AGRICOLA, MICHAEL. — Born around 1508 or 1512 at Torsby, in the parish of Perna or Pernaja, and died suddenly on 9 April 1557 near Viborg (Viipuri), in whose cathedral he was buried. “Agricola” is a surname Latinized from the German (Bauer), in accordance with the customs of the time; Luther, by way of a mocking distortion, nicknamed him “Grickel” instead of “Agricola.”
A., regarded as the reformer of Finland, is the founder of the Finnish language. Having completed his elementary studies at Abo, he was sent by Martino Skyte, the Lutheran bishop of that city, appointed by King Gustavus Wasa, to continue his education at Wittenberg (1526–39), where he attended the lectures of Luther and Melanchthon and was won over to Protestantism. On his return from Wittenberg, he was appointed rector of the cathedral school of Abo; subsequently he became Skyte’s coadjutor (1548), and after Skyte’s death he became administrator of the diocese. Finally (1554–57), when the diocese was divided into two parts, Abo and Viborg, he was elected bishop of Abo, then the capital of Finland.
Works. — During a decade of tireless labor, he published various writings: around 1542 an Abbecedario; shortly thereafter a Catechism of Luther; in 1544, a prayer book was printed. In 1543 he published the translation of the New Testament that he had begun during his years of study; in 1549, the baptismal rite; in 1551, he continued publishing the translation of other parts of the Bible, the Psalms and the Prophets. The preface to the Psalter contains a list of the pagan deities of Finnish mythology. In 1552 there followed the translations of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Since at that time the art of printing had not yet been introduced into Finland, which was incorporated into Sweden, his works were printed in Stockholm. Following the example of his teacher, he used the vernacular for religious instruction, the education of the clergy, and the dissemination of the Bible, thus becoming the founder of the Finnish literary language.
BIBLI: I. A. Cederberg, s. V. Finländische Kirche, in Realenciklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche, VI, p. 71; F. Israel, s. V. Finland, in Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, II, col. 602 ff. Giulio Gnadig