ABSTRACT
In 1749, King Frederik V visited Norway, the northernmost part of his kingdom. Stopping at the village of Hokksund, en route for the silver mines at Kongsberg, the King was received by the local vicar, who greeted the monarch with a long poem of his own composition. In 55 four-lined stanzas and with an array of footnotes, Christian Grawe delivered a description of the parish with numerous antiquarian details. While poetry is not often used to communicate research results in the present world, it was a popular genre of historical writing in the early modern period. The chapter explores how historical and antiquarian knowledge was conveyed in poetical form, giving special attention to the combination of rhymed stanzas and erudite notes. For Grawe, the royal visit became an occasion to turn his antiquarian knowledge into a performance, to show, not merely to describe or tell. Frederik V had few intellectual interests but loved theatricals. And the vicar's poetic antiquarian performance seems to have been well received: Grawe was appointed honorary professor of the University of Copenhagen and with it the title professor antiquitiatis patriae.
