Saxo Grammaticus: The History of the Danes, Books I-IX : I. English Text; II. Commentary

Book Description
In the early years of the thirteenth century the Danish writer Saxo Grammaticus provided his people with a History of the Danes, an account of their glorious past from the legendary kings and heroes of Denmark to the historical present. It isone of the major sources for the heroic and mythological traditions of northern Europe, though the complex Latin style and the wide range of material brought together from different sources have limited its use. Here Hilda Ellis Davidson, a specialist in Scandinavian mythology, together with the translator Peter Fisher, provides a full English edition; each of the first nine books is preceded by an introductory summary, and a detailed commentary follows on the folklore and life and customs of twelfth-century Denmark - including the sources of Hamlet, of which Saxo gives the earliest known account. HILDA ELLIS DAVIDSON's other books include The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England; PETER FISHER is also the translator of Olaus Magnus: A Description of the Northern Peoples. Both are available from Boydell & Brewer. `In the early years of the 13th century the Danish writer Saxo Grammaticus provided his people with a dignified and ambitious Latin account of their glorious past from the mythical past to the historical present -(He) collected the legends of Scandinavian gods and heroes, and arranged their exploits in a series of `biographies' which ostensibly formed an unbroken sequence. He took his tales from a variety of sources, and readers will find his collection of myths, folklore and fabulous history fascinating - An accurate and readable translation of the nine mythological books based on the best scholarly edition'. RUTH MORSE, BRITISH BOOK NEWS.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin


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The first nine books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus have long been recognized as one of the major sources for the heroic and mythological traditions of northern Europe; however, they present many problems, because of the complexity of Saxo's Latin style and of the material he has brought together from many different fields. This edition offers the first English translation since 1893; the translation is followed by a detailed commentary, the only one to be published in either English or Danish, and a discussion of Saxo and his work, with an index. Reissue in one volume; first published 1979.


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