Scandinavian history in the Viking age - Department of Anglo-Saxon ...

Scandinavian History in the Viking Age
conquest of England, but also occasionally contain stray remarks about Scandinavia itself. Only a few of
the major sources are listed here.
[B110] William of Jumièges finished his Gesta Normannorum ducum ‘Deeds of the dukes of
Normandy’ in the early 1070s; it provides the sole evidence for saint Olaf Haraldsson’s baptism in
Rouen. Text and transl.: E.M.C. van Houts, The Gesta Normannorum ducum of William of Jumièges,
Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni, 2 vols (1992-95) [UL 716:01.c.2.79-80]
[B111] William of Malmesbury is definitely one of the most important Anglo-Norman historians, not
only in terms of the breadth of his work but also because he seems to have had access to many source
materials now lost; he was active in the first half of the twelfth century. [a] His Gesta regum Anglorum
‘Deeds of the kings of the English’ contains a full account of the reign of Æthelstan (924-39), where it
mentions relations with a king Harald (presumably Harald fairhair (E30 ff.) of Norway). Text and transl.:
R.A.B. Mynors et al., William of Malmesbury, Gesta regvm Anglorvm: the history of the English kings, 2
vols (1998-99) [UL 716:01.c.2.94-95]; the relevant excerpts can be found in (B81):303-10. [b] His
history of the abbey of Glastonbury is also surprisingly interesting, in that it contains an obituary list of
bishops from the reign of king Edgar (959-75) which mentions one Sigfrid ‘bishop of Norway’. Text and
transl.: J. Scott, The early history of Glastonbury: an edition, translation and study of William of
Malmesbury’s De antiquitate Glastonie ecclesie (1981) [UL 479:7.c.95.46]; cf. also (L40)
[B112] John of Worcester wrote his Chronicon ex chronicis (formerly attributed to Florence of
Worcester) around 1140, and provides some extra material on the period of the Anglo-Danish kings in
particular. Text and transl.: P. McGurk et al., The chronicle of John of Worcester. II: The annals from
450 to 1066 (1995) [UL 716:01.c.2.86]; further excerpts transl. in (B81):310-19 (on the Anglo-Danish
kings), (B82):215-28
[B113] Orderic Vitalis wrote his epic Historia ecclesiastica in the early twelfth century; it contains
some useful observations on Scandinavian history, particularly during the eleventh century. Text and
transl.: M. Chibnall, The ecclesiastical history of Orderic Vitalis, 6 vols (1969-80) [UL 716:01.c.2.28-33]
Celtic sources
Sources from the Celtic-speaking areas of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are naturally most informative on
the Vikings abroad in the British isles, yet they also occasionally provide extra information on the
Scandinavian background. The Irish sources are particularly striking in their rare ability (or simply
willingness) to distinguish Danes from Norwegians through the contrast between Dubgaill ‘Black
foreigners’ referring to the former and Finngaill ‘White foreigners’ for the latter. On the other hand, they
frequently tend to be disappointingly reticent on the fate of the Viking colonies in the northern and
western isles of Scotland, where Scandinavian culture took root most firmly in Britain. Only a selection
of sources from the Celtic-speaking areas has been included here; for further guidance, see (I240) and
(B125).
Anthologies
[B120] A.O. Anderson, Early sources of Scottish history A.D. 500 to 1286, 2 vols, rev. by M. Anderson,
Paul Watkins medieval studies 1 (1990) [UL 550:4.c.95.37-38]; contains a wide collection of primary
sources relating to Scotland, all in English translation
Guides
[B122] K. Hughes, Early Christian Ireland: introduction to the sources, The sources of history: studies
in the uses of historical evidence (1972) [UL 554:6.c.95.3]
[B123] R.I. Jack, Medieval Wales, The sources of history: studies in the uses of historical evidence
(1972) [UL 485:2.c.95.27]
For a survey of Irish perceptions and presentations of the Vikings in a wide range of sources:
[B125] M. Ní Mhaonaigh, ‘Friend and foe: Vikings in ninth- and tenth-century Irish literature’,
(O82):381-402
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