Saxo Grammaticus

Saxo Grammaticus (estimated. 1150 - 1220) was a Danish medieval historian of whose life practically nothing is known. The sixteen books of Danish history of this time, known as the Gesta Danorum, are attributed to him, and also contribute our principal evidence of his own existence.

Related Topics:
1150 - 1220 - Danish - Medieval - Historian - Gesta Danorum

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We know he was a "follower" of Archbishop Absalon, which probably means he worked in the Archbishop?s administration; his exact status is not determined. He might have been a clerk.

Related Topics:
Archbishop - Absalon - Clerk

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In Absalon?s will, one clericus named Saxo is forgiven a debt of two and a half silver marks and is enjoined to return two handwritten manuscripts he has borrowed to Sorø monastery. From a dozen Saxos or comments on Saxo, found in Danish sources from this timeframe or later, this is the only Saxo comment to be generally accepted to be about the Saxo Grammaticus. However there is no evidence that definitely proves that this comment in Absalon?s will is about our Saxo Grammaticus.

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We read in the preface of Gesta Danorum Saxo?s own words that his father and grandfather both served under King Valdemar I as warriors and that he himself would like to serve King Valdemar II, though in a more spiritual way. These few lines just listed are the only concrete information that exists about Saxo Grammaticus.

Related Topics:
Valdemar I - Valdemar II

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It is thought he was born on Zealand, as later sources claim. His elegant Latin and Roman knowledge, used in Gesta Danorum, makes it nearly certain that he was educated outside of Denmark, maybe in one of the big church-schools in France.

Related Topics:
Zealand - Latin - Roman - Denmark - France

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Saxo Grammaticus was not his real name. He received the appellation Grammaticus, the Latin word for a teacher of letters, in the Compendium Saxonis of Chronica Jutensis, around 1342, to express delight in his use of words. With the printed press publication of Christiern Pedersen's version of Gesta Danorum, the term Grammaticus has stuck to Saxo as being part of his name.

Related Topics:
Compendium Saxonis - Chronica Jutensis - 1342 - Christiern Pedersen - Gesta Danorum

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The only name given to him is found in the Chronica Sialandie (Danish: Ældre Sjællandske Krønike), under the year 1103 (see the chronicle for details why this year), which names him Saxo, cognomine Longus, translating roughly to something like Saxo, named (or called) the long.

Related Topics:
Chronica Sialandie - Danish - 1103

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The work of Saxo was printed 1514 and it has several times been translated into Danish (the best translations are made by Frederik W. Horn and Axel Olrik). The influence of his book has been extremely great and quite until about 1900 Danish historians adopted a surprisingly uncritical attitude to his version of the events of the 12th century. The critics of the 20th century have shown the partiality, the omissions and the aristocratic-military views of the book which is now regarded as less valuable as a historical source but still as a stylistic masterpiece. Probably it is his version of the sage of the Danish prince Amled which has inspired Shakespeare?s Hamlet.

Related Topics:
Shakespeare - Hamlet

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