Muller, Peter Erasmus

Muller, Peter Erasmus a Danish prelate, noted as a theological and antiquarian writer, was born at Copenhagen May 29, 1776. He studied at the university of that city, where in 1791 he passed his theological examination. He afterwards spent a year and a half at some of the German universities, and paid a visit of eight months to France and of three to England. After his return he attained to eminence as a scholar, wrote numerous works, was appointed professor of theology at the university in 1801, was raised to the rank of bishop in 1822, and in 1830 was appointed to the bishopric of Zealand, the highest ecclesiastical dignity in Denmark. He died September 16, 1834. His theological works on the Christian Moral System (1808), on the Grounds for Belief in the Divinity of Christianity (1810), on the Creeds of the Christian Church (1817), all in Danish, are in high esteem, but his literary reputation is chiefly founded on his essays in the department of Danish and Norse antiquarian studies. Among these, his best are, On the Importance of the Icelandic Language: — On the Rise and Decline of Icelandic Historiography: — On the Authenticity of the Edda of Snorro: — Critical Examination of the Traditional History of Denmark and Norway: — Critical Examination of the last Seven Books of Saxo Grammaticus: — land, above all, his Sagabibliothek, or Library of the Sagas (Copenh. 1817-20, 3 volumes). Bishop Muller was also the editor of a literary journal (Dansk Literatur Tidende) for many years. See Kraft of Nycrup, Altnindeligt Literaturlexicon, s.v.