A Companion to Saxo Grammaticus / / edited by Thomas K. Heebøll-Holm and Lars Boje Mortensen.

• Superior document: Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books Online, Collection 2024
• TeilnehmendeR: Heebøll-Holm, Thomas K.,; Mortensen, Lars Boje,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, 2024.; ©2024
• Year of Publication: 2024
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books Online, Collection 2024.; The Northern World ; 97.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (725 pages)

Ever since the publication of Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum at the beginning of the thirteenth century, scholars and laymen have grappled with the complex and marvellous chronicle. As much specialized scholarship has been published in Danish, this companion breaks new ground by giving a comprehensive and up-to-date tour of the work for a global audience. Attention is given to the unity of Saxo’s massive chronicle, whether he is dealing with a legendary pagan past or events from his own time. Saxo’s world and views are explored in ways that shed new light on all of northern Europe. Contributors are Bjørn Bandlien, Karsten Friis-Jensen, Michael H. Gelting, Thomas K. Heebøll-Holm, Lars Hermanson, Lars Kjær, Torben Kjersgaard Nielsen, Annette Lassen, Anders Leegaard Knudsen, Lars Boje Mortensen, Mia Münster-Swendsen, Erik Niblaeus, Roland Scheel, Karen Skovgaard-Petersen, Kurt Villads Jensen, and Helle Vogt.

Table of Contents

Half Title -- Series Information -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- List of Contributors -- Maps and Genealogies -- Chapter 1 Saxo and His Gesta Danorum: : An Overview -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Author, Place, and Date -- 3 Summary of the Gesta Danorum -- 4 This Companion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 2 Was Saxo Grammaticus a Canon of Lund? -- Bibliography -- Chapter 3 Saxo Grammaticus's Study of the Roman Historiographers and His Vision of History -- Bibliography -- Chapter 4 Saxo Grammaticus's Portrait of Archbishop Absalon -- Bibliography -- Chapter 5 Saxo and Nordic Paganism -- 1 The Concept of Paganism -- 2 Idolatry -- 2.1 The Idol of Odin -- 2.2 The Idol of Svantevit -- 2.3 Idols of Thor -- 3 Odin and Odinic Heroes -- 4 Balder and Høther -- 4.1 The Rape of Rinda -- 5 Gods as Humans -- 5.1 Thorkil, Geirrøth, and Utgartha-Loki -- 5.2 Hadding-Njǫrðr -- 6 Uppsala-Centre of Pagan Delusion and Cult -- 7 Concluding Remarks -- Bibliography -- Chapter 6 Christianity and Ecclesiastical Authority in the Gesta Danorum -- 1 The Birth of Christ and the Mission to the Danes -- 2 A Missionary, an Ordeal, and Two Christian Kings -- 3 Episcopal Virtues from Conversion to Independence -- 4 Archiepiscopal Authority until the Civil War -- 5 Metropolitan Power in Confrontation -- 6 Archiepiscopal Authority in Resignation-and in Triumph -- Bibliography -- Chapter 7 Saxo and Scandinavia -- 1 Icelandic Treasures: Gesta Danorum and Old Norse texts -- 2 Eddic Poetry and Fornaldarsögur -- 3 Other Source Groups-and the Gesta Danorum as a Source -- 4 Semasiology as a Mirror of Concepts: the "North" and Saxo's Use of Toponyms -- 5 Peoples in the North -- 6 Between Denmark, Iceland, and the Region of the Scritfinni: The Geography of Scandinavia -- 7 Concepts of "Scandinavia" and the "Others".

8 From Saxo to the Sagas: Scandinavian Knowledge Networks -- 9 Epilogue: A Reciprocal Relationship -- Bibliography -- Chapter 8 Saxo and the Wars with the Slavs -- 1 Twenty Years Later: 1185-1208 -- 2 Recent Slavs -- 3 The Continuation Wars: 1182-85 -- 4 The Troubled Times: 1134-82 -- 5 The Issue of Religion: The Conquest of Rügen, 1168 -- 6 Family Problems: c.965-1131 -- 7 In That Time-Long Ago -- 8 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 9 Saxo and the Germans -- 1 Literary Context -- 2 Historical Context -- 3 Saxo and the Germans in Modern Historiography -- Bibliography -- Chapter 10 Kinship and Family in the Gesta Danorum -- 1 Kin, Kingship, and Continuity -- 2 Ensuring the Purity of Royal Blood -- 3 Women: Protectors or Troublemakers? -- 4 Blood Ties versus Feudal Bonds -- 5 Practical Kinship: The Modus Operandi of Family Organization -- 6 Adoptive Kinship and Vertical Family Organizations -- 7 Horizontal Kinship Strategies -- 8 Kinship and Political Order -- 9 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 11 Saxo, War, and Warriors -- 1 War in the Gesta Danorum -- 2 Common Warrior Characteristics -- 2.1 The Warriors and Their Values -- 2.2 Starkath -- 2.3 The Warrior Collective -- 3 Pirates and Seaborne War -- 4 Crusades and the Gesta Danorum -- 5 The Gesta Danorum as a Source on the Practice of War -- 6 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 12 Saxo and Gender -- 1 Never Trust a Woman -- 2 The Duality of Masculine Rule -- 3 Marriage, Sex, and Dynasty -- 4 Cross-Dressers -- 5 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 13 Saxo on Gifts and Gift-Giving -- 1 The Study of Gifts in Saxo Grammaticus -- 2 Saxo's Context: Gift-Giving in 12th/13th-Century Denmark -- 3 Loquacious Ring-Throwers: Skaldic Poetry Meets Classical Philosophy -- 4 Conquests and Generosity: Alexander the Great and the Danes -- 5 Gifts and Renaissance at Reims -- Bibliography.

Chapter 14 Saxo, Kings, and Kingship -- 1 The Fundamentals of Kingship in the Gesta Danorum -- 1.1 The King's Functions: Law and War -- 1.2 The King and the People -- 1.3 Patria -- 1.4 Christianity and the Ringsted Celebration, 1170 -- 2 Approaches to the Study of Kings and Kingship in the Gesta Danorum -- 2.1 Constitutionalism, Secularism, and Scandi-centrism -- 2.2 Christianity and Kingship -- 2.3 Historical Anthropology and Sociology -- 2.4 Comparativism and the Once and Future Empire -- 3 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 15 Saxo and Law -- 1 Law and Legislation in Denmark around 1200 -- 2 Law of Procedure -- 3 Private Law -- 4 Inheritance Law -- 5 Property Law -- 6 Military Law -- 7 Criminal Law -- 8 Canon Law -- 8.1 Marriage Law -- 9 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 16 Saxo Grammaticus in the Archives -- Bibliography -- Chapter 17 Saxo in His Contemporary Historiographical Context -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The Historian's Craft in Saxo's Time -- 3 The Social and Intellectual Context: Schools and Cathedral Chapters -- 4 Saxo as a Historian of Denmark -- 5 The Historical Duo: Saxo and Sven Aggesen -- 6 Concluding Remarks -- Bibliography -- Chapter 18 Saxo, Roman Historiography, and French Connections -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Roman Patterns in the Gesta Danorum -- 3 School Authors and the Augustan Moment -- 4 The Long History of Rome and the Theodosian Moment -- 5 Saxo's Historical Leitautoren -- 5.1 Justin -- 5.2 Valerius Maximus -- 5.3 Curtius Rufus -- 6 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 19 The Medieval Reception of the Gesta Danorum (to 1514) -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Transmission -- 3 Style and Language -- 4 The Importance of the Gesta Danorum for Later Danish Historiography -- 5 The First Phase -- 6 The Second Phase -- 7 The Third Phase -- 8 Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Chapter 20 The Early Modern Reception of the Gesta Danorum.

1 The First Printed Edition (Paris: 1514) -- 2 Saxo's European Fame -- 3 Entering the European Canon -- 4 Saxo and Johannes Magnus's History of Sweden -- 5 Hans Svaning's History of Denmark -- 6 Anders Sørensen Vedel's Translation of Saxo into Danish -- 7 Theoretical Discussions of Saxo: Vedel, Venusin, Alanus -- 8 Arild Huitfeldt's History of Denmark-a Reluctant Follower of Saxo -- 9 Pontanus and Meursius -- 10 Poetic and Visual History -- 11 Saxo as Source of Timeless Wisdom -- 12 Stephanius's Edition and Commentary (1644-45) -- 13 The Late 17th Century: Historiography in the Service of Absolute Monarchy -- 14 Popular Dissemination -- 15 Holberg's History of Denmark -- 16 Hans Gram on Saxo -- 17 In the Footsteps of Stephanius -- 18 Saxo and the Nordic Renaissance of the Late 18th Century -- Bibliography -- Index.