Karl Mortensen, full name Karl Andreas Mortensen was born on 18 february 1867 in Bramdrup, Kolding, and passed away on 21 May 1942 in the nearby Haderslev, both in Denmark. Karl Mortensen was the son of a farmer, became a student in Kolding in 1885 and graduated in 1894 with a master’s degree. After graduating he worked as a teacher and manufacturer in Copenhagen. Karl Mortensen was inspired by his teacher Julius Pontoppidan to study old Danish literature, especially including poetry. He was employed in 1899 as teacher at Odense Cathedral School, and in 1901 he received a doctorate on his dissertation Studies on older Danish verse building, as a contribution to the history of Danish literature before Arrebo. In Staverhyme and epic rhymes (original title: Studier over ældre dansk versbygning, som bidrag til den danske litteraturs historie før Arrebo. I Stavrim og episke rim-vers).
In 1903 Karl Mortensen became assistant professor. Then he became principal at Ribe Cathedral School in 1918 and in 1920, principal at Haderslev Cathedral School. He sat as a member of the assignment committee for the Bachelor’s degree, the Middle School, Real and Girls’ School exams in the years 1907-25, from 1915 he was censor in Danish at the school diploma and member of the board of the Holberg Society.
Karl Mortensen wrote articles for Salmonsen’s Lexicon, Swedish Family Book, Edda, Holberg Yearbook, Acta Philologica Scandinavica and several other journals. His main work is A handbook of Norse mythology, a textbook in the History of Danish Literature. This is the only work of him Hravan has been able to find so far.
