Uno von Troils Bref rörande en resa til Island som kunskapsförmedling

Abstract

The aim of this article is to highlight the ways in which Uno von Troil’s book Bref rörande en resa til Island MDCCLXXII (1777) contributed to the transmission of knowl­edge about Iceland in the second half of the 18th century. The young Swede was part of a crew, under leadership of the renowned English naturalist Joseph Banks. The expedition sailed to Iceland in 1772 with the purpose of exploring its geography and the Icelanders’ way of life, traditions and beliefs. Upon his return to Sweden, von Troil wrote letters about different aspects of Icelandic culture and terrain that he, strategically, sent to high-status individuals who would appreciate the information, and, at the same time, help von Troil advance his career. The letters were later compiled in a book that was the first Swedish depiction of Iceland aimed at a non-specialized, educated audience. In this article, I try to answer to questions: How did von Troil gather the information for writing his book? How and to whom did he convey this knowledge and what kind of knowledge did he disseminate to the readers?