Petter Dass

Petter Dass was a Norwegian poet and priest who lived in the 17th century. He was born on Nord Herøy, an island near Alstahaug, where his father was a Scottish merchant and his mother was a local bailiff's daughter. He studied theology in Copenhagen and became a tutor in Vefsn, where he fathered an illegitimate child. He later obtained a pardon from the king and was ordained as a priest. He served as a chaplain in Nesna and then as a parish priest in Alstahaug, the richest parish in Helgeland. He was known for his travels around his large parish, which inspired his main work, Nordlands Trompet, a poetic description of the nature, culture, and people of northern Norway. He also wrote several religious songs and hymns, some of which are still in use today, such as Herre Gud, ditt dyre navn og ære. He died in 1707 and was buried in Alstahaug Church. He is regarded as one of the most important Norwegian poets of his time and a representative of the baroque style.