The History of the Danes: Books I-IX of the Gesta Danorum

by Saxo Grammaticus, Oliver Elton (Translator)

Saxo Grammaticus's The History of the Danes is a seminal work of Scandinavian history, providing readers with a comprehensive overview of the culture and people of Denmark from the earliest recorded times to the twelfth century. This edition contains the first nine books of the Gesta Danorum , which are of most interest to scholars, as they are one of the principal historical sources of Norse mythology and semi-legendary Danish history -- starting with Dan , the legendary progenitor of the Danish people, through the story of Amleth (the inspiration for the character of Shakespeare's Hamlet), to the semi-legendary leader of the early Viking Era, Ragnar Lothbrok . Written in the Latin language, this text offers an invaluable insight into the development of the Danish kingdom and its people, discussing the great kings, battles, and events that shaped the country's history. Saxo's work is an essential source for anyone interested in understanding Danish and Scandinavian history, and is still studied in universities and schools today. Originally written in Latin in the 12th century, this edition is based on the 1894 translation by scholar Oliver Elton (1861-1945).

Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 - c. 1220) was a Danish historian and author. He is best known for his work Gesta Danorum, an important source of information about Danish and Scandinavian history. Saxo was born around 1150 in what is now Schleswig, Germany, and his family were Danish nobles. He was educated at the Cathedral School of Roskilde and then attended the University of Paris. Saxo wrote Gesta Danorum (Deeds of the Danes) between 1185 and 1208, making it one of the earliest works of Scandinavian history. The work was divided into 16 books, covering Danish history from the time of the legendary king Dan to the death of Canute VI in 1187. Gesta Danorum is an important source of information about Viking culture and history, and it is also notable for its literary style, which combines historical facts with myth and legend. Saxo is also known for his Latin poems, which were collected in a work known as the Carmen de Danis. In addition, he wrote a number of other works, including a history of the kings of Sweden and a biography of Archbishop Absalon. Saxo Grammaticus is considered one of the most important figures in Danish history and literature, and his work has had a lasting influence on Scandinavian culture. His writings have been widely read and studied in both Denmark and other parts of Europe, and they continue to be an important source of information about the history and culture of the region.

Genres: History, Denmark, Nonfiction, Classics

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2022

About the author

born perhaps 1150
died perhaps 1220

Gesta Danorum , a chronicle of legendary and historical Danish kings, of Saxo Grammaticus contains the story of Hamlet. See Hamlet .

Saxo Grammaticus served as secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, archbishop of Lund and foremost advisor to Valdemar I, or so people also know or think. He authored the first full book.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxo_Gr...

Reviews

[Jack Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the easiest read, and some chapters/books were easier to follow than others. Chapter/Book 2 consisted of the story of a prince who attempted to avenge the killing of his father by his uncle, which Shakespeare took some significant elements from and turned into Hamlet. Chapter/Book 9 was about Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons which is always fun to read about. There was a lot of singing, drinking, killing. . . goodtimes. I might wait a while before rereading it, but I'm definitely glad that I did.

[Óli Sóleyjarson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ég las sumsé Gutenberg útgáfuna.

Það að lesa Saxo vekur hjá manni virðingu fyrir stíl íslensku fornritanna. Saxo er almennt frekar stirður og langdreginn þó ég viti auðvitað ekki hvort það sé þýðandinn sem ber ábyrgð á því eða Saxo sjálfur.

Það er annars skemmtilega kaldhæðnislegt að sá hluti bókarinnar sem átti að vera til dýrðar velgjörðarmönnum Saxo fylgi ekki einu sinni með. Síðan er gaman þegar Íslendingar taka þátt í stríðum sem eiga að hafa átt sér stað löngu áður en Ísland byggðist.

Sögurnar af Starkaði eru líklega hápunktur bókarinnar.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got to say, I had a tough time reading this one. Felt like the King James but vikings. He seems to switch subjects (people) without saying anything and you go on reading about someone else. Maybe it's just me. Anyway it was interesting if not what I was expecting.Just a difficult read

[Attela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Che faticaccia leggere la storia cronologica di un popolo priva di un qualsiasi riferimento se non vago a eventi o date che permettano di contestualizzare correttamente gli eventi stessi! Ma il fascino delle gesta di questi uomini grezzoni è tanto.

Interessante il libro dedicato ad Amleth, futuro Hamlet di più grande fama, che praticamente è una versione in prosa della tragedia shakespeariana. Interessante anche notare come si pone un autore cristianizzato come Saxo rispetto al passato pagano della propria nazione (hint: si pone malissimo).

[Nick B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little difficult to read, and obviously the mix of myth, legend and fact doesn't provide conclusive evidence for some of the presented material, but it did provide a good read of how life was during the Viking Age and opened the door to more investigation and inquiry on my part. For that, it's worth the read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instrumental source in understanding Scandinavia in the medieval period