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Scandinavian History in the Viking Age likely to reflect the greater verisimilitude in, for the example, the kings’ saga tradition (B290 ff.) when compared with Saxo (B657). For a general survey of East Norse historical writings: [B630] S. Nordal, (ed.), Litteraturhistorie. A: Denmark, Finland och Sverige, Nordisk kultur 8:A (1943) [UL 592:01.b.1.8] Danish sources The earliest historical writings emanating from Denmark are linked inextricably to the young Danish church. On the one hand, there are annals and documentary sources from the church of Lund, which was established as the Danish archbishopric in 1104; on the other, the earliest connected pieces of historical prose are characterised by hagiographical works (B645). Anthologies For a full collection of the most useful Danish sources, see: [B635] M.C. Gertz, Scriptores minores historiæ Danicæ medii ævi, I-II (1917-22) [UL 597:2.b.90.1-2] [B636] For an earlier collection of excerpts, see: G. Waitz, ‘Ex rerum danicarum scriptoribus saec. XII. et XIII.’, MGH SS 29 (1892), 1-246 [UL R560.G101] Mediaeval Danish literature [B640] H. Brix, ‘Oldtidens og Middelalderens Litteratur i Danmark’, (B630):3-63 [B641] S. Kaspersen et al., Dansk litteraturhistorie 1. Fra runer til ridderdigtning o. 800-1480 (1984) [UL 754:06.c.95.22] [B642] D.W. Colbert, ‘The middle ages’, A history of Danish literature, ed. S.H. Rosel, A history of Scandinavian literatures 1 (1992), 1-70 [UL 746:05.c.95.37] [B643] A. Leegaard Knudsen, ‘Interessen for den danske fortid omkring 1300: en middelalderlig dansk nationalisme’, DHT 100 (2000), 1-34 (E.s.) Hagiography Aside from the odd minor late Viking-age saint of dubious authenticity, Danish hagiography before the middle of the twelfth century is dominated by accounts of saint Knut Sveinsson. The traditions about Knut were formed in Odense, the site of his cult, in a series of texts from the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. Various pieces are to be found edited in: [B645] M.C. Gertz, Vitae sanctorum Danorum (1908-12) [UL 111:1.b.90.1] [B646] Thøger or Theodgarus is said to have been a German missionary who settled at Vestervig in Denmark during Svein Estrithsen’s reign; although he may have been a genuine historical figure, the traditions surrounding his life and cult are perhaps of dubious authenticity, see (B645):1-26 [B647] Knut Sveinsson was king of Denmark from 1080-86, when he was murdered in Odense during a popular uprising (D135). Aside from an inscription and liturgical material, there are two main early sources that refer to his life and cult. [a] The anonymous Passio sancti Kanuti regis et martyris was composed around 1100; text: (B645):62-71. [b] More substantial is Aelnoth’s Gesta Svenomagni regis et filiorum eius et passio gloriosissimi Canuti regis et martyris, composed around 1122, which also contains some interesting observations on the conversion process and the early Scandinavian church. Text: (B645):77-136; Danish transl. by E. Albrectsen in (D136):25-52. See also T. Gad, Legenden i dansk middelalder (1961), 155-62 [UL 111:5.c.95.1] Annals Annals began to be composed in Denmark from the third quarter of the twelfth century, with the earliest collections stemming mostly from the archiepiscopal centre at Lund. Many of them contain material relating to the Viking age in Denmark, but they are wholly dependent upon earlier, foreign materials and have no independent value; much the same even applies to the series from Lund beginning in 1074, although this time they are reliant on twelfth-century Danish compositions such as the Roskilde chronicle (B652). [B650] Text: E. Jørgensen, Annales Danici medii ævi (1920) [UL 597:2.a.90.1]; a revised edition is provided by E. Kroman, Danmarks middelalderlige annaler (1980) [UL 597:2.c.95.12]. For the textual background, see A.K.G. Kristensen, Danmarks ældste annalistik: studier over lundensisk annal-skrivning 45
Scandinavian History in the Viking Age i 12. og 13. århundrede, Studier udgivet af Det historiske institut ved Københavns universitet 3 (1969) [UL 9592.b.10] (E.s.) Chronicles The composition of brief Latin chronicles began at much the same time as that of annals, and they share many common characteristics. The earliest example is the ‘Roskilde chronicle’, which in its original form was composed around 1140; it owes much to Adam of Bremen (B73) for the period before the 1070s, but thereafter seems to reflect local traditions. The slightly later ‘Lejre chronicle’ is rather more tendentious, in that it constructs a legendary Danish kingdom centred around Lejre itself, which gave much impetus to the later history of Saxo Grammaticus (B657). Other Danish chronicles post-date Saxo and have no real value for the Viking age. [B652] The chronicles can be found edited in (B635); see particularly I,1-33 for the Roskilde chronicle or Chronicon Roskildense, and 34-54 for the Lejre chronicle or Chronicon Lethrense Royal genealogies [B654] For a number of mediaeval Danish kings’ lists, none of which seem to have much independent value for the Viking age, see (B635): I,145-94. The oldest is from the Necrologium Lundense (B760) and originally only began at Svein Estrithsen Historical works Major historical works expanding the chronicles began to be composed in the second half of the twelfth century, and are for the Viking age two names dominate. Sven Aggesen The Danish nobleman Sven Aggesen is known for two major historical works: the first is a rendition of the mediaeval ‘court-law’, composed around 1180; the second is a brief history of Denmark until around 1185, the Brevis historia regum Dacie. Both texts have a tricky transmission history, and neither seem to be hugely reliable when it comes to events in the Viking age itself. [B656] Brevis historia regum Dacie ‘A brief history of the kings of Denmark’. Text: (B635): I,94-143. Text and transl.: E. Christiansen, The works of Sven Aggesen, twelfth-century Danish historian, VSNR TS 9 (1992) [UL 752:1.d.2.10] Saxo Grammaticus Saxo composed his history of the Danish kings under the encouragement of arch-bishops Absalon and Anders Sunesen of Lund, completing his work early in the thirteenth century. The first half (up until book 8) is largely legendary in tone and content, containing snippets of translated verse and similar stories to those found in other such sources, like Skj²ldunga saga (B335). The second half, beginning with the conversion to Christianity in book 9, is widely thought to have been composed first, in the latter part of the twelfth century. Saxo was heavily (if often unscrupulously) dependent upon earlier sources such as Adam of Bremen (B73), Aelnoth (B647b), and the Roskilde chronicle (B652) for the period until the early twelfth century, and is highly tendentious historical writing at best. [B657] Gesta Danorum. Text: A. Holder, Saxonis Grammatici Gesta Danorvm (1886) [UL 597:2.c.85.1]; J. Olrik and H. Raeder, Saxonis Gesta Danorum. I: Textum continens (1931) [UL S592.a.93.1] plus F. Blatt, Saxonis Gesta Danorum. II: Indicem verborum (1957) [UL S592.a.93.2]. Transl.: P. Fisher, Saxo Grammaticus, The history of the Danes. I: English text (1979) [UL 597:2.c.95.8] plus commentary by H.E. Davidson; E. Christiansen, Saxo Grammaticus: Danorum regum heroumque historia X-XVI, BAR International series 84, 118 (1980-81) [UL L474.b.87.61, -.97] As befits Saxo’s status, there is a wealth of literature about his work, of which only a brief snapshot can be included here; for example, a few symposiums: [B658] I. Boserup, (ed.), Saxostudier (Saxo-kollokvierne ved Københavns universitet), Opuscula Græcolatina 2 (1975) [UL P706.c.193.1] [B659] K. Friis-Jensen, (ed.), Saxo Grammaticus, a medieval author between Norse and Latin culture: Danish medieval history and Saxo Grammaticus; a symposium held in celebration of the 500th 46
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