias Lönnrot (April 9, 1802 - March 19, 1884) was a Finnish philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. ...

Literary achievements

Abckiria

Main article: Abckiria

Agricola had thought about translating the New Testament in his early years of studying. At the time, however, there was no standard written form of Finnish. He started developing it. His first book, "Abckiria" was a primer for reading and a catechism, and it was first time printed in 1543. The catechism was included because only very few people could afford the whole Bible at the time. The first print contained 16 pages. There was a second print released in 1551 with 24 pages. The first page of Abckiria. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The first page of Abckiria. ... Look up primer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Codex Manesse, fol. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ...

Rucouskiria

Agricola's Rucouskiria was printed in March 1544. In the beginning of the book Agricola wrote about many topics concerning all-round education and the Reformation's effects in Finland. The book includes four prefaces and about 700 prayers, and on many topics it has even twelve different prayers instead of the usual two or three. It is the most independent work he authored. It contains approximately 900 pages. His sources include works of Luther, Melanchthon, and Erasmus. Desiderius Erasmus in 1523 Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (also Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam) (October 27, probably 1466 – July 12, 1536) was a Dutch humanist and theologian. ...

Se Wsi Testamenti (the New Testament)

Cover of Se Wsi Testamenti, or the New Testament

Agricola's most prominent book is Se Wsi Testamenti, the first Finnish-language translation of the New Testament. The manuscript was completed in 1543, but it underwent correction for five more years. The whole work took eleven years. The New Testament, printed in Stockholm in 1548, was still based mainly on the dialect of Turku. It contains 718 pages and many illustrations. It has two prefaces, practical and theological. In the practical preface Agricola gives reasons for using the Turku dialect and tells how Christianity came into Finland. In the theological preface Agricola tells that his translation was based on the Greek original text (familiar to him particularly from his time with Melanchthon), a Latin collection by Erasmus of Rotterdam, a German translation by Martin Luther, as well as the Swedish bibles by Olaus Petri. He also explains how he had to create many new words and hoped they would be liked and put into use (which they have, although some of them, particularly of animals never seen in Finland fared less well after encounter with the real animal; such as jalopeura or "noble deer" for lion and kamelikurki or "camel stork" for ostrich). Image File history File links Se_Wsi_Testamenti. ... Image File history File links Se_Wsi_Testamenti. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ...   (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος, dialektos) is a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area. ... Turku (IPA: , Swedish:  ), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,868 (as of 2005). ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Philipp Melanchthon (February 16, 1497 - April 19, 1560) was a German theologian and writer of the Protestant Reformation and an associate of Martin Luther. ... This article deals with the Erasmus, the theologian. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... Petri outside Storkyrkan, Stockholm Olof Persson (sometimes Petersson; born January 6, 1493 in Örebro, died April 19, 1552 in Stockholm), better known under the Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri, was a clergyman, writer and a main character of the Protestant reformation in Sweden. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... Binomial name Struthio camelus Linnaeus, 1758 The present-day distribution of ostriches. ...

Three Liturgical books

While Agricola was in Wittenberg, he translated three smaller liturgical books into Finnish. These books were printed in 1549. From the Greek word λειτουργια, which can be transliterated as leitourgia, meaning the work of the people, a liturgy comprises a prescribed religious ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular religion; it may be refer to, or include, an elaborate...

Käsikirja Castesta ia muista Christikunnan Menoista includes forms for christening, marriage and burial and speeches for the sick, mourning and dying people. It is translated from Olaus Petri's corresponding work excluding the christening and marriage parts (which are from Luther). It also contains minor parts translated from Caspar Huberinus' works.

Messu eli Herran echtolinen includes the form for a service. It is also based on Olaus Petri's work and a few Finnish manuscripts. In this book Agricola revealed his next mission: translation of the Old Testament. Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ...

Se meiden Herran Jesusen Christusen Pina, ylesnousemus ia tauiaisen Astumus, niste Neliest Euangelisterist coghottuon tells about Jesus Christ's suffering. It is collected from all four gospels. This book was influenced heavily by Johannes Bugenhagen, a teacher in Wittenberg. It was mainly translated from the German version, but some parts are influenced by the Swedish version and of course his own translation of the New Testament. This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... Johannes Bugenhagen (24 June 1485 in Wollin, Pomerania—20 April 1558 in Wittenberg, Saxony), also called Doktor Pomeranus, introduced the Protestant Reformation in Pomerania and Denmark in the 16th century. ...

External links

• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland - Official site
• Agricola 2007 -juhlavuosi