Theodoricus monachus
Encyclopedia
Theodoric the MonkIn Old Norse his name was most likely Þórir munkr. was a 12th century Norwegian Benedictine monk, perhaps at the Nidarholm Abbey
. He may be identical with either Bishop Tore at Hamar or Archbishop Tore Gudmundsson, who both went under the name Theodoricus in the Abbey of St. Victor, Paris.
Theodoric wrote a Latin history of the kings of Norway, Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium sometime between 1177 and 1188. The work covers Norwegian history from the reign of the 9th century Haraldr hárfagri up to the death of Sigurðr Jórsalafari in 1130. Theodoric states that he considered it "utterly unfitting to record for posterity the crimes, killings, perjuries, parricides, desecrations of holy places, the contempt for God, the plundering no less of the clergy than of the whole people, the abductions of women and other abominations which it would take long to enumerate" which followed the death of Sigurðr (see Civil war era in Norway
).
Theodoric's work is one of the Norwegian synoptics, the oldest preserved kings' sagas
. The others are Historia Norwegie and Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum
. Theodoric relied heavily on Icelandic sources, possibly including the Oldest Saga of St. Olaf
and Oddr Snorrason
's Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar.
Nidarholm Abbey
Nidarholm Abbey was a Benedictine monastery located on the island of Munkholmen in the Trondheimfjord on the sea approach to Trondheim, Norway.-History:...
. He may be identical with either Bishop Tore at Hamar or Archbishop Tore Gudmundsson, who both went under the name Theodoricus in the Abbey of St. Victor, Paris.
Theodoric wrote a Latin history of the kings of Norway, Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium sometime between 1177 and 1188. The work covers Norwegian history from the reign of the 9th century Haraldr hárfagri up to the death of Sigurðr Jórsalafari in 1130. Theodoric states that he considered it "utterly unfitting to record for posterity the crimes, killings, perjuries, parricides, desecrations of holy places, the contempt for God, the plundering no less of the clergy than of the whole people, the abductions of women and other abominations which it would take long to enumerate" which followed the death of Sigurðr (see Civil war era in Norway
Civil war era in Norway
The Civil war era of Norwegian history is a term used for the period in the history of Norway between 1130 and 1240. During this time, a series of civil wars were fought between rival kings and pretenders to the throne of Norway. The reasons for the wars is one of the most debated topics in...
).
Theodoric's work is one of the Norwegian synoptics, the oldest preserved kings' sagas
Kings' sagas
The kings' sagas are Norse sagas which tell of the lives of Scandinavian kings. They were composed in the 12th to 14th centuries in Iceland and Norway....
. The others are Historia Norwegie and 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...
. Theodoric relied heavily on Icelandic sources, possibly including the Oldest Saga of St. Olaf
Oldest Saga of St. Olaf
The Oldest Saga of St. Olaf or the First Saga of St. Olaf is one of the kings' sagas. It is the earliest Norse biography of King Óláfr Haraldsson. Early scholars judged it to be among the very first sagas written, perhaps around 1160, but later scholarship has moved the date up to the end of the...
and Oddr Snorrason
Oddr Snorrason
The Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar of Oddr Snorrason whose name is also sometimes Anglicized as Odd Snorrason was a Latin royal biography attributed to a 12th century Icelandic Benedictine monk at the Þingeyrar monastery ....
's Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar.