Historia Norvegiæ
Encyclopedia
Historia Norwegiæ is a short Latin
history of Norway written by an anonymous monk
. The only extant manuscript, in the private possession of the Earl of Dalhousie
and kept at Brechin Castle
, Scotland, is fragmentary; what we have of the Historia is found on folios 1r-12r. The manuscript was once dated to the fifteenth century, but seems now to be from c.1500x1510 (Kunin and Phelpstead 2001, x).
The text itself appears to have been created rather earlier, because it refers to a volcanic eruption and earthquake of 1211 as being contemporary.
Historia Norwegiæ contains:
The text is important, among other things, because it constitutes (in Latin translation) an independent version of Þjóðólfr of Hvinir
's Ynglingatal
besides the text in Ynglinga saga
in the Heimskringla
. It also contains some unique ethnographic detail, including a description of a shamanic
séance among the Sami
. It is the earliest preserved witness to many of the historical facts it treats.
Along with Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum
and the work of Theodoricus monachus, Historia Norvegiæ is one of the Norwegian synoptic histories. It is thought to have been the first one written, most probably sometime between 1160 and 1175, though debate about this has been extensive and 1220 would be a more conservative terminus. It may have been composed somewhere in eastern Norway.
The manuscript was published by Peter Andreas Munch
in 1850 as Symbolæ ad Historiam Antiquiorem Rerum Norwegicarum. The standard edition was for many years that of Storm (1880), and the first translation into English that of Kunin and Phelpstead (2001). A new critical edition and translation appeared in 2003.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
history of Norway written by an anonymous monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. The only extant manuscript, in the private possession of the Earl of Dalhousie
Earl of Dalhousie
Earl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay.-History:This family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617. He received a charter of the barony of Dalhousie and also...
and kept at Brechin Castle
Brechin Castle
Brechin Castle is a castle located in Brechin, Angus, Scotland. The castle is the seat of the Earl of Dalhousie, who is the clan chieftain of Clan Maule of Panmure in Angus, and Clan Ramsay of Dalhousie in Midlothian. The original castle was constructed in stone during the 13th century...
, Scotland, is fragmentary; what we have of the Historia is found on folios 1r-12r. The manuscript was once dated to the fifteenth century, but seems now to be from c.1500x1510 (Kunin and Phelpstead 2001, x).
The text itself appears to have been created rather earlier, because it refers to a volcanic eruption and earthquake of 1211 as being contemporary.
Historia Norwegiæ contains:
- I. A short geographical survey of Norway and its dominions, followed by a brief history of Norway
- II. Genealogy of the Earls of Orkney
- III. Catalogue of the Kings of Norway
The text is important, among other things, because it constitutes (in Latin translation) an independent version of Þjóðólfr of Hvinir
Þjóðólfr of Hvinir
Þjóðólfr of Hvinir was a Norwegian skald, active around the year 900. He is considered to have been the original author of Ynglingatal, a poem glorifying the Norwegian petty king Ragnvald the Mountain-High, by describing how he was descended from the Swedish kings and the Norse gods.He is also...
's Ynglingatal
Ynglingatal
Ynglingatal is a skaldic poem listing the kings of the House of Ynglings, dated by most scholars to the late 9th century.The original version is attributed to Þjóðólfr af Hvini who was the skald of a Norwegian petty king named Ragnvald the Mountain-High and who was a cousin of Harald Fairhair...
besides the text in Ynglinga saga
Ynglinga saga
Ynglinga saga is a legendary saga, originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. It was first translated into English and published in 1844....
in the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
. It also contains some unique ethnographic detail, including a description of a shamanic
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
séance among the Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
. It is the earliest preserved witness to many of the historical facts it treats.
Along with Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum
Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum
Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum or Ágrip is a synoptic history of the kings of Norway, written in Old Norse. The preserved text starts with the death of Hálfdan svarti and ends with the accession of Ingi krókhryggr but the original is thought to have covered a longer period, probably up to the reign of...
and the work of Theodoricus monachus, Historia Norvegiæ is one of the Norwegian synoptic histories. It is thought to have been the first one written, most probably sometime between 1160 and 1175, though debate about this has been extensive and 1220 would be a more conservative terminus. It may have been composed somewhere in eastern Norway.
The manuscript was published by Peter Andreas Munch
Peter Andreas Munch
Peter Andreas Munch , usually known as P. A. Munch, was a Norwegian historian, known for his work on the medieval history of Norway. Munch’s scholarship included Norwegian archaeology, geography, ethnography, linguistics, and jurisprudence...
in 1850 as Symbolæ ad Historiam Antiquiorem Rerum Norwegicarum. The standard edition was for many years that of Storm (1880), and the first translation into English that of Kunin and Phelpstead (2001). A new critical edition and translation appeared in 2003.
External links
- Historia Norvegiae in English Translation and notes by Kunin and Phelpstead (2001).