Skjöldunga saga
Encyclopedia
The Skjöldunga saga was a Norse saga
on the legendary Danish dynasty
of the Skjöldungs, the same dynasty featured in the Old English poem Beowulf
. The saga is lost in its original form but Arngrímur Jónsson
paraphrased parts of it into Latin, and parts of it are thought to be preserved in other sagas, including Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta
and Ragnarssona þáttr
. It may relate to Saxo Grammaticus
and contain a version of the story that ultimately inspired the lost Ur-Hamlet
and ultimately William Shakespeare
's Hamlet
.
The fragments known as Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum
are believed to be based on the Skjöldunga saga, perhaps deriving from a late version of that work.
For an edition of materials relating to the Skjöldunga saga, see Danakonunga sögur, ed. Bjarni Guðnason, Íslenzk Fornrit 35 (Reykjavík, 1982). For an English translation by Clarence Miller of Arngrímur Jónsson's paraphrase, with introduction and notes, see the journal ANQ 20.3 (2007): 3-33.
Norse saga
The sagas are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, the battles that took place during the voyages, about migration to Iceland and of feuds between Icelandic families...
on the legendary Danish dynasty
Legendary Danish kings
The legendary kings of Denmark are the predecessors of Gorm the Old, half history and half legend. The accounts of the Danish kings are confusing and contradictory, and so this presentation tries to separate the various sources from each other...
of the Skjöldungs, the same dynasty featured in the Old English poem Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
. The saga is lost in its original form but Arngrímur Jónsson
Arngrímur Jónsson
Arngrímur Jónsson the Learned was an Icelandic scholar and an apologist. His father was Jón Jónsson, who died in 1591...
paraphrased parts of it into Latin, and parts of it are thought to be preserved in other sagas, including Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta
Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta
Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta or The Greatest Saga of Óláfr Tryggvasonis one of the kings' sagas, an extended biography of King Óláfr Tryggvason....
and Ragnarssona þáttr
Ragnarssona þáttr
Ragnarssona þáttr, Þáttr af Ragnars sonum or the Tale of Ragnar's sons is a short story on Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons.-Ragnar Lodbrok:When Sigurd Ring dies, Ragnar succeeds him as the king of Sweden and Denmark...
. It may relate to Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus also known as Saxo cognomine Longus was a Danish historian, thought to have been a secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, foremost advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author of the first full history of Denmark.- Life :The Jutland Chronicle gives...
and contain a version of the story that ultimately inspired the lost Ur-Hamlet
Ur-Hamlet
The Ur-Hamlet is the name given to a play mentioned as early as 1589, a decade before most scholars believe Shakespeare composed Hamlet...
and ultimately William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
.
The fragments known as Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum
Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum
Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum is a fragmentary Icelandic text dealing with some legendary Swedish and Danish kings...
are believed to be based on the Skjöldunga saga, perhaps deriving from a late version of that work.
For an edition of materials relating to the Skjöldunga saga, see Danakonunga sögur, ed. Bjarni Guðnason, Íslenzk Fornrit 35 (Reykjavík, 1982). For an English translation by Clarence Miller of Arngrímur Jónsson's paraphrase, with introduction and notes, see the journal ANQ 20.3 (2007): 3-33.