Saxo, etching by the Danish-Norwegian illustrator Louis Moe (1857 – 1945)

Saxo Grammaticus (estimated. 1150 - 1220) was a Danish medieval historian of whose life practically nothing is known. The sixteen books of Danish history of this time, known as the Gesta Danorum, are attributed to him, and also contribute our principal evidence of his own existence. Download high resolution version (585x768, 207 KB)Drawn by Louis Moe for illustration in Frederik Winkel Horns Book Saxo Grammaticus - Danmarks Krønike, 1898 The Book contains no Copyright or re-publishing statement. ... Download high resolution version (585x768, 207 KB)Drawn by Louis Moe for illustration in Frederik Winkel Horns Book Saxo Grammaticus - Danmarks Krønike, 1898 The Book contains no Copyright or re-publishing statement. ... Events Åhus, Sweden gains city privileges City of Airdrie, Scotland founded King Sverker I of Sweden is deposed and succeeded by Eric IX of Sweden. ... Centuries: 12th century - 13th century - 14th century Decades: 1170s 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s - 1220s - 1230s 1240s 1250s 1260s 1270s Years: 1215 1216 1217 1218 1219 - 1220 - 1221 1222 1223 1224 1225 See also: 1220 state leaders The world in 1220 Middle Ages in Europe Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Events Mongols... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A historian is a person who studies history. ... Bishop Asgar, etching by the Danish-Norwegian illustrator Louis Moe (1857—1945) Gesta Danorum (Deeds of the Danes) is a work of Danish history, by 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus (Saxo the Grammarian). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark. ...

We know he was a "follower" of Archbishop Absalon, which probably means he worked in the Archbishop’s administration; his exact status is not determined. He might have been a clerk. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop heading a diocese of particular importance due to either its size, history, or both, called an archdiocese. ... Absalon (c. ... A clerk can be someone who works in an office and whose duties include record-keeping or correspondence. ...

In Absalon’s will, one clericus named Saxo is forgiven a debt of two and a half silver marks and is enjoined to return two handwritten manuscripts he has borrowed to Sorø monastery. From a dozen Saxos or comments on Saxo, found in Danish sources from this timeframe or later, this is the only Saxo comment to be generally accepted to be about the Saxo Grammaticus. However there is no evidence that definitely proves that this comment in Absalon’s will is about our Saxo Grammaticus.

We read in the preface of Gesta Danorum Saxo’s own words that his father and grandfather both served under King Valdemar I as warriors and that he himself would like to serve King Valdemar II, though in a more spiritual way. These few lines just listed are the only concrete information that exists about Saxo Grammaticus. Valdemar I the Great (1131-1182) was King of Denmark from 1157 until 1182. ... Valdemar II (1170–1241), called Valdemar the Conqueror or Valdemar the Victorious, was the King of Denmark from 1202 until 1241. ...

It is thought he was born on Zealand, as later sources claim. His elegant Latin and Roman knowledge, used in Gesta Danorum, makes it nearly certain that he was educated outside of Denmark, maybe in one of the big church-schools in France. Zealand (Danish: Sjælland) is the largest island of Denmark. ... Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ...

Saxo Grammaticus was not his real name. He received the appellation Grammaticus, the Latin word for a teacher of letters, in the Compendium Saxonis of Chronica Jutensis, around 1342, to express delight in his use of words. With the printed press publication of Christiern Pedersen's version of Gesta Danorum, the term Grammaticus has stuck to Saxo as being part of his name. Compendium Saxonis (also known as Abbreviatio Saxonis) is a summary located in Chronica Jutensis. ... Chronica Jutensis (Danish: Jyske Krønike English: Jutland Chronicle) also known as Continuatio compendii Saxonis or Chronica Danorum, is a small Danish historical work from the middle of the 14th century, written in Latin. ... Events May - Pope Clement VI elected John III Comnenus becomes emperor of Trebizond Louis becomes king of Sicily and duke of Athens Constantine IV becomes king of Armenia Patriarch of Antioch transferred to Damascus under Ignatius II Kitzbühel becomes part of Tyrol Louis I becomes king of Hungary Births... Christiern Pedersen, born in Helsingør, Denmark ca. ... Bishop Asgar, etching by the Danish-Norwegian illustrator Louis Moe (1857—1945) Gesta Danorum (Deeds of the Danes) is a work of Danish history, by 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus (Saxo the Grammarian). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark. ...

The only name given to him is found in the Chronica Sialandie (Danish: Ældre Sjællandske Krønike), under the year 1103 (see the chronicle for details why this year), which names him Saxo, cognomine Longus, translating roughly to something like Saxo, named (or called) the long. Events April 27 - Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, goes into exile after falling out with Henry I of England Amadeus III becomes Count of Savoy Bohemund I of Antioch is released from imprisonment among the Turks The Scandinavian city of Lund becomes a see within the Roman Catholic Church Births February...

The work of Saxo was printed 1514 and it has several times been translated into Danish (the best translations are made by Frederik W. Horn and Axel Olrik). The influence of his book has been extremely great and quite until about 1900 Danish historians adopted a surprisingly uncritical attitude to his version of the events of the 12th century. The critics of the 20th century have shown the partiality, the omissions and the aristocratic-military views of the book which is now regarded as less valuable as a historical source but still as a stylistic masterpiece. Probably it is his version of the sage of the Danish prince Amled which has inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet. William Shakespeare—born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)—has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ... The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and one of his most well-known and oft-quoted plays. ...

External links

• Saxo Grammaticus Danmarks krønike from «Kulturformidlingen norrøne tekster og kvad» Norway.
• Project Runeberg on Saxo Grammaticus and Gesta Danorum: Saxo Grammaticus
• English Book I-IX: Online Medieval and Classical Library
• Latin version Book I-XVI: The Royal Danish Library

Latin and English side by side: http://medlem.spray.se/abujaftiel/saxo01.html Project Runeberg is an initiative patterned after Project Gutenberg that publishes freely available electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the Nordic countries . ...