Development of Faroese children’s literature. Challenges in a minority society / Føroyskar barnabókmentir. Avbjóðingar hjá eini smátjóð
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Abstract
Úrtak
Í greinini, sum er grundað á ein fyrilestur, ið varð hildin á ráðstevnu hjá Ibby (The International Board on Books for Young People) í Santiago de Compostela í 2010, verður sagt frá, hvussu føroyskar barnabókmentir hava ment seg, serliga við denti á bókaútgávu fyri einum lutfalsliga lítlum málbólki.
Í Føroyum hava kvæði, sagnir, ævintýr og annar skaldskapur livað sítt fríska lív á manna munni, líka síðan fólk hava sett búgv á oyggjunum, meðan skrivaðu bókmentirnar eru av nýggjari uppruna. Fyrsta upprunaføroyska barnabókin kom út í 1958, um somu tíð sum føroyskir lærarar settu bókaforlag á stovn við tí greiða endamáli at geva út barnabøkur á føroyskum.
At geva út bøkur í Føroyum er ikki ein løtt uppgáva, fyrst og fremst tí bara umleið 50.000 fólk tosa føroyskt mál og eitt føroyskt forlag tí ikki hevur fyrimunin av einum stórum sølumarknaði.
Annar trupulleiki er so tann, at føroyskir rithøvundar og kanska serliga barnabókarithøvundar hava stríðst fyri, at føroyskt mál verður viðurkent sum skaldskaparmál millum føroyingar sjálvar. Hetta tí at føroyskt er so ávirkað av donskum, og at danskt hevur kenst líka natúrligt, ja í mongum førum natúrligari at lesa hjá flest fólkum enn teirra egna mál, føroyskt.
Abstract
The first children’s book published in Faroese was the renowned Robinson Crusoe by the English author Daniel Defoe. This was in 1914 and many welcomed the book, but there were also quite a few who were unhappy about it. They felt that the publication in Faroese was a provocation against Denmark or Danish language in the Faroes (Sigurðardóttir, 1990). The opposition against Robinson Crusoe in translation sheds light on a problem, which the Faroese book market has suffered and partly still suffers, namely people’s attitude towards their mother tongue.
Although today’s opposition against Faroese is not comparable to that generated by publishing a book in 1914, language is still a very sensitive topic in children’s books. The problem is first and foremost caused by the Faroes’ political situation, as a part of the Danish kingdom, which has meant that the language used in public administration, school, church and parliament in the Faroes was Danish.
The Faroese have always spoken their own language, but have only recently started writing it. Only in the latter half of the 19th century steps were taken to generate a Faroese grammar. We must also bear in mind that written Faroese was not taught in Faroese schools until 1920, and it was not until 1937 that the Public School Act was amended, making Faroese, rather than Danish, the teaching language.