Bernhard Severin Ingemann, inspired by Sir Walter Scott's Waverley novels, Ingemann produced his series of Danish historical romances, by virtue of which he disputes with Hand Christian Andersen the title of the children's writer of Denmark.
Their subjects are all taken from Danish history.
The first, and perhaps the best, is Valdemar Seir (Valdemar the Victorious, 1826), which had been followed by Erik Menveds Bamdom (Erik Menved's Childhood, 1828); Kong Erik og de Fredløse (King Erik and the Outlaws, 1833); and Prins Otto af Danmark og Hans Samtid (Prince Otto of Denmark and his Time, 1835).
While his historical romances show a lack of accuracy, their strong nationality gives them a special interest to the student of Danish culture: Ingemann can be said to have introduced the historical novel in Danish literature.
A vicar’s son, he had been left fatherless in his youth.
While a student at the University of Copenhagen, he had published his first collection of poems (1811; vol. ii, 1812), which show great influence of German romanticism.
Critics describe their sickly sentimentality as reflecting the unhealthy condition of the poet's body and mind at this time.
These works had been followed by a long allegorical poem, De sorte Riddere (The Black Knights, 1814); then followed by six plays, of which the best is considered to be Reinald Underbamet (The Miraculous Child Reinald, 1816), and the most popular, Blanca, (1815).
In 1817 he had published his first prose work, De Underjordiske, et bornholmsk Eventyr (The Subterranean Ones, a Story of Bornholm), followed in 1820 by Eventyr og Fortœllinger (Narratives and Miraculous Tales), many of them imitations of Hoffmann.
During 1818-19, he had traveled on the Continent, and in 1822 had been appointed instructor of the Danish Language and Literature at the Academy of Sorø.
