Dithmar Blefken


Dithmar Blefken was a German preacher and minor 17th century geographer. Little is known about his life. He was a preacher in Hessen 1594, Zoelen 1597-1598, Wijk bij Duurstede 1598-1603, Giessen 1603-1609, in 1614 he still lives in Giessen.
Blefken is known for Islandia, a description of Iceland published first in 1607 in Leiden. He claimed it to be based on his journey to the island while accompanying merchants from Hamburg; this is, however, not certain. Arngrímur Jónsson, a contemporary Icelandic scholar, was a fierce critic of Blefken's work. Although the book contained many inaccuracies it was quite influential at the time, especially in northern parts of Europe.

Literature

  • Monique Mund-Dopchie : A beau mentir qui vient de loin: défaillances de la mémoire et forgeries dans l´Islandia du voyageur Dithmar Blefken , in Neulateinisches Jahrbuch, 2004,.
  • Wolfgang Müller: Neue Nordwelt, 2005,. The German language book summarizes descriptions of Iceland by several authors, including Blefken.