Scandinavian history in the Viking age - Department of Anglo-Saxon ...
Scandinavian history in the Viking age - Department of Anglo-Saxon ...
Scandinavian history in the Viking age - Department of Anglo-Saxon ...
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<strong>Scand<strong>in</strong>avian</strong> History <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Vik<strong>in</strong>g Age<br />
Transl.: E.L. Stevenson, Geography <strong>of</strong> Claudius Ptolemy (1932) [UL Atlas.4.93.22]. For commentary,<br />
see (C13)<br />
[B26] Tacitus’ classic description <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Germanic peoples <strong>in</strong> his Germania, composed at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
first century AD, conta<strong>in</strong>s little on Scand<strong>in</strong>avia itself but a good deal on customs, laws, and religion<br />
which can, when used cautiously, prove <strong>of</strong> great comparative value. Text and transl.: M. Hutton et al.,<br />
Tacitus. I: Agricola, Germania, Dialogus, rev. edn, Loeb classical library (1970) [UL R712.5 TAC.1].<br />
Transl.: J.B. Rives, Tacitus: Germania (1999) [UL 9006.c.5277]; A.R. Birley, Tacitus: Agricola and<br />
Germany (1999) [UL 9003.d.207]<br />
Merov<strong>in</strong>gian period sources<br />
For general guidance:<br />
[B30] W. G<strong>of</strong>fart, The narrators <strong>of</strong> barbarian <strong>history</strong> (A.D. 550-800): Jordanes, Gregory <strong>of</strong> Tours, Bede,<br />
and Paul <strong>the</strong> Deacon (1988) [UL 532:3.c.95.36]<br />
For specific texts:<br />
[B31] Jordanes <strong>the</strong> Goth compiled his Getica around 550, which conta<strong>in</strong>s some observations on <strong>the</strong><br />
political geography <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Scand<strong>in</strong>avian</strong> tribes. Text: T. Mommsen, Iordanis, Romana et Getica, MGH<br />
AA 5:1 (1882) [UL R560.G117]. Transl.: C.C. Mierow, Jordanes: <strong>the</strong> orig<strong>in</strong> and deeds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Goths <strong>in</strong><br />
English version (1908) [UL 9500.c.195]. For text and German translation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> relevant pass<strong>age</strong>s, with<br />
full commentary, see (C13)<br />
[B32] Procopius composed his Wars around <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sixth century; <strong>the</strong> references to<br />
Scand<strong>in</strong>avia are ra<strong>the</strong>r oblique and dictated by <strong>the</strong> wander<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mysterious tribe known as <strong>the</strong><br />
‘Eruli’ (C12). Text and transl.: H.B. Dew<strong>in</strong>g, Procopius, 7 vols, Loeb classical library (1914-54) [UL<br />
R707.5 PRO.1-7]<br />
[B33] Gregory <strong>of</strong> Tours’ ‘History <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Franks’ does not mention Scand<strong>in</strong>avia but does <strong>in</strong>clude (<strong>in</strong><br />
III.3) <strong>the</strong> account <strong>of</strong> a Danish raid <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> early sixth century <strong>in</strong>to Frankish territory led by one<br />
‘Chlochilaich’, long considered to be <strong>the</strong> same historical figure as <strong>the</strong> ‘Hygelac’ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old English poem<br />
Beowulf (B101). Text: B. Krusch and W. Levison, Gregorii episcopi Turonensis, Libri historiarum X,<br />
2nd edn, MGH SRM 1:1 (1951) [UL R560.G113]. Transl.: O.M. Dalton, The <strong>history</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Franks by<br />
Gregory <strong>of</strong> Tours, 2 vols (1927) [UL 560:44.c.95.4-5]; L. Thorpe, Gregory <strong>of</strong> Tours: <strong>the</strong> <strong>history</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Franks (1974) [UL 9560.d.210, repr. Uc.7.7195]<br />
Frankish and o<strong>the</strong>r cont<strong>in</strong>ental sources<br />
This head<strong>in</strong>g covers texts produced effectively anywhere <strong>in</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>ental western Europe between <strong>the</strong><br />
eighth and eleventh centuries which touch on <strong>Scand<strong>in</strong>avian</strong> affairs; sources which concentrate<br />
exclusively on Vik<strong>in</strong>g activity with<strong>in</strong> (or near) <strong>the</strong> realms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Frankish empire are only selectively<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded. The ‘biggies’ consist <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> works emanat<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> see <strong>of</strong> Hamburg-Bremen (B70 ff.), but a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r m<strong>in</strong>or sources are useful and, on occasion, extremely significant. Guidance <strong>in</strong> tackl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
this material can be found <strong>in</strong> (A117); <strong>the</strong> most comprehensive account rema<strong>in</strong>s:<br />
[B35] W. Wattenbach et al., Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen, <strong>the</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>al version <strong>of</strong> which was revised<br />
<strong>in</strong> two dist<strong>in</strong>ct parts around <strong>the</strong> middle <strong>of</strong> this century. The earlier, deal<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> Classical period up<br />
until (and <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g) <strong>the</strong> Carol<strong>in</strong>gians, is W. Levison et al. [hence known as Wattenbach-Levison],<br />
Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen im Mittelalter (1952-73) [UL 570:47.b.95.1-3]; for <strong>the</strong> later period <strong>of</strong><br />
until <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> eleventh century, see R. Holtzmann et al. [so known as Wattenbach-Holtzmann],<br />
Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen im Mittelalter: deutsche Kaiserzeit (1938-48) [UL 570:83.c.90.2-4]<br />
The major sources can be found <strong>in</strong> MGH (B10), and many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g also <strong>in</strong> AQDGM<br />
(B11). For some collected translations, see:<br />
[B36] P.E. Dutton, Carol<strong>in</strong>gian civilization: a reader (1993) [UL 560:46.c.95.39]<br />
For Vik<strong>in</strong>g raids <strong>in</strong> France, see <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g (<strong>in</strong> Danish translation):<br />
[B37] N. Skyum-Nielsen, Vik<strong>in</strong>gerne i Paris: beretn<strong>in</strong>ger fra 9. århundrede (1967) [UL 592:12.c.95.41]<br />
[B38] Erl<strong>in</strong>g Albrectsen, Vik<strong>in</strong>gerne i Franken: skriftlige kilder fra det 9. århundrede (1976) [UL<br />
592:12.c.95.27]<br />
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