Ãgrip af Nóregskonungasögum
The Agrippa ( anord. "Overview, Summary, floor plan " ) or Agrippa af Noregs konunga sögum ( " Outline History of the Kings of Norway " ) is the oldest surviving overview work on the history of Norway in Norse language. It is obtained only in an incomplete copy from the Icelandic beginning of the 13th century, which is located in the Arnamagnaeischen Institute in Copenhagen (AM 325 4to II ).
Content
The surviving work is a summary overview of the history of the kings of Harald Hårfagre up in the fifties of the 12th century. But originally it covered the period of his father Halfdan Svarte to 1177th It was during the reign of King Sverre's written in Trøndelag. The author was prevailing opinion Norwegians.
The text is based on a small number of templates and builds the rest to oral tradition. As written source can be drafted on the Latin works identify the Theodoricus Monachus "Historia de antiquitate regum Norwagiensium ". Also found in 1849 in Scotland "Historia Norwegiæ " from around 1210 shows a marked similarity in many places. This is possibly due to the fact that both drew from a more distant lost Latin source. Because the author of the Historia Norwegiæ did not know the Agrippa. In addition, Agrippa has resorted to a special tradition in the story of Håkon the good.
Author
The author stood as the Historia Norwegiæ and Thodricus Monachus in the tradition of continental European view of the history, laid the foundation for mainly by Augustine. The author also had a special interest in the legislation. He also placed on determining the time value. He took the side of the Norwegian kings vis. He stood with it and with his chronological interest in the tradition of Icelandic and other European historiography. While Theodricus Monachus was run by a religious conception of history, the author of Agrippa was set profane. It is the beginning of a secular historiography, which is then used in the Heimskringla to full bloom. It's all about the contrast between the monarchy and the aristocracy. Both the author of Agrippa and Thedricus Monachus, but have the same literary form to: The Kings will dramatically arrayed against each other or against the Goden and Jarle. In addition, both categorize a the rulers of good and evil, in just kings and tyrants. The introduction of Christianity in both the main theme. The events are determined by the King and his ethical attitude in Theodorus Monachus sometimes by God's intervention.
Creation of the work
It is disputed whether the Agrippa was written at the instigation King Sverre. This is of importance for the description of the sons of Harald Gilles. Sigurd Munn, Sverre's father, and his brother Øystein be harshly criticized and as opstopamaður ( opstopi = superbia = arrogance ) marked. This is the usual attribute of the tyrannical ruler. Inge Krogrygg is endowed with the qualities of a "good king ". This indicates a tendency sverrefeindliche and makes an order of the king unlikely.
Both the Fagrskinna and the Heimskringla have used the Agrippa as the source. The Morkinskinna contains a number of interpolations from the Agrippa.