Jonas Danilssønn Ramus

Jonas Danilssønn Ramus (1649-1718) was a priest and historian, but is perhaps best known as the husband of Anna Colbjørnsdatter.

In 1665 Ramus was a student, and in the 1680s became the personal curate in Sørum kirke in Romerike under the priest Colbjørn Torstenssøn. He married the priest's daughter, Anna Colbjørnsdatter, in 1682. From 1690 Ramus was a priest in Norderhov kirke in Ringerike, which is where he died in March 1718. Ramus became a magistrate in 1698.

He wrote many popular prayer books, among them "Naadens aandelige Markets-Tiid" ("Grace's Spiritual Market-Time" (1680), he also wrote a host of other works: "Noris Regum" (1698), "Guds Rige blandt Verdens Riger" ("God's Riches mixed with the World's Riches") (1702), "Norriges Kongers Historie" (The history of the Norwegian kings) (published 1719) and "Norges Beskrivelse" (Norway's Description) (1715, published 1735). "Norges Beskrivelse" contains information about a feral child, Jostedalsrypa, [http://www.feralchildren.com/en/listbooks.php?bk=ramus] , the only survivor of the Black Death in her valley of Jostedal.

Ramus also wrote about the famous Maelstrom at Moskenesstrømmen in Norway. His work was read by Edgar Allan Poe, and mentioned in "A Descent into the Maelström".

Ramus and his wife Anna had many children, but most died very early. Their son, Daniel Ramus followed his father as a priest in Norderhov from 1717, when his father was sick.