The Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus - Softcover

Grammaticus, Saxo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1598185608 ISBN 13: 9781598185607

Publisher: Alan Rodgers Books, 2006

Synopsis

Saxo Grammaticus was a Danish historian, theologian and author, thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, foremost advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He lived from 1150 to 1220 and wrote a sixteen-volume history of the Denmark that he lived in.

Volumes X through XVI (oddly -- or perhaps not so oddly -- written first) are a conventional history of Saxo's day and age. But the first of the volumes are the stuff of myth and legend, delightful tales of mythic Norse persons and circumstances. This book is comprised of those mythic volumes, and it's special stuff indeed.

About this title

About the Author

Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 - c. 1220), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author of the Gesta Danorum, the first full history of Denmark. Saxo's education and ability support the idea that he was educated outside Denmark. Some suggest the title "Grammaticus" refers not to his education but rather his elaborate Latin style. We know from his writing that he was in the retinue and received the patronage of Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, who was the foremost adviser to King Valdemar I. In his will Absalon forgives his clerk Saxo a small debt of two and a half marks of silver and tells him to return two borrowed books to the monastery of Sorø. The legacy of Saxo Grammaticus is the sixteen book heroic history of the Danes called Gesta Danorum.

About this edition

• Publisher: Alan Rodgers Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1598185608
• ISBN 13: 9781598185607
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 292