Henning Jakob Henrik Lund facts for kids

Henrik Lund with his wife, Malene, in 1911.

Henrik Lund (born 1875, died 1948) was a talented person from Greenland. His full name was Henning Jakob Henrik Lund, and he was also known as Intel'eraq. He was a writer of songs and poems (a lyricist), a painter, and a pastor (a religious leader).

Henrik Lund wrote the words for "Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit," which is Greenland's national anthem. A national anthem is a special song that represents a country. He wrote it in the Greenlandic language, which is the native language of Greenland.

Early Life and Family

Henrik Lund was born on September 29, 1875, in Nanortalik, a village on the southwest coast of Greenland. He grew up close to a group of Inuit people who had moved from East Greenland. Like many in his family, he spent time working in East Greenland.

Henrik Lund had both Inuit and Danish family roots. People said he looked like a Greenlander but had bluish-grey eyes. His wife was Malene Lund, who was born in 1877 and lived a very long life, passing away in 1979.

His family and a local German church called the Moravian Church helped him learn to love music and poetry. His father, Isak Lund, was also a poet and a church leader. His father's poems showed how much he loved his country, like in his poem "Nuna Tassa Tupingnartoq," which means "This Is a Wonderful Country."

Henrik Lund's Career

After studying at a church school in Nuuk, Henrik Lund became a church leader in Angmagssalik, East Greenland, in 1900. In 1909, he moved back to West Greenland. He officially became a pastor on October 9, 1936, at a big church in Copenhagen, Denmark. Later, he became the local pastor in Narssaq.

Besides his church work, Henrik Lund was also involved in politics. From 1923 to 1932, he was chosen to be a member of the South Greenland provincial council, which helped make decisions for the area. He also enjoyed painting pictures using oil paints and watercolors.

Poetry and Songs

Henrik Lund wrote many hymns (religious songs) in the Greenlandic language. These hymns were put into songbooks in 1909, 1930, 1937, and 1945. His first published poem, "Upernalermat" (meaning "As Spring Is Coming"), appeared in a Greenlandic songbook called Erinarssûtit. Later versions of this songbook included more of his poems, some of which were not religious.

His poems often told stories or taught lessons. For example, in "Igdlugssaq Nápagaungmat" (meaning "When the House Was Built"), he wrote about the simple act of building a home in Angmagssalik. This poem showed how building something useful could bring a community together. In another poem, "Nunat Asingagingmata" (meaning "When the Countries Again Turned Pale"), he wrote about winter coming: "We will soon see the country covered with snow, dressed in the garment of the sorrow, and crying in the storm after having bidden good-bye to all the small birds."

Greenland's National Anthem

One of Henrik Lund's most famous patriotic poems is "Nunarput Utoqqarsuanngoravit," which means "Our Country Who's Become So Old." He wrote it in 1912. Later, Jonathan Petersen (1891–1960) wrote music for the poem. This song became the official national anthem of Greenland in 1916.

The words of the anthem talk about Greenland as an old country with white hair (like snow on mountains). It speaks about the people of Greenland, called kalâtdlit, wanting to move forward and improve their country. It encourages Greenlanders to stand up, think for themselves, and live as strong people.

Even though the song has some European influences, it also shows the growing sense of national pride in Greenland during the early 1900s. People started to feel connected to the whole country, Kalaallit Nunaat, not just their local village. Since 1979, another song called "Nuna asiilasooq" (The Land of Great Length) has also been officially recognized as an anthem for the self-governing Kalaallit people. Jonathan Petersen wrote both the words and music for this song too.

Awards and Legacy

Henrik Lund received two special awards from the King of Denmark: the Dannebrogsmændenes Hæderstegn and the Ingenio et Arti.

His home in Narsaq, known as Lund Cottage, was designed by him. In 1980, it became a memorial and is now open to the public as part of the Narsaq Museum.

Death

Henrik Lund passed away on June 17, 1948, in Narssaq, Greenland.

See also

In Spanish: Henrik Lund para niños