Johan Herman Wessel facts for kids
Johan Herman Wessel (born October 6, 1742 – died December 29, 1785) was a talented poet, satirist, and playwright from Denmark-Norway in the 1700s. He was known for his funny and clever writing, often using parody and satire to make people laugh and think.
Contents
About Johan Herman Wessel
Johan Herman Wessel grew up in Vestby, Akershus, which is in Norway. His father, Jonas Wessel, was a priest. Johan was one of thirteen children in his family! His younger brothers included Caspar Wessel, who became a famous mathematician, and Ole Christopher Wessel, who was a lawyer. His great-uncle was the brave naval hero Peter Tordenskjold.
Johan went to Oslo Cathedral School in 1757. Later, he studied foreign languages at the University of Copenhagen in 1761. He earned money by teaching and translating texts. He spent most of his life in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a central and admired figure in a group called The Norwegian Society (Norske Selskab). This group was made up of Norwegian writers in Copenhagen who wanted to celebrate their Norwegian identity through literature.
His Family Life
In 1780, Johan Herman Wessel married Anna Catharia Bukier. They had one son named Jonas Wessel, who was born in 1781. Johan Herman Wessel passed away in Copenhagen when he was 43 years old. He was buried at the cemetery of Trinitatis Church.
Wessel's Creative Works
Johan Herman Wessel's poems and plays are often very funny and full of satire. Satire is a way of using humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize people's foolishness or mistakes. His writing style was smart and witty. He was also very good at writing epigrams. These are short, clever poems that often have a surprising or funny ending.
Famous Humorous Tales
Wessel is most famous for his many funny stories in verse. These stories often point out how silly or unfair people can be.
- The Smith and the Baker: One of his most well-known stories is Smeden og Bageren ("The Smith and the Baker"). In this tale, the only blacksmith in a village commits a crime. But the villagers need a blacksmith, so they decide to pardon him. Instead, they execute one of the two bakers in the village because they only need one baker! This story humorously shows how people can bend rules based on what they need.
- The Squire: In Herremanden ("The Squire"), a man goes to Hell and finds out some surprising things about his own son.
- The Dog Murder: Hundemordet ("The Dog Murder") is a story about people arguing over very small, unimportant things.
Plays and Time Travel
Wessel also wrote plays.
- Love without Stockings: His satirical play Kierlighed uden Strømper (Love without Stockings), written in 1772, is a funny take on serious plays. It happens in everyday life with simple problems, but it uses the grand, formal language of heroic tragedies. People still perform this play today!
- Anno 7603: Another play, Anno 7603, was written in 1781. This play is special because it's one of the earliest examples of time travel in fiction. In the story, a fairy moves the main characters, Leander and Julie, to the year 7603. In this future world, gender roles have completely switched, and only women are allowed to be in the military!
Wessel's Legacy
The traditional restaurant Wesselstuen in Bergen, Norway is decorated with many things inspired by Johan Herman Wessel's works.
See also
- Johannes Ewald and Johan Hermann Wessel Memorial
