Gesta Danorum

), page 1, front.]] Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essential source for the nation's early history. It is also one of the oldest known written documents about the history of Estonia and Livonia.

Consisting of sixteen books written in Latin on the invitation of Archbishop Absalon, Gesta Danorum describes Danish history and to some degree Scandinavian history in general, from prehistory to the late 12th century. In addition, Gesta Danorum offers singular reflections on European affairs in the High Middle Ages from a unique Scandinavian perspective, supplementing what has been handed down by historians from Western and Southern Europe.

Books

The sixteen books, in prose with an occasional excursion into poetry, can be categorized into two parts: Books 1-9, which deal with Norse mythology, and Books 10-16, which deal with medieval history. Book 9 ends with Gorm the Old, the first factual documented King of Denmark. The last three books (14-16), describe Danish conquests on the south shore of the Baltic Sea and wars against Slavic peoples (the Northern Crusades), are very valuable for the history of West Slavic tribes (Polabian Slavs, Pomeranians) and Slavic paganism. Book 14 contains a unique description of the temple at Rügen Island.

Chronology

When exactly Gesta Danorum was written is the subject of numerous works; however, it is generally agreed that Gesta Danorum was not finished before 1208. The last event described in the last book (Book 16) is King Canute VI of Denmark subduing Pomerania under Duke Bogislaw I, in 1186. However the preface of the work, dictated to Archbishop Anders Sunesen, mentions the Danish conquest of the areas north of the Elbe river in 1208.

Book 14, comprising nearly one-quarter of the text of the entire work, ends with Absalon's appointment to Archbishop in 1178. Since this book is so large and Absalon has greater importance than King Valdemar I, this book may have been written first and comprised a work on its own. It is possible that Saxo then enlarged it with Books 15 and 16, telling the story of King Valdemar I's last years and King Canute VI's first years.

It is believed that Saxo then wrote Books 11, 12, and 13. Svend Aagesen's history of Denmark, Brevis Historia Regum Dacie (circa 1186), states that Saxo had decided to write about "The king-father and his sons," which would be King Sweyn Estridson, in Books 11, 12, and 13. He would later add the first ten books. This would also explain the 22 years between the last event described in the last book (Book 16) and the 1208 event described in the preface.

Manuscripts

The original manuscripts of the work are lost, except for four fragments: the Angers Fragment, Lassen Fragment, Kall-Rasmussen Fragment and Plesner Fragment. The Angers Fragment is the biggest fragment, and the only one attested to be in Saxo’s own handwriting. The other ones are copies from ca. 1275. All four fragments are in the collection of the Danish Royal Library in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The text has, however, survived. In 1510-1512, Christiern Pedersen, a Danish translator working in Paris, searched Denmark high and low for an existing copy of Saxo’s works, which by that time was nearly all but lost. By that time most knowledge of Saxo’s work came from a summary located in Chronica Jutensis, from around 1342, called Compendium Saxonis. It is also in this summary that the name Gesta Danorum is found. The title Saxo himself used for his work is unknown.

Christiern Pedersen finally found a copy in the collection of Archbishop Birger Gunnersen of Lund, modern Sweden, which he gladly lent him. With the help of printer Jodocus Badius, Gesta Danorum was refined and printed.

Printing

's Saxo version, Paris 1514.]] The first printed press publication and the oldest known complete text of Saxo’s works is Christiern Pedersen's Latin edition, printed and published by Jodocus Badius in Paris, France, March 15, 1514 under the title of Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae ("History of the Kings and heroes of the Danes"). The edition features the following colophon: ...impressit in inclyta Parrhisorum academia Iodocus Badius Ascensius Idibus Martiis. MDXIIII. Supputatione Romana. (the Ides of March, 1514).

The full front page reads (with abbreviations expanded) in Latin:

Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae stilo eleganti a Saxone Grammatico natione Zialandico necnon Roskildensis ecclesiae praeposito, abhinc supra trecentos annos conscriptae et nunc primum literaria serie illustratae tersissimeque impressae.

Danish language:

De danske Kongers og Heltes Historie, skrevet I pyntelig Stil for over 300 Aar siden af Saxo Grammaticus, en Sjællandsfar og Provst ved Kirken I Roskilde, og nu for første Gang oplyst ved et Register og omhyggeligt trykt.

English language:

Histories of the Kings and heroes of the Danes, composed in elegant style by Saxo Grammaticus, a Sjællander and also provost of the church of Roskilde, over three hundred years ago, and now for the first time illustrated and printed correctly in a learned compilation.

Latin versions

The source of all existing translations and new editions is Christiern Pedersen's Latin Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae. There exist a number different translations today, some complete, some partial:

Christiern Pedersen, published 1514, title: Danorum Regum heroumque Historiae

Johannes Oporinus, published 1534, title: Saxonis Grammatici Danorum Historiae Libri XVI

Philip Lonicer, published 1576, title: Danica Historia Libris XVI

Stephan Hansen Stephanius, published 1645, title: Saxonis Grammatici Historiæ Danicæ Libri XVI

Christian Adolph Klotz, published 1771, title: Saxonis Grammatici Historiae Danicae libri XVI

Peter Erasmus Müller, published 1839, title: Saxonis Grammatici Historia Danica

Alfred Holder, published 1886, title: Saxonis Grammatici Gesta Danorum

Jørgen Olrik & Hans Ræder, published 1931, title: Saxonis Gesta Danorum

Karsten Friis-Jensen, published 2005, title: Gesta Danorum ISBN 978-87-12-04025-5, ISBN 87-12-04025-8

Danish translations

Christiern Pedersen, never published ca. 1540, Lost

Jon Tursons, never published ca. 1555, Lost

Anders Sørensen Vedel, published 1575, title: Den Danske Krønicke

Sejer Schousbölle, published 1752, title: Saxonis Grammatici Historia Danica

N. F. S. Grundtvig, published 1818-1822, title: Danmarks Krønike af Saxo Grammaticus

Frederik Winkel Horn, published 1898, title: Saxo Grammaticus: Danmarks Krønike

Jørgen Olrik, published 1908-1912, title: Sakses Danesaga

Peter Zeeberg, published 2000, title: Saxos Danmarkshistorie ISBN 87-12-03496-7 (complete) ISBN 87-12-03534-3 (vol 1) ISBN 87-12-03535-1 (vol 2)

English translations

Oliver Elton, published 1894, title:

Peter Fisher and Hilda Ellis Davidson, published 1979-1980, title: Saxo Grammaticus: The History of the Danes, Books I-IX

Eric Christiansen, published 1980-1981, title: Saxo Grammaticus: Danorum regum heroumque historia, books X-XVI

William F. Hansen, published 1983, title: Saxo Grammaticus and the life of Hamlet

Other translations

Hermann Jantzen, published 1900, title: Saxo Grammaticus. Die ersten neun Bücher der dänischen Geschichte

Ludovica Koch & Maria Adele Cipolla, published 1993, title: Sassone Grammatico: Gesta dei re e degli eroi danesi

Yukio Taniguchi, published 1993, title: Sakuso Guramatikusu: Denmakujin no jiseki

Santiago Ibáñez Lluch, published 1999, title: Saxo Gramático: Historia Danesa

Gesta Danorum is also translated partially in other English, French and German releases.

Hamlet

Certain aspects of Gesta Danorum formed the basis for William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. It is thought that Shakespeare never read Gesta Danorum, and instead had access to an auxiliary version of the tale describing the downfall of the Prince of Denmark, whose real name - Amleth - was used in anagram by Shakespeare for Hamlet.

Saxo’s version, told of in Book 3 and 4, is very similar to that of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In Saxo's version, two brothers, Orvendil and Fengi are given the rule over Jutland by King Rørik Slyngebond of the Danes. Soon after, Orvendil marries King Rørik’s daughter, Geruth (Gertrude in Hamlet). Amleth is their first and only child.

Fengi becomes resentful of his brother’s marriage, and also wants sole leadership of Jutland, so therefore murders Orvendil. After a very brief period of mourning, Fengi marries Geruth, and declares himself sole leader of Jutland. Eventually, Amleth avenges his father’s murder and plans the murder of his uncle, making him the new and rightful king of Jutland. However, while Hamlet dies in Shakespeare's version just after his uncle's death, in Saxo's version Amleth survives and begins ruling his kingdom, going on to other adventures.

References

Hilda Ellis Davidson, Peter Fisher (trans), Saxo Grammaticus: The History of the Danes, Books I-IX : I. English Text; II. Commentary, modern English translation, 2002, ISBN 0-85991-502-6

Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, Books I-IX, translated to English by Oliver Elton 1905.

Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum, from the Royal Library in Copenhagen, Danish and Latin.

Helle Stangerup, Saxo Hans værk – Hans verden, Høst & Søn forlag 2004, ISBN 87-14-29949-6

Apoteker Sibbernsens Saxobog, C. A. Reitzels Forlag, Copenhagen, 1927

Frederik Winkel Horn, Saxo Grammaticus: Danmarks Krønike, Chr. Flors Boghandel, Copenhangen 1911.

Jørgen Olrik & H Ræder, Saxonis Gesta Danorum, Levin & Munkesgaard, Copenhagen, 1931

Anders Sørensen Vedel, Den Danske Krønicke Saxo-oversættelse 1575 udgivet i facimile af Det danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab, G. E. C Gad, Copenhagen, 1967

Curt Weibull, Saxo. Kritiska undersökningar i Danmarks historia från Sven Estridsens död till Knut VI., Lund, Blekingska boktryckeriet, 1915 (in ''Historisk tidskrift för Skåneland, band 6, häfte 1-3)

External links

On-Line Medieval and Classical History: The Danish History books I-IX, translated by Oliver Elton (Norroena Society, New York, 1905)."His seven later books are the chief Danish authority for the times which they relate; his first nine, here translated, are a treasure of myth and folk-lore" (Elton, Introduction).

Gesta Danorum in Latin

One of the versions in the Danish Royal Library

Proverbs and proverbial materials in Saxo's Gesta Danorum

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Category:12th-century history books Category:Ásatrú texts Category:Danish chronicles Category:Danish literature Category:Germanic mythology Category:Medieval Latin histories Category:Sources of Norse mythology Category:Viking Age

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Gesta Danorum (in Latin)

Order: Reorder
Duration: 8:37
Published: 2010-12-12
Uploaded: 2010-12-12
Author: NJLIversen

Something about the chronicle Gesta Danorum ('Deeds of the Danish'), written by Saxo Grammaticus in Latin around 1200 and seen as both an admirable piece of literature and an important, though not always reliable source of historical knowledge about Denmark until approx. 1200.

Sleipnir - Junge aus Bagdad

Order: Reorder
Duration: 3:39
Published: 2009-04-17
Uploaded: 2011-01-30
Author: 3TREitem

In Norse mythology, Sleipnir (Old Norse "slippy"[1]) is an eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Sleipnir is Odin's steed, is the child of Loki and Svaðilfari, is described as the best of all horses, and is sometimes ridden to the location of Hel. The Prose Edda contains extended information regarding the circumstances of Sleipnir's birth, including that he is gray in color. Additionally, Sleipnir is mentioned in a riddle found in the 13th century legendary saga Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, in the 13th century legendary saga Völsunga saga as the ancestor of the horse Grani, and book I of Gesta Danorum, written in the 12th century by Saxo Grammaticus, contains an episode considered by many scholars to involve Sleipnir. Sleipnir is generally accepted as depicted on two 8th century Gotlandic image stones; the Tjängvide image stone and the Ardre VIII image stone. Scholarly theories have been proposed regarding Sleipnir's potential connection to shamanic practices among the Norse pagans. In modern times, Sleipnir appears in Icelandic folklore as the creator of Ásbyrgi, in works of art, literature, in the names of ships, and as the name of a web browser. SEE what Sleipnir also is !; en.wikipedia.org

The Poetic and the Prose Edda as sources to Old Norse Paganism

Order: Reorder
Duration: 11:03
Published: 2010-09-04
Uploaded: 2011-02-05
Author: LadyoftheLabyrinth

I talk about the major sources into Old Norse myths - the Poetic Edda that was hidden throughout 400 years on Iceland before it surfaced in 1643 AD, and the Prose Edda that was written by Snorri Sturlusson in 1225 AD in an attempt to preserve the old Norse style of poetry. Other written sources are the Icelandic sagas, bardic poems and Saxo Grammaticus´s work Gesta Danorum in Latin. I discuss the various approaches to these sources and their reliability as sources into Old Norse paganism, and whether the Poetic Edda was a random collection of poems or a planned and coherent book telling one story through many poems. (For a long time, it was common to believe that the Poetic Edda was a random collection of older and newer poems or versions of poems, put together by one or more learned monks in the 12th century. Several poems are so complicated that scholars believe they present a jumble of different poems almost randomly put together. Lately, however, it has been suggested by some that the Poetic Edda -- especially the poems about the gods -- do fit together as if the collection of poems was meant as a book -- complete in itself. Through an extensive analysis of the divine poems in relation to each other, historian of literature May-Britt Berg claims that the entire collection fits together as if it was meant as one history carrying the same theme. Berg concludes that the Poetic Edda must be a work of the 13th century written by one author basing himself on imagery of the ...

Ur Hamlet

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Duration: 3:03
Published: 2009-04-21
Uploaded: 2011-01-18
Author: ravennafestival

UR-HAMLET Uno spettacolo di Eugenio Barba tratto dal Gesta Danorum di Saxo Grammaticus (XIII sec.) su musiche tradizionali balinesi e composizioni originali indiane, brasiliane e occidentali interpretate da musicisti europei, balinesi, indiani e afro-brasiliani in scena Gambuh Pura Desa Ensemble e Ni Nyoman Candri (Bali), Akira Matsui (Giappone), Annada Prasanna Pattnaik (India), Brigitte Cirla (Francia), Augusto Omolú e Cleber da Paixâo (Brasile), Odin Teatret e Magnus Errboe (Danimarca); e un coro di 40 attori di diverse nazionalità luci e scenografia di Luca Ruzza drammaturgia e regia Eugenio Barba Produzione Ravenna Festival; Odin Teatret; Elsinore Hamlet Festival; Pura Desa Ensemble, Batuan, Bali, Indonesia; Gambuh Dance Drama, Holstebro, Denmark In collaborazione con il Comune di Russi Prima rappresentazione assoluta

The Son of Earth (pt.2) Hidden Knowledge in Old Norse Myths pt.20

Order: Reorder
Duration: 28:53
Published: 2011-01-15
Uploaded: 2011-02-23
Author: LadyoftheLabyrinth

Sources (Poetic Edda) Harbardsljod (The Song of Long Beard) was discussed in the previous video, where Thor was refused entry to Odin´s lands, the divine realms, and told to seek his mother Earth for guidance.Trymskvida (The Song of the Drummer) where Thor looses his hammer, symbol of his power, and has to assume the role of a maiden bride in order to retreave it. Hymiskvida (The Song of Hymn) where Thor, in the shape of a young boy, has to find a cauldron that is big enough to contain all the mead of Aegir at the Island of Immortality so that the gods may party in the immortal realms. With the help of his mother Earth, he succeeds in tricking the frost giant (death) and return to the party at the Island of Immortality with a "cauldron" that covers his entire body. Prose Edda: Thor´s journey to Utgardsloki, where he learns of cosmic forces greater than himself - and also that the world is illusion. Thor´s journey to Geirrödr (Red-Spear=death) where he has to go unprotected, without his hammer, power belt and iron gloves. He seeks the aid of the giantess Gridr, who represents a witch and Earth herself, and who is the mother of Vidar the Silent (Expansion in Silence = expansion of the mind or spirit through silence, the son of Odin =Spirit). She teaches him how to defeat Red Spear and lends him her power wand, her power belt and her iron gloves so that he may succeed with his task. Outside Inspirational sources to my understanding: Carlos Castaneda´s books about his ...

hamlet's end by david hart

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Duration: 1:43
Published: 2009-10-24
Uploaded: 2010-06-01
Author: hartistry

hamlet's end by david hartThe Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601. The play, set in Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father, the King, and then taken the throne and married Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. The play vividly charts the course of real and feigned madness—from overwhelming grief to seething rage—and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption. Despite much literary detective work, the exact year of writing remains in dispute. Three different early versions of the play have survived: these are known as the First Quarto (Q1), the Second Quarto (Q2) and the First Folio (F1). Each has lines, and even scenes, that are missing from the others. Shakespeare probably based Hamlet on the legend of Amleth, preserved by 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum and subsequently retold by 16th-century scholar François de Belleforest, and a supposedly lost Elizabethan play known today as the Ur-Hamlet. Given the play's dramatic structure and depth of characterization, Hamlet can be analyzed, interpreted and argued about from many perspectives. For example, scholars have debated for centuries about Hamlet's hesitation in killing his uncle. Some see it as a plot device to prolong the action, and others see it as the result of pressure exerted by the complex ...