Saxo Grammaticus: Hierocratical Conceptions and Danish Hegemony in the Thirteenth Century

Description

The twelfth to thirteenth centuries in Denmark were a time of transition, particularly in the context of the Northern Crusades. The "Gesta Danorum" of Saxo Grammaticus, a Danish cleric, was for several centuries an official and referential history in Denmark. Initially written under the commission of Archbishop Absolom, its sixteen books are traditionally divided into two parts, arbitrarily called "mythic" (books 1-9) and "historical" (books 10-16).The scheme of the Four Cardinal Virtues, first studied by Kurt Johanesson, provides referential and structural values, while what André Muceniecks terms the theme of the Counsellor covers a principal narrative "kernel," inserted after the previously mentioned values as political conceptions and fundamental ideas. It is not sufficient for the king to be strong; he needs to be wise, and have a wiser man to guide him, here represented by the Archbishopric. By interweaving this with the context, Muceniecks identifies a defense of hierocratic conceptions, even in books where Christianity is absent. The "Gesta" also defines a Danish hegemonic project in the Baltic, under guidance from the Archbishopric, grounded in the crusade movements. Such movements are presented through complex language and imagery about a glorious past brought to bear on the projects in the thirteenth century while internal tensions Strengthen the monarchic and ecclesiastical institutions. List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgements ix Foreword xi Preface xiii Chapter 1: Denmark and the Baltic in the Thirteenth Century 1 Chapter 2: The Work 29 Chapter 3: Political Conceptions 47 Chapter 4: Euhemerism and the East in Saxo Grammaticus 53 Chapter 5: Virtues and Values in Saxo Grammaticus: The Four Cardinal Virtues 67 Chapter 6: The Thematic of the Counsellor 105 Conclusion 175 Appendix 1: List of the Kings in Books I-VIII of the "Gesta Danorum" 177 Appendix 2: Rulers and Archbishops of Denmark in Relation to Events in the Baltic, the Empire, and the Papacy 179 Appendix 3: Genealogy of the Valdemarian Kings 185 Bibliography 189 Indexes 201