Gesta Danorum
Also known as: The History of the Danes, Deeds of the Danes, Gesta Danorum sive Historiae Danicae
A Latin history of the Danes blending legend, myth, and royal annals across sixteen books, from primeval founders and heroic sagas to the author’s near-contemporary kings.
Description
Saxo Grammaticus’s Gesta Danorum is a sweeping Latin chronicle that interweaves mythic prehistory, legendary hero tales, and Danish royal historiography. Drawing on oral traditions, earlier chronicles, and skaldic materials, Saxo presents kings like Dan and Frothi, heroes such as Starkad and Ragnar Loðbrók, and euhemerized gods including Odin and Balder. The work preserves the earliest full version of the Amleth (Hamlet) story, a demythologized Baldr-Høtherus cycle, and numerous other episodes that bridge Scandinavian lore with political exempla. The latter books move from saga-like narratives toward documentary history, culminating in twelfth-century events under Valdemar I and the author’s patron Absalon.
Historiography
The original manuscript tradition is largely lost; the authoritative early witness is the 1514 Paris edition by Christiern Pedersen, based on now-lost exemplars. A few medieval fragments (notably the Angers Fragment) confirm parts of Book I. Modern scholarship relies on critical comparison of the 1514 print, fragmentary vellum leaves, and parallel traditions (Icelandic sagas, skaldic verses, Latin chronicles). The text profoundly shaped Danish historiography and furnished sources for Renaissance literature, most famously Shakespeare’s Hamlet via the Amleth narrative.
Date Notes
Prologue likely composed c.1185 under Absalon’s patronage; completion around 1220–1222. Original medieval manuscripts are lost; the text chiefly survives via Christiern Pedersen’s 1514 Paris print, with a few earlier fragments (e.g., the Angers Fragment, 13th c.).
Themes
Major Characters
- Amleth
- Ragnar Lodbrok
- Harald Bluetooth
- Hadingus
- Starkad
- Odin
Myths
- Hrolf Kraki and His Champions
- Amleth (Hamlet)
- Ragnar Lothbrok and the Serpent Pit
- The Shield-Maidens of Denmark
Facts
- Composed in Latin by a Danish cleric writing under Archbishop Absalon’s patronage.
- Structured in sixteen books ranging from mythic prehistory to twelfth-century events.
- Preserves the earliest full account of the Amleth (Hamlet) narrative.
- Saxo presents Norse gods in euhemerized form, treating them as ancient kings or heroes.
- The 1514 Paris edition by Christiern Pedersen is the principal early witness to the full text.
- Fragmentary medieval leaves (e.g., Angers Fragment) corroborate parts of Book I.
- Key legendary cycles include Starkad, Hadingus, and Ragnar Lothbrok.
- Later books shift from saga-like storytelling to contemporary political history.
- A major source for Scandinavian royal genealogies and exempla of kingship.
- Influenced Renaissance historiography and English literature through the Hamlet tradition.