Skibby Chronicle
Encyclopedia
The Skibby Chronicle is a Danish Latin chronicle from the 1530s found in the church of Skibby
in North Zealand. It is anonymous
but according to all historians the author is the outstanding humanist Poul Helgesen
(Latin: Paulus Helie). Formally the work covers the period 1047-1534, but the main part is about the reigns of Christian II
and Frederick I
.
The work is a sometimes very personal description of Danish history during the last decades of Catholicism
marked by the author’s sympathy and (mainly) antipathy against the political actors. Especially his portrait of Christian II is a very subjective one affected by his negative attitude to the king’s anti-aristocrathic policy and his use of violence. Also Frederick I regarded by Helgesen as a traitor to the Catholic
cause is harshly treated. The description ends abruptly during the Count’s War, perhaps because of the Helgesen’s death.
Formally the chronicle is built up very much like the annals
which means that great and small events are often mentioned together – deaths among the local clergy alternating with battles and wars – but it often contends valuable material for instance the nobility’s letter of complaint over Christian II is repeated.
In general the chronicle reflects the author’s bitterness, sorrow and frustration because of the course of events. His hot temper often breaks through, invectives and personal injuries reveal a man who was deeply engaged in the struggle. His hatred to the Protestant agitators is just as outspoken as is his contempt and indignation of the last Catholic bishops and their behaviour. In spite of this subjectivity the chronicle makes an interesting picture of pre-Reformation Denmark viewed through the eyes of a disillusioned Reform Catholic.
The original manuscript was found 1650 walled in behind the altar of the Church of Skibby. It was printed in Latin 1773 and translated into Danish 1890-1891.
Skibby
Skibby is a town with a population of 3,185 and a former municipality in Frederikssund municipality in Region Hovedstaden in the northern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark...
in North Zealand. It is anonymous
Anonymous work
Anonymous works are works, such as art or literature, that have an anonymous, undisclosed, or unknown creator or author. In the United States it is legally defined as "a work on the copies or phonorecords of which no natural person is identified as author."...
but according to all historians the author is the outstanding humanist Poul Helgesen
Poul Helgesen
Poul Helgesen was a Danish Carmelite, a humanist and historian.-Life:...
(Latin: Paulus Helie). Formally the work covers the period 1047-1534, but the main part is about the reigns of Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
and Frederick I
Frederick I of Denmark
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian...
.
The work is a sometimes very personal description of Danish history during the last decades of Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
marked by the author’s sympathy and (mainly) antipathy against the political actors. Especially his portrait of Christian II is a very subjective one affected by his negative attitude to the king’s anti-aristocrathic policy and his use of violence. Also Frederick I regarded by Helgesen as a traitor to the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
cause is harshly treated. The description ends abruptly during the Count’s War, perhaps because of the Helgesen’s death.
Formally the chronicle is built up very much like the annals
Annals
Annals are a concise form of historical representation which record events chronologically, year by year. The Oxford English Dictionary defines annals as "a narrative of events written year by year"...
which means that great and small events are often mentioned together – deaths among the local clergy alternating with battles and wars – but it often contends valuable material for instance the nobility’s letter of complaint over Christian II is repeated.
In general the chronicle reflects the author’s bitterness, sorrow and frustration because of the course of events. His hot temper often breaks through, invectives and personal injuries reveal a man who was deeply engaged in the struggle. His hatred to the Protestant agitators is just as outspoken as is his contempt and indignation of the last Catholic bishops and their behaviour. In spite of this subjectivity the chronicle makes an interesting picture of pre-Reformation Denmark viewed through the eyes of a disillusioned Reform Catholic.
The original manuscript was found 1650 walled in behind the altar of the Church of Skibby. It was printed in Latin 1773 and translated into Danish 1890-1891.