The History of the Danes (2 Volumes in 1)

The first nine books of Saxo Grammaticus's The History of the Danes, dealing with the legendary kings and heroes of Denmark have long been recognized as one of the major sources for the heroic and mythological traditions of Northern Europe, including the earliest known account of the Hamlet story. However, they present many problems, because of the complexity of Saxo's Latin style and of the material he brought together from many different fields. This translation, with an introductory summary of the nature and content of each book, is followed by a discussion of Saxo and his work, with a detailed commentary and index. Saxo Grammaticus 2 CONTENTS 4 VOLUME I ENGLISH TEXT 6 Preface 7 Introduction 7 Preface 10 Book One 16 Introduction 16 Book One 19 Book Two 41 Introduction 41 Book Two 44 Book Three 69 Introduction 69 Book Three 73 Book Four 95 Introduction 95 Book Four 98 Book Five 116 Introduction 116 Book Five 121 Book Six 162 Introduction 162 Book Six 165 Book Seven 199 Introduction 199 Book Seven 203 Book Eight 236 Introduction 236 Book Eight 239 Book Nine 275 Introduction 275 Book Nine 279 VOLUME II COMMENTARY 298 Acknowledgements 299 Introduction 306 Translator's Introduction 320 Commentary On the Text 322 The Preface 324 Book I 330 Book II 344 Book III 356 Book IV 369 Book V 377 Book VI 399 Book VII 413 Book VIII 431 Book IX 455 Bibliography 471 Errata in Volume One 482 INDEX 483 A— Personal Names 483 A 483 B 484 C 485 D 485 E 485 F 486 G 486 H 488 I 490 J 490 K 490 L 490 M 490 N 491 O 491 P 491 R 492 S 492 T 494 U 495 V 495 W 496 Y 496 B. Places and Peoples 496 A 496 B 496 C 496 D 496 E 497 F 497 G 497 H 497 I 498 J 498 K 498 L 498 M 499 N 499 O 499 P 499 R 499 S 499 T 501 U 501 V 501 W 501 Y 501 Z 501 C. Authors and Sources 501 A 501 B 502 C 502 D 502 E 502 F 503 G 503 H 503 I 504 J 504 K 504 L 504 M 504 N 505 O 505 P 505 Q 505 R 505 S 505 T 506 U 506 V 506 W 506 Y 506 Z 506 D. Subjects 507 A 507 B 507 C 507 D 508 E 509 F 509 G 509 H 510 I 510 J 510 K 510 L 510 M 510 N 511 O 511 P 511 Q 511 R 511 S 511 T 513 U 513 V 513 W 513 A major source for the heroic and mythological traditions of northern Europe.'[The translation] is a masterpiece... the [Commentary] will doubtless prove of the greatest interest to historians.'ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEWIn 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 is one 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.

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 is one 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.

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 is one 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 A Description of the Northern Peoples . The book is not written in German, as it now says in your comments, but in the original Latin. It includes all 16 books of Saxo's work. The pdf-format numbers 816 pages, well scanned. The volume was edited by Alfred Holder (1840-1916), a German librarian and philologist. V. 1. English Text.--v. 2. Commentary. Saxo Grammaticus ; Edited By Hilda Ellis Davidson ; Translated By Peter Fisher. Translated From The First Nine Books Of Historiæ Danicæ.