Lofsöngur

---

title: "Lofsöngur" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["national-symbols-of-iceland", "european-anthems", "songs-in-icelandic", "icelandic-songs", "national-anthems", "1874-songs", "christian-hymns", "compositions-in-e-major"] description: "National anthem of Iceland" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lofsöngur" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary National anthem of Iceland ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox anthem"]

Field	Value
title
english_title	'Hymn'
prefix	National
alt_title	""
en_alt_title	'O God of Our Land'
image	Icelandic_national_anthem_sheet_music.gifborder
country	Iceland
composer	Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson
author	Matthías Jochumsson
music_date	1874
lyrics_date	1874
adopted
sound	Lofsöngur.ogg
sound_title	U.S. Navy Band instrumental rendition in D-flat major
::

| title = | english_title = 'Hymn' | prefix = National | alt_title = "" | en_alt_title = 'O God of Our Land' | image = Icelandic_national_anthem_sheet_music.gifborder | image_size = | caption = | country = Iceland | composer = Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson | author = Matthías Jochumsson | music_date = 1874 | lyrics_date = 1874 | adopted = | until = | sound = Lofsöngur.ogg | sound_title = U.S. Navy Band instrumental rendition in D-flat major}}

"", also known by its incipit "", is the national anthem of Iceland. Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson composed the music, while the lyrics were authored by Matthías Jochumsson. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1944, when the country declared independence by voting to end its "personal union" and become a republic.

History

| type = music | filename = Lofsöngur (first recording).ogg | title = 1920 orchestral and male vocal recording (first verse) | description = Vocal recording of the anthem}} | footer = Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson (left) composed the music to "Lofsöngur", while Matthías Jochumsson (right) wrote the lyrics. | image1 = Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson.jpg | alt1 = | width1 = 201 | image2 = Matthías Jochumsson2.jpg | alt2 = | width2 = 164}} | footer = A memorial plaque at 15 London Street in Edinburgh recognizing the house in which the Icelandic national anthem, "Lofsöngur", was composed | image1 = Plaque outside 15 London Street, Edinburgh, Scotland 2005-02-18.jpg | width1 = | image2 = 15 London Street, Edinburgh, Scotland 2005-02-18.jpg | width2 = }}

The late 19th century saw music in Iceland develop and flourish. Though many of their initial composers had to study and apply their trade abroad due to insufficient opportunities on offer at home, they were able to bring what they had learned back to Iceland. One of these musicians was Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson, who was the first person from his homeland to pursue "an international career as a composer". and wrote the music for Lofsöngur inside a town house located in the city's New Town in 1874. By 1922, the song became so well known and loved throughout Iceland that, in recognition of this, the Althing endowed Sveinbjörnsson with a state pension. He was the first composer in the country to be conferred such an honour.

The lyrical portion of it was penned by Matthías Jochumsson, one of the "best loved poets" in the country who was also a priest. Although the commemorative plaque in Edinburgh purports that both the music and lyrics were written there, it is nowadays believed that Jochumsson had in fact produced the latter back in his homeland.

It was written to coincide with the 1874 festivities in honor of one millennium since the Norse first arrived on the island. It is for this reason that the full translation of the anthem's title is "The Millennial Hymn of Iceland". The song was first played on August 2 of that year, However, the song was not officially adopted as the country's national anthem until 70 years later in 1944, when Icelanders voted in a referendum to end their state's personal union with Denmark and become a republic.

Lyrics

Although the Icelandic national anthem consists of three stanzas, only the first one is sung on a regular basis.

::data[format=table]

Icelandic original	IPA transcription
{{lang	is
::

::data[format=table]

Poetic translation	Literal translation
Our country's God! Our country's God!	O God of our land! O land of our God!
::

Criticism

The anthem is notorious for being challenging to sing, due to its large vocal range of high and low vocal registers—spanning a minor fourteenth. "Lofsöngur" has been described as a Christian hymn to God with strong religious themes. Thus, its suitability as the national anthem in Iceland's increasingly secular society of the present-day has been challenged, notwithstanding the fact that the country still maintains an official religion in the form of the Church of Iceland. Some have suggested replacing it with a non-religious song that is more all-encompassing.

Notes

References

References

1. (2007). "Icelandic-English Dictionary".
2. Rule, James Casey. (2011). "Writing Lilja: A Glance at Icelandic Music and Spirit". Lehigh University.
3. McCall, Chris. (June 27, 2016). "Iceland's national anthem was written in an Edinburgh house". The Scotsman.
4. (December 2012). "Composer of the Week – Iceland, A Symphony of Fire and Ice". BBC.
5. Mather, Victoria. (May 27, 2016). "Iceland has a very special kind of beauty and you don't always have to look up to see it".
6. Silk, Mark. (July 1, 2016). "Go Iceland!". The Gazette.
7. Scott Fortune, Andrew. (November 16, 2014). "Matthías Jochumsson, poet and writer of Iceland's national anthem".
8. (2006). "A History of Icelandic Literature". University of Nebraska Press.
9. (2009). "Canada: Images of a Post/National Society". Peter Lang.
10. Hauptmann, Katharina. (January 12, 2011). "The Un-Singable National Anthem of Iceland".
11. (January 12, 2017). "Iceland". CIA.
12. (2007). "Iceland – History". Thomson Gale.
13. [https://books.google.com/books?id=du0QAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22V%C3%A9r+lifum+sem+blaktandi%2C+blaktandi+str%C3%A1%22&pg=PA2 Ljóðmæli: úrval]. Jochumsson, Matthías (1815). Bókaverzlun Sigf. Eymundssonar.
14. [https://books.google.com.qa/books?id=jfrWCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA425&lpg=PA425&dq=Our+country%27s+God!+Our+country%27s+God!+We+worship+Thy+name+in+its+wonder+sublime.+The+suns+of+the+heavens+are+set+in+Thy+crown+By+Thy+legions,+the+ages+of+time!+With+Thee+is+each+day+as+a+thousand+years,+Each+thousand+of+years,+but+a+day,+Eternity%27s+flow%27r,+with+its+homage+of+tears,+That+reverently+passes+away.+Iceland%27s+thousand+years,+Iceland%27s+thousand+years!+Eternity%27s+flow%27r,+with+its+homage+of+tears,+That+reverently+passes+away.&source=bl&ots=j-oYkFkuuK&sig=ACfU3U2_QhzG-qqjE8Bio9NfdN-WscFIqA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiitvyxv9DpAhWzgnIEHTTdA10Q6AEwAHoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=Our%20country's%20God!%20Our%20country's%20God!%20We%20worship%20Thy%20name%20in%20its%20wonder%20sublime.%20The%20suns%20of%20the%20heavens%20are%20set%20in%20Thy%20crown%20By%20Thy%20legions%2C%20the%20ages%20of%20time!%20With%20Thee%20is%20each%20day%20as%20a%20thousand%20years%2C%20Each%20thousand%20of%20years%2C%20but%20a%20day%2C%20Eternity's%20flow'r%2C%20with%20its%20homage%20of%20tears%2C%20That%20reverently%20passes%20away.%20Iceland's%20thousand%20years%2C%20Iceland's%20thousand%20years!%20Eternity's%20flow'r%2C%20with%20its%20homage%20of%20tears%2C%20That%20reverently%20passes%20away.&f=false National Anthem]. ''The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems'' [2 volumes] (2009). Minahan, James B.
15. Erlingsdottir, Iris. (July 18, 2009). "Iceland Independence Day: We Worship Our God (Mammon) And Die". Huffpost.

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