Árni Magnússon (1663–1730)

Icelandic scholar and antiquarian. He was professor of Danish antiquities at Copenhagen University from 1701, where he assembled his collection of medieval Icelandic manuscripts. Although much of his work was lost in the fire of 1728, he did great service to the study of Old Icelandic literature by establishing the Arnamagnæan Collection of old manuscripts in Copenhagen. Many of the manuscripts have now been returned to their Icelandic homeland.