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The Rector of Veilbye
The classic Danish thriller dubbed 'The First Crime Novel.'
The trial of Pastor Søren Jensen Quist of Vejlby took place at Aarhus in 1626. The trial centered around the unexplained disappearance in 1607 of a farm laborer named Jesper Hovgaard who was employed at Pastor Quist's rectory. Fifteen years later, in 1622, human remains were unearthed on the grounds of the rectory. The bones were believed to belong to Hovgaard and word soon spread that the Reverend Quist had slaughtered him and tried to conceal the crime. During the police investigation, two local men, who had past animosity toward Quist, testified that they witnessed the cleric murder Hovgaard while in a drunken rage. The Reverend protested his innocence but was found guilty and executed by decapitation on July 20, 1626.
In 2006, 'The Rector of Veilbye' was selected for inclusion in the Cultural Canon of Denmark by the Danish Ministry of Culture. During the ceremony, an official declared that, "the style illuminates elegiac pain and discomfort in an eerily intense drama, and the story is difficult to shake off."
Renowned Scandinavian critic Søren Baggesen stated "Blicher is not just the first of Danish literature's great storytellers, he is one of the few tragic poets, Danish literature has ever had."
The trial of Pastor Søren Jensen Quist of Vejlby took place at Aarhus in 1626. The trial centered around the unexplained disappearance in 1607 of a farm laborer named Jesper Hovgaard who was employed at Pastor Quist's rectory. Fifteen years later, in 1622, human remains were unearthed on the grounds of the rectory. The bones were believed to belong to Hovgaard and word soon spread that the Reverend Quist had slaughtered him and tried to conceal the crime. During the police investigation, two local men, who had past animosity toward Quist, testified that they witnessed the cleric murder Hovgaard while in a drunken rage. The Reverend protested his innocence but was found guilty and executed by decapitation on July 20, 1626.
In 2006, 'The Rector of Veilbye' was selected for inclusion in the Cultural Canon of Denmark by the Danish Ministry of Culture. During the ceremony, an official declared that, "the style illuminates elegiac pain and discomfort in an eerily intense drama, and the story is difficult to shake off."
Renowned Scandinavian critic Søren Baggesen stated "Blicher is not just the first of Danish literature's great storytellers, he is one of the few tragic poets, Danish literature has ever had."
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1829
About the author
Steen Steensen Blicher
218 books12 followersSteen Steensen Blicher (11. oktober 1782 i faderens præstegård i Vium – 26. marts 1848) var en dansk præst og forfatter, søn af Niels Gudme Blicher. Han tog embedseksamen fra pastoralseminariet i 1809. Blicher virkede som præst i Thorning og i Spentrup, men er bedst kendt for sine digte, noveller og oversættelser af internationalt kendte værker.
Steen Steensen Blicher (11 October 1782, Vium – 26 March 1848 in Spentrup) was an author and poet born in Vium near Viborg, Denmark.
Blicher was the son of a literarily inclined Jutlandic parson whose family was distantly related to Martin Luther[citation needed].
He grew up in close contact to nature and peasant life in the moor areas of Jutland. After trying his hand as a teacher and a tenant farmer, he at last became a parson like his father and from 1825-1847 served in the parish at Spentrup.
As a clergyman he is said to have been less than inspired. His main interests were hunting and writing. In 1842 he was accused of alcoholism and abandoned from a Cooperation of Danish writers. Many struggles with his superiors the following years led to his dismissal shortly before his death.
He had ten children, (seven sons and three daughters), with his wife Ernestine Juliane Berg whom he married on 11 June 1810.
Blicher is known as the pioneer of the novella in Danish]. From the 1820s until his death he wrote several tales that were published in local periodicals (mostly dealing with his home region), as well as historical and amateur scientific sketches. Much of this work is entertainment but as many as twenty or thirty pieces have been called masterpieces.
In these works he describes human fate in his home region in Jutland, He is often called a tragic and melancholic writer, but he is not without wit and humour.
He is one of the first novelists to make significant use of the unreliable narrator — theme in literature.
(from Wikipedia)
Steen Steensen Blicher (11 October 1782, Vium – 26 March 1848 in Spentrup) was an author and poet born in Vium near Viborg, Denmark.
Blicher was the son of a literarily inclined Jutlandic parson whose family was distantly related to Martin Luther[citation needed].
He grew up in close contact to nature and peasant life in the moor areas of Jutland. After trying his hand as a teacher and a tenant farmer, he at last became a parson like his father and from 1825-1847 served in the parish at Spentrup.
As a clergyman he is said to have been less than inspired. His main interests were hunting and writing. In 1842 he was accused of alcoholism and abandoned from a Cooperation of Danish writers. Many struggles with his superiors the following years led to his dismissal shortly before his death.
He had ten children, (seven sons and three daughters), with his wife Ernestine Juliane Berg whom he married on 11 June 1810.
Blicher is known as the pioneer of the novella in Danish]. From the 1820s until his death he wrote several tales that were published in local periodicals (mostly dealing with his home region), as well as historical and amateur scientific sketches. Much of this work is entertainment but as many as twenty or thirty pieces have been called masterpieces.
In these works he describes human fate in his home region in Jutland, He is often called a tragic and melancholic writer, but he is not without wit and humour.
He is one of the first novelists to make significant use of the unreliable narrator — theme in literature.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 7, 2018
Curiosa y corta historia (basada en hechos reales) que puede que sea el precursor de la novela policíaca (antecede a los relatos de Poe) y puede que incluso fuera plagiada por Mark Twain en "Tom Sawyer, detective".
Es una historia sencilla, que se nos va desvelando a través del diario del juez protagonista. De un relato costumbrista pasamos a un misterio y un crimen. Tal vez el tono sea un poco naif para nuestros días, pero hay que tener en cuenta en qué época se escribió (1829) y sirve al propósito que persigue, que es el entretenimiento. Si bien hay cierto comentario social a la necesidad de la total imparcialidad del juez, de que el juez no conozca ni tenga amistad ni enemistad manifiesta con las personas que juzga (porque si no se lía), y también se hace una crítica a la pena de muerte. Dos cosas que me sorprendieron bastante.
Lo bueno: se lee de una sentada. Lo malo: se lee de una sentada. Si alguien quiere una historia compleja o un gran desarrollo de personajes, este relato no los tiene. Ahora bien, como muestra de cómo empezó el género (de cuando estaba en pañales y no sabía ni gatear) tiene su punto.
Es una historia sencilla, que se nos va desvelando a través del diario del juez protagonista. De un relato costumbrista pasamos a un misterio y un crimen. Tal vez el tono sea un poco naif para nuestros días, pero hay que tener en cuenta en qué época se escribió (1829) y sirve al propósito que persigue, que es el entretenimiento. Si bien hay cierto comentario social a la necesidad de la total imparcialidad del juez, de que el juez no conozca ni tenga amistad ni enemistad manifiesta con las personas que juzga (porque si no se lía), y también se hace una crítica a la pena de muerte. Dos cosas que me sorprendieron bastante.
Lo bueno: se lee de una sentada. Lo malo: se lee de una sentada. Si alguien quiere una historia compleja o un gran desarrollo de personajes, este relato no los tiene. Ahora bien, como muestra de cómo empezó el género (de cuando estaba en pañales y no sabía ni gatear) tiene su punto.
March 31, 2017
"Oh, what is man that he shall dare to sit in judgment over his fellows! God alone is the Judge. He who gives life may alone give death!"
--sidebar: it didn't take me a full eight days to read this book -- my copy drowned in the bathtub so I had to wait for a replacement. If anyone (in the US) wants my now-dry copy (a little warped but still very readable), just let me know and it's yours. --
One would think that a book of only 25 pages would be a no-brainer, easy read with not much to say, but that's just not the case here. First published in 1829, this little pamphlet-sized story kept me up well past two a.m. this morning thinking about what I'd just read.
The Rector of Veilbye has often been touted as "the first crime novel," and is based on real events. It may actually be the first Scandinavian crime novel -- obviously I can't say that for sure, but 1829 is still quite early in the crime fiction game so it's entirely possible. According to the back-cover blurb, "The trial of Pastor Søren Jensen Quist of Vejlby took place at Aarhus in 1626," and involved the disappearance of a farm laborer in 1607 employed by the rector. Evidently, over a decade later, bones were dug up on the rector's land that were believed to belong to the missing man and the rector was blamed. Also noted on the cover is the fact that this little book was "selected for inclusion in the Cultural Canon of Denmark," and that one official noted the "elegiac pain and discomfort in an eerily intense drama." In this book, the story is revealed through journal entries from two different people -- District Judge Erik Sorensen, who outlines the main events of the case as well as his own involvement and how it affected him personally, and then a pastor from Aalso, who lets us in on a most harrowing aftermath some 21 years later. Sorensen has a role here other than just district judge -- he happens to be betrothed to the daughter of the titular rector of Veilbye, who has been accused of murdering one of his servants "in a fit of rage," and then burying the body in his own garden.
To tell is to spoil, especially in this very short but powerful work, so I'm not going to give away any plot details other than what I've said above. At the same time, a note to readers: don't be fooled by its size -- there is a lot going on in this little book. Not only is it a no-frills story of a crime (and I'll leave it to readers to decide which acts here are actually criminal), but it also provides a great argument against capital punishment, while also examining the links between religious beliefs and the law. It's also, I'll argue, a book that puts the reader in the unhappy position of judge -- considering the evidence as it's given here, it's simply impossible not to find yourself trying to make up your mind one way or the other, just as Sorensen had to do.
For readers entrenched in modern, fast-paced, violence-laden crime fiction, this book may seem to be a nothing sort of work. That certainly wasn't my reaction though -- it actually became an incredibly sad and thought-provoking story as I considered the moral implications vs. the legal, and as I said earlier, it kept me awake long after having finished it. Considering that it's not even thirty pages long, well, that's power. I have to wholeheartedly agree with the Danish official noted above who said that "the story is difficult to shake off" -- there is definitely a lot of truth in that statement.
Anyone who is at all interested in the history of crime fiction needs to read this book, but really, given what happens in this story, well, it's actually a book for everyone. Amazing.
--sidebar: it didn't take me a full eight days to read this book -- my copy drowned in the bathtub so I had to wait for a replacement. If anyone (in the US) wants my now-dry copy (a little warped but still very readable), just let me know and it's yours. --
One would think that a book of only 25 pages would be a no-brainer, easy read with not much to say, but that's just not the case here. First published in 1829, this little pamphlet-sized story kept me up well past two a.m. this morning thinking about what I'd just read.
The Rector of Veilbye has often been touted as "the first crime novel," and is based on real events. It may actually be the first Scandinavian crime novel -- obviously I can't say that for sure, but 1829 is still quite early in the crime fiction game so it's entirely possible. According to the back-cover blurb, "The trial of Pastor Søren Jensen Quist of Vejlby took place at Aarhus in 1626," and involved the disappearance of a farm laborer in 1607 employed by the rector. Evidently, over a decade later, bones were dug up on the rector's land that were believed to belong to the missing man and the rector was blamed. Also noted on the cover is the fact that this little book was "selected for inclusion in the Cultural Canon of Denmark," and that one official noted the "elegiac pain and discomfort in an eerily intense drama." In this book, the story is revealed through journal entries from two different people -- District Judge Erik Sorensen, who outlines the main events of the case as well as his own involvement and how it affected him personally, and then a pastor from Aalso, who lets us in on a most harrowing aftermath some 21 years later. Sorensen has a role here other than just district judge -- he happens to be betrothed to the daughter of the titular rector of Veilbye, who has been accused of murdering one of his servants "in a fit of rage," and then burying the body in his own garden.
To tell is to spoil, especially in this very short but powerful work, so I'm not going to give away any plot details other than what I've said above. At the same time, a note to readers: don't be fooled by its size -- there is a lot going on in this little book. Not only is it a no-frills story of a crime (and I'll leave it to readers to decide which acts here are actually criminal), but it also provides a great argument against capital punishment, while also examining the links between religious beliefs and the law. It's also, I'll argue, a book that puts the reader in the unhappy position of judge -- considering the evidence as it's given here, it's simply impossible not to find yourself trying to make up your mind one way or the other, just as Sorensen had to do.
For readers entrenched in modern, fast-paced, violence-laden crime fiction, this book may seem to be a nothing sort of work. That certainly wasn't my reaction though -- it actually became an incredibly sad and thought-provoking story as I considered the moral implications vs. the legal, and as I said earlier, it kept me awake long after having finished it. Considering that it's not even thirty pages long, well, that's power. I have to wholeheartedly agree with the Danish official noted above who said that "the story is difficult to shake off" -- there is definitely a lot of truth in that statement.
Anyone who is at all interested in the history of crime fiction needs to read this book, but really, given what happens in this story, well, it's actually a book for everyone. Amazing.
April 8, 2026
Um mais que curioso precedente ás novelas "nórdicas" de crimes (e até o género criminal em geral). Um pároco violento, um juiz com implicações pessoais, uma vítima suspeitosa... todo 150 anos antes de que se estabelecera o género!
March 31, 2024
Meget fin, men lidt langtrukken til tider. Den havde dog sine moments hvor det blev rigtig fedt. Jeg havde desværre set en film version før jeg læste den, så jeg kendte historien og twistet hvilket nok tog lidt fra den. Høj 3
June 10, 2017
Although this novella weighs in at a miniscule twenty-three pages, it sure does pack quite a punch. The mystery itself concerns Pastor Soren Quist (the Rector of Veilbye), who has been charged with the murder of his servant, Neils Bruus, and subsequently put on trial. What creates a particularly interesting mystery is the narrative format, delivered in two parts by two characters. In Part 1, District Judge Erik Sorenson takes us through the events leading up to the venerable Rector being accused and put on trial. What makes it bitterly ironic is that the Judge has been given blessings by the same Rector to marry the Rector’s daughter, Mette Quist. Being that the Judge is a key component to the events, there is a closeness for the reader in hearing events unfold in a first-account basis. In Part 2, another character takes the story from a decidedly different vantage point, and, there is definitely a bit of a twist when all is said and done.
Most notably, “The Rector of Veilbye” has been billed as the “first crime fiction.” I think what makes everything all the more shocking is that the story is based on a true case. Definitely a dark, suspenseful and quick read.. I’ve heard this story is the basis for three films, but have yet been able to locate any.
Most notably, “The Rector of Veilbye” has been billed as the “first crime fiction.” I think what makes everything all the more shocking is that the story is based on a true case. Definitely a dark, suspenseful and quick read.. I’ve heard this story is the basis for three films, but have yet been able to locate any.
May 1, 2021
Klassiker om et mord for hvem er morderen?
February 12, 2025
This is generally considered to be the first modern piece of crime fiction.
Published in 1829, it predates Poe’s mystery short stories by a little over a decade, and has fifty years on Sherlock Holmes.
The plot is based on an actual Danish murder from 1629. In Denmark it has been made into a movie three times, the second of which was the country’s first sound film.
I really enjoyed it, and had forgotten about the place the story has in the history of literature until after I had finished it. The plot raises a fascinating question for any fan of crime writing, one of the place of false or coerced confession, which tends to be thought of as through the application of torture, as in the Salem Witch Trials. But not in this case. From the LA Times in 2008, a veteran police detective writes..
In true crime as much as in fiction, such an erroneous confession results in death.
It’s only a short read, 25 pages or so, and highly recommended.
Published in 1829, it predates Poe’s mystery short stories by a little over a decade, and has fifty years on Sherlock Holmes.
The plot is based on an actual Danish murder from 1629. In Denmark it has been made into a movie three times, the second of which was the country’s first sound film.
I really enjoyed it, and had forgotten about the place the story has in the history of literature until after I had finished it. The plot raises a fascinating question for any fan of crime writing, one of the place of false or coerced confession, which tends to be thought of as through the application of torture, as in the Salem Witch Trials. But not in this case. From the LA Times in 2008, a veteran police detective writes..
Of the 220 wrongful convictions in the U.S. that have been overturned based on DNA evidence, nearly 25% involved a false confession or false incriminating statements, according to the Innocence Project. In each of those cases, DNA proved that the confession was false.
In true crime as much as in fiction, such an erroneous confession results in death.
It’s only a short read, 25 pages or so, and highly recommended.
January 16, 2026
"Præsten i Vejlby" by Steen Steensen Blicher is a gripping novella inspired by true events from 1626. While it starts slowly, the story grows increasingly compelling as it unfolds. Blicher’s narrative offers a powerful critique of justice and the death penalty, themes that remain relevant today.
The novella’s basis in real historical events adds depth and authenticity, making it a thought-provoking read. Its exploration of human conflict and tragedy, combined with Blicher’s innovative storytelling, makes it a standout work.
And it's considered the world's first whodunnit, how cool is that?
The novella’s basis in real historical events adds depth and authenticity, making it a thought-provoking read. Its exploration of human conflict and tragedy, combined with Blicher’s innovative storytelling, makes it a standout work.
And it's considered the world's first whodunnit, how cool is that?
November 4, 2021
Vaðlaklerkur kom fyrst út 1829 og er sögð vera ein fyrsta nútímaglæpasaga Vesturlanda. Hún fjallar um dómsmorð sem átti sér stað í Danmörku á 17. öld þegar presturinn Sören Quist var dæmdur og tekinn af lífi fyrir morð á vinnumanni. Gunnar Gunnarsson þýddi söguna síðar á íslensku, en hann kann að hafa haft hana til hliðsjónar þegar hann skrifaði Svartfugl sem kölluð hefur verið fyrsta íslenska glæpasagan, gefin út á dönsku 1929. Sagan er stutt og hnitmiðuð, margt sagt í fáum orðum og vekur efnið upp spurningar um glæp og refsingu. Áhrifaríkt réttarfarsdrama.
November 4, 2018
It’s not often you get to love in a street named after an author and read their book which is part of the cultural canon despite having heard of neither just a few short months before.
This was a great antidote to A fugitive covers His tracks - fast paced, bite sized, and although quite archaic, nonetheless quite able to drag you in and keep you turning the pages.
The original Nordic Noir?
Maybe!
This was a great antidote to A fugitive covers His tracks - fast paced, bite sized, and although quite archaic, nonetheless quite able to drag you in and keep you turning the pages.
The original Nordic Noir?
Maybe!
July 11, 2018
Otra maravillosa obra recuperada de la mano de Ardicia, con ese buen hacer que les caracteriza.
En esta ocasión, viajamos a 1829 a Dinamarca para que Blicher nos narre una historia basada en hechos reales. Corta, pero brillante e intensa. Imprescindible en las bibliotecas de los amantes de la novela de misterio.
En esta ocasión, viajamos a 1829 a Dinamarca para que Blicher nos narre una historia basada en hechos reales. Corta, pero brillante e intensa. Imprescindible en las bibliotecas de los amantes de la novela de misterio.
March 16, 2024
Efter sigende verdens første "who dunnit" historie.
Novelle fra 1829. Foregår i 1600-tallet. Er inspireret af en rigtig sag fra 1626.
Handling: Præsten i Vejlby anklages for at have dræbt en ansat. Herredsfogeden - der er forlovet med præstens datter - sættes til at opklare sagen.
Historien er skrevet som herredsfogedens dagbog.
Novelle fra 1829. Foregår i 1600-tallet. Er inspireret af en rigtig sag fra 1626.
Handling: Præsten i Vejlby anklages for at have dræbt en ansat. Herredsfogeden - der er forlovet med præstens datter - sættes til at opklare sagen.
Historien er skrevet som herredsfogedens dagbog.
February 22, 2020
Extraordinary crime novella, one of the earliest crime stories, with a lovely feel of Scandinavian gloom. The piece shows the havoc that men of malignity can wreak on the lives of others. There's a curious sense of the whole world having fallen tragically by the end of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2020
Quick read, interesting plot and predicament
January 14, 2024
En ganske udmærket krimi. Men hvad der gør den værd at læse i dag er det smukke, formfuldendte sprog, den er skrevet i.
September 5, 2024
Docile and touch of sinister. That it could be a true story adds to the solemn macabre tone.
September 11, 2024
Den var ret sjov. Nød det meget mere end jeg havde forventet.
December 21, 2024
Interesting. Especially being linked to actual history.
December 23, 2025
A short but punchy novella - and more importantly, touted as the first crime novel, all the way from 1829! Thanks to JW for the tip..
July 18, 2025
Read it in school🥱 would not have read it if I'd had a choice...
December 24, 2020
Cuento breve que marca el pistoletazo de salida en el nordic noir tal y como hoy lo conocemos. Un gusto leerlo como precuela de todo lo que vendrá después.
June 30, 2019
Jeg tænker tilbage og husker, at denne bog var helt særlig. Spændende og overraskende, hvilket er det vigtigste i en sand krimi. Endnu mere interessant er, at den er baseret på ægte hændelser. Det er en verden for sig, hvor ondskab ignoreres i troen om, at Gud er til stede (og dermed har en plan).
Præsten i Vejlby har mange flere lag end som så. I øvrigt skriver Steen Steensen Blicher jo fantastisk, hvilket kun styrker dette klassiske litterære værk.
Præsten i Vejlby har mange flere lag end som så. I øvrigt skriver Steen Steensen Blicher jo fantastisk, hvilket kun styrker dette klassiske litterære værk.
September 8, 2010
As with "En Landsbydegns Dagbog", I read this for school, so my rating is a reflection of that.
The only thing I really remember about this one, is the fact that we got it in a printed-out-version, and I spent most of my time doodling on the pages of what I was supposed to read. In the end, I did finish it, but I remember finding it beyond boring, and not worth a read. To be honest, I think I would like both this one, and "En Landsbydegns Dagbog" a lot more, if I read them outside of school, but my first impression make me want to never read them again - which is really a shame.
But, as it was with the other book by Steen Steensen Blicher, I like having read it, and I would recommend this book to all the people who want to experience a bit of old, Danish literature.
The only thing I really remember about this one, is the fact that we got it in a printed-out-version, and I spent most of my time doodling on the pages of what I was supposed to read. In the end, I did finish it, but I remember finding it beyond boring, and not worth a read. To be honest, I think I would like both this one, and "En Landsbydegns Dagbog" a lot more, if I read them outside of school, but my first impression make me want to never read them again - which is really a shame.
But, as it was with the other book by Steen Steensen Blicher, I like having read it, and I would recommend this book to all the people who want to experience a bit of old, Danish literature.
March 12, 2015
Engagingly written and narratively ambitious (the story is presented in the form of diaries, kept by two different priests), this terrific Danish short story classic is simultaneously a crime drama and a rally against capital punishment.
...
This reading begins a project to complete the 10 literary works (novels and short stories) in The Danish Culture Canon.
Next up: Den lille havfrue by Hans Christian Andersen
...
This reading begins a project to complete the 10 literary works (novels and short stories) in The Danish Culture Canon.
Next up: Den lille havfrue by Hans Christian Andersen
September 5, 2013
Efter sigende Danmarks første stykke kriminallitteratur fra 1829, og dertil også et direkte indlæg mod dødsstraf. Jeg har en fornemmelse af, at det har været et noget af et chokerende stilbrud med tidens øvrige litteratur - men det kan litterater afgøre...
Men godt komponeret og fortalt af to af personerne i historien - og absolut en dansk klassikerstatus værdig.
Men godt komponeret og fortalt af to af personerne i historien - og absolut en dansk klassikerstatus værdig.
January 18, 2014
Den første rigtigt spændende dansk bog jeg har læst. Det er måske fordi bogen var først skrevet som en almindelig historie og bagefter bearbejdet for kursister i lettere dansk.
God historie, der gav mig onde drømme. Fedt! :)
God historie, der gav mig onde drømme. Fedt! :)
January 10, 2017
Solid crime fiction. I believe my professor said the Scandinavians believe this to be one of their first. Short and sweet, and sad.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews