Chronicon Lethrense
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Chronicon Lethrense (Danish: Lejrekrøniken English: Chronicle of Lejre/Leire) is a small Danish Medieval work from the 12th century written in Latin.
Unlike Chronicon Roskildense, that deals primarily with what is preceded as real historical facts after Christianity introduction in Denmark, Chronicon Lethrense is a recording of folklores about old Danish Kings, pre- Christianity, and those adventures story that over time got associated with them. In that sense it is not much different from the first part of Sven Aggesøn's Brevis Historia Regum Dacie or Saxo's Gesta Danorum, tho much smaller and of much lesser quality. It is sometimes referred to as the "Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre".
The original work un-doubtful is a work of its own. Its stories is interesting and over time copies found its way to other places, among those a copy in the fourteenth century Latin Annals of the Cathedral of Lund. Because of this, it is often connected to Annales Lundenses, which Chronicon Lethrense now is an integrated part of, but very doubtful original was.
The chronicle is believed to have been composed in the second half of the 12th century, experts mentions a date like 1170, and preceded the writing of the far more famous and prolix Gesta Danorum by Saxo, with which it shares many traditions not found in other sources. Either Chronicon Lethrense or a closely allied tradition appears to have been one of Saxo's many sources.
One of the noted aspects of Chronicon Lethrense is the writer's deep German-hatred, which at times take on epic proportions. This German-hatred can also be traced, tho to a lesser degree, in Sven Aggesøn's Brevis Historia Regum Dacie and to a much lesser degree in Saxo's Gesta Danorum.
The writer is unknown, however it is thought that he was a clerk tightly linked to the Church of Roskilde. That based on, that the writer shows great interest of Roskilde City, which he vividly describes, how it got its name and he ‘promise’ the City eternal existence.
References and external links
- Chronicon Lethrense, in Scriptores Minores Historiæ Danicæ, Vol. I, M. CL. Gertz, 1917-18, Copenhagen.
- "Gesta Danorum". (An excerpt from Codex Holm. B 77 collated with Codex Holm. C 67 from Gammeldanske Krøniker [Samfund g. n. Lit.], ed. M. Lorenzen [1887–1913]. Copenhagen.) Included in Gordon, E. V. and Taylor A. R. (1957). An Introduction to Old Norse, 2nd edition. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Trans. Peter Tunstall (2003). Available at Peter Tunstall: The Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre (http://freespace.virgin.net/o.e/egd/lejre.html) and Northvegr: The Saga of Hrolf Kraki: The Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre (http://www.northvegr.org/lore/oldheathen/048.php).
