Símun av Skarði

Infobox Person
name = Símun av Skarði


caption = Símun av Skarði (right) together with his friend and school co-founder Rasmus Rasmussen on a stamp of 2002.
birth_date = May 3, 1872
birth_place = Skarð, Faroe Islands
death_date = death date and age|1942|10|9|1872|5|3
death_place = Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Símun av Skarði (May 3 1872 – October 9 1942) was a Faroese poet, politician and teacher. He graduated from the Faroese Teacher's College in 1896. He founded Føroya Fólkaháskúli (the Faoese folk high school) in 1899, and worked there as headmaster from 1899 to 1942.

His most famous work as a poet is the Faroese National Anthem, "Mítt alfagra land," usually called "Tú alfagra land mítt" since those are the first words. He was a member of parliament for the Sjálvstýrisflokkurin ("Self-Government Party") from 1906 to 1914.

References

* Løgtingið og høvundarnir 2: "Løgtingið 150" (1st ed.) p. 350. Tórshavn Løgtingið 2002.