Sven Aggesen

Sven Aggesen ( first name also Svend, surname also Aagesen, Aggesøn, Aggessøn; Latin Sveno Aggonis filius; * to 1140-1150; † after 1186 ) was one of the oldest Danish historian. He was probably a little older than the better-known Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus.

Appearance and life

Sven Aggesen came from the noble family Trugotsen Jutland. His oldest known ancestor, Trugot, was already one of the then leading men in Denmark. Another one of his ancestors was the Archbishop Asser of Lund (1104-1137), the two brothers Sven and Christian had. Of these, Sven was in 1132 Bishop of Viborg, while a Christian's son, Eskil, also Archbishop of Lund ( 1137-1177 ) was Christian and the other son, Agge, the father of treated here historian Sven Aggesen was.

Due to the knowledge of classical antiquity, which shows Sven Aggesen in his works, he may have studied at a foreign, possibly French university. Whether he knew Saxo Grammaticus personally, is uncertain. He probably served as a follower of the Danish kings Valdemar and Knut VI. and accompanied them on their campaigns. In the latest research but also came up with the idea that he could have been a clergyman. He personally witnessed the subjugation of Pomerania by Denmark. The composition of his works fall into the years after the 1180th year of his death is unknown.

Work

Sven Aggesen wrote a solid, medieval Latin with poetic and prosaic also quotes from the Vulgate. According to his own admission Saxo Grammaticus commanded a more genteel style than he did in the prefaces to his books, he stresses the importance of writing down historical events. He had no authority for his work and dedicated it as opposed to Saxo Grammaticus also no patrons. Nevertheless, he went from their continued existence after his death from.

Probably around 1181-1182 was Aggesens Latin translation of Knut the Great on recycled Coll Vitherlag ( Lex castrensis ), which laid down the rules at the court and the legal relations of the royal retainers ( Thinglith ) with each other. They should learn to maintain particular more sophisticated manners with each other. Even 100 years later, but the penalties for misconduct were significantly decreased under King Niels. Archbishop Absalon of Lund and Knut VI. then presented a solid practice under the written law safe. Saxo Grammaticus also wrote about the law, and in addition there is a third contemporary Danish version available on this topic, but are the ratio of these three writings to each other as well as their sources ( perhaps about oral tradition ) controversial.

According to the preface of the Lex castrensis Aggeson intended to create another own work as a genealogy of the Danish kings, of which only the introduction is obtained.

Furthermore, wrote Aggesen under the title Brevis historia regum Dacie a perhaps finished by 1187 demolition of the Danish kingdom history, ranging from the prevailing around 300 AD of the legendary Danish King Skjold to 1185. The author complains in the preface about his meager materials available and insists to want to write truthfully as possible. Which begins with Skjold historical narrative continues by listing a long series king. Aggesen comes amongst other things detailed talk on the legendary Uffe, who did not speak until his 30th birthday. When the German Kaiser Uffes old, half-blind father, King Wermund, asked to abdicate in favor of Germany, or to fight, Uffe have overcome his lethargy and defeat the strongest warriors as well as the Son of the challenger. Another long story deals with the living in the first half of the 10th century King Gorm the Old and his beautiful wife Thyra Danebod who had been trying to persuade them to leave her husband and to surrender Denmark to Germany by the German Emperor in vain. Also Thyras son Harald Bluetooth, and his son, Sven Forkbeard is given a more detailed description. The Danish history leads Aggeson then up to his own time on. In the final part of his work he dedicated to, among other things, the report about the exploits of Valdemar the Great, such as the Christianization of Rügen; also Waldemar wife, Queen Sophia, is especially worshiped.

About his sources Aggesen announced practically nothing. He used in describing Uffes probably the English biography Vitae duorum Offarum, on that of Sven Forkbeard scarce, resulting in 1140 oldest representation of Danish history, Chronicon Roskildense and perhaps Adam of Bremen's historic work Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum. Further sources are, inter alia saints, written lists of kings, folk tales, family tradition, and for the time history of their own experiences into account.

The transmission of the works Aggesens based only on two lyrically very different written sources of the 17th century: on the one hand, it involves a Danish royal historiographer Claus Christoffersen Lyschander († 1624) attributed manuscript (AM 33, 4), on the other hand, the 1642 printed edition of the Danish philologist and historian Stephan Hansen Stephanius ( Suenonis Aggonis filii. Christierni nepotis, primi Danicae Historici, quae extant opusculae ). Lyschanders version is difficult to understand due to many difficult aufzulösender abbreviations. The classical philologist Martin Clarentius Gertz in 1915, published a sanitized version by Lyschanders handwriting (En ny text af Sven Aggessøns Værker ), but came more recently, to criticism. According to Inge Skovgaard -Petersen exists " no sound basis for a scientific discussion with Sven Aggesen ".

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