Everipedia Logo
Everipedia is now IQ.wiki - Join the IQ Brainlist and our Discord for early access to editing on the new platform and to participate in the beta testing.
Knýtlinga saga

Knýtlinga saga

Knýtlinga saga (The Saga of Cnut's Descendants) is an Icelandic kings' saga written in the 1250s, which deals with the kings who ruled Denmark since the early 10th century.[1]

There are good reasons to assume that the author was Óláfr Þórðarson (d. 1259), nicknamed hvítaskáld "the White Poet", who was a nephew of Snorri Sturluson.[1] Óláfr is also known for having written the Third Grammatical Treatise.[1] He stayed with the Danish ruler Valdemar II of Denmark in 1240–1241, and Valdemar provided the saga's author with "a great deal of information" and "outstanding accounts".[2]

The work is modelled on the Heimskringla, Snorri's work on the Norwegian kings.[1][3] Like Snorri, the author makes frequent use of skaldic poetry as documentary sources.[2]

The saga covers the history of the Danish rulers from the early 10th century until the 13th century. In the first part of its history, the saga resembles the synoptics in giving summaries of the major historical events, but later chapters, from those dealing with the sons of Svend Estridsen (d. mid-1070s) onwards, devote greater attention to the kings themselves.[1] A central theme is the institution of kingship and all that it demanded of those who held royal office. The exemplary characters and behaviours of good kings such as Knútr the Holy (d. 1086) and Eiríkr the Good (d. 1103), are set off against those of incompetent or evil kings. Key benchmarks for good rulership include the promotion of peace and support of the church.[1]

References

[1]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgÁrmann Jakobsson, "Royal biography", p. 397-8
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[2]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgNationalencyklopedin
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[3]
Citation Linkopenlibrary.orgLönnroth, Ólason and Piltz, "Literature", in Cambridge History of Scandinavia, vol 1, p. 503
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[4]
Citation Linkweb.archive.orgDe Re Militari
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[5]
Citation Linkskaldic.abdn.ac.ukAnonymous, Lausavísa from Knýtlinga saga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[6]
Citation Linkderemilitari.orgKnut's Invasion of England in 1015-16, according to the Knytlinga Saga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[7]
Citation Linkbooks.google.comJómsvíkíngasaga ok Knytlínga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[8]
Citation Linkwww.heimskringla.noKnýtlinga saga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[9]
Citation Linkheimskringla.noKnýtlinga saga in Danish translation by C.C.Rafn
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[10]
Citation Linkweb.archive.orgDe Re Militari
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[11]
Citation Linkskaldic.abdn.ac.ukAnonymous, Lausavísa from Knýtlinga saga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[12]
Citation Linkderemilitari.orgKnut's Invasion of England in 1015-16, according to the Knytlinga Saga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[13]
Citation Linkbooks.google.comJómsvíkíngasaga ok Knytlínga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[14]
Citation Linkwww.heimskringla.noKnýtlinga saga
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[15]
Citation Linkheimskringla.noKnýtlinga saga in Danish translation by C.C.Rafn
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM
[16]
Citation Linken.wikipedia.orgThe original version of this page is from Wikipedia, you can edit the page right here on Everipedia.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Additional terms may apply.See everipedia.org/everipedia-termsfor further details.Images/media credited individually (click the icon for details).
Sep 19, 2019, 3:49 PM