The Gesta Danorum (Books I-IX) on Denmark
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Political Institutions.
attestation: Peasant-birth was considered a bar to Danish kingship; the king should be of royal kin.
"of unblemished body, presumably of royal kin (peasant-birth is considered a bar to the kingship)"
attestation: In Denmark, the king was chosen and acknowledged at a stone circle, and the stability of the stones was an omen for the reign.
"In Denmark this was at a stone circle, and the stability of these stones was taken as an omen for the king's reign"
attestation: A Danish king came of age at twelve, and a seven-year-old king had twelve regents chosen in the Moot.
"The king was of age at twelve. A king of seven years of age has twelve Regents chosen in the Moot"
attestation: Regents were appointed across Danish provinces: one to Scania, one to Zealand, one to Funen, and two to Jutland.
"Regents are all appointed in Denmark, in one case for lack of royal blood, one to Scania, one to Zealand, one to Funen, two to Jutland"
attestation: Thanes were created by the king delivering a sword held by the blade, with the thane grasping the hilt.
"His thanes are created by the delivery of a sword, which the king bolds by the blade and the thane takes by the hilt"
attestation: A king's thanes were obligated to avenge him if he fell in battle.
"A king's thanes must avenge him if he falls, and owe him allegiance"
attestation: Noble birth was manifested by fine eyes, personal beauty, courage, and delicate behaviour, while slave nature showed cowardice, treachery, and low physical traits.
"As noble birth is manifest by fine eyes and personal beauty, courage and endurance, and delicate behaviour, so the slave nature is manifested by cowardice, treachery, unbridled lust, bad manners, falsehood, and low physical traits"
attestation: Captive ladies were sent to a brothel and captive kings were cruelly put to death in Danish practice.
"Captive ladies are sent to a brothel; captive kings cruelly put to death"
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Customary Law.
attestation: The maxim that it is disgraceful to be ruled by a woman was a widely held principle among Teutonic nations.
""It is disgraceful to be ruled by a woman."--The great men of Teutonic nations held to this maxim"
attestation: Exacting the blood-fine was considered as honourable as taking direct vengeance, marking the first stage of substituting law for feud.
""To exact the blood-fine was as honourable as to take vengeance."--This maxim, begotten by Interest upon Legality, established itself both in Scandinavia and Arabia"
attestation: Capture marriage left traces in the guarding of kings' daughters and the custom of challenging kings to fight for their daughters.
"The capture marriage has left traces in the guarded king's daughters, the challenging of kings to fight or hand over their daughters"
attestation: Free women in Denmark had the right to refuse a proposed husband and sometimes had free choice of partner.
"the free women in Denmark had clearly long had a veto or refusal of a husband for some time back, and sometimes even free choice"
attestation: Betrothal was customary, and for the groom to defile an espoused woman was a foul reproach.
"Betrothal was of course the usage. For the groom to defile an espoused woman is a foul reproach"
attestation: Three days after the bridal were observed in 'sword-bed', a ritual separation after the wedding.
"The three days after the bridal and their observance in "sword-bed" are noticed below"
attestation: A commoner or one of slave-blood was prohibited from marrying a high-born lady.
"A commoner or one of slave-blood could not pretend to wed a high-born lady"
attestation: In archaic Danish custom, a brother could marry his brother's widow.
"brother weds brother's widow in good archaic fashion"
attestation: The penalty for loss of maidenhood was sale abroad into slavery to grind the quern.
"the penalty for its infraction was severe: sale abroad into slavery to grind the quern in the mud of the yard"
attestation: Good wives were expected to die with their husbands as vowed, or perish from grief at their loss.
""Good wives" die with their husbands as they have vowed, or of grief for their loss, and are wholly devoted to their interests"
attestation: The penalty for adultery was death to both parties at the husband's option, or disfigurement by cutting off the guilty woman's nose.
"The penalty for adultery is death to both, at husband's option--disfigurement by cutting off the nose of the guilty woman, an archaic practice widely spread"
attestation: Slaying a close blood relative, even by accident, was a bootless crime requiring religious purification and exile.
"To slay those most close in blood, even by accident, is to incur the guilt of parricide, or kin-killing, a bootless crime, which can only be purged by religious ceremonies; and which involves exile"
attestation: Treason was punished by hanging or drowning in the sea.
"Such are treason, which is punishable by hanging; by drowning in sea"
attestation: Rebels were punished by having their heels bored and thonged, then fastened to wild bulls or horses to be torn apart.
"the rebels' heels are bored and thonged under the sinew, as Hector's feet were, and they are then fastened by the thongs to wild bulls, hunted by hounds, till they are dashed to pieces"
attestation: Parricide was punished by hanging the criminal by the heels alongside a live wolf.
"For "parricide", i.e., killing within near degrees, the criminal is hung up, apparently by the heels, with a live wolf"
attestation: A challenge to battle could not be honourably refused, though a superior was not bound to fight an inferior in rank.
"A challenge could not, either to war or wager of battle, be refused with honor, though a superior was not bound to fight an inferior in rank"
attestation: The place of trial by combat was usually an island in a river, and combatants fought by alternate strokes.
"The challenged man chose the place of battle, and possibly fixed the time. This was usually an island in the river"
attestation: Giants and noted champions challenged kings for their daughters in wager of battle, and the prince rescued the lady through prowess.
"Giants and noted champions challenge kings for their daughters (as in the fictitious parts of the Icelandic family sagas) in true archaic fashion"
attestation: A champion's reward for fighting on behalf of a principal included many lands and sixty slaves.
"The champion's fee or reward when he was fighting for his principal and came off successful was heavy--many lands and sixty slaves"
attestation: A sword-blunting spell was cast by the evil eye of sinister champions and foiled by covering blades with thin skin or using a club.
"the continual occurrence of the sword-blunting spell, often cast by the eye of the sinister champion, and foiled by the good hero, sometimes by covering his blade with thin skin, sometimes by changing the blade, sometimes by using a mace or club"
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > War.
attestation: A red shield served as a signal of peace in Scandinavian war practice.
"A red shield is a signal of peace"
attestation: Seventy sea-kings were swept away in a single sea-fight.
"Seventy sea-kings are swept away in one sea-fight"
attestation: Berserkers (bear-sarks or wolf-coats) worked themselves into a frenzy, barking and biting their shield-rims, entering a state akin to running amok.
""bear-sarks' way", to describe the frenzy of fight and fury which such champions indulged in, barking and howling, and biting their shield-rims"
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Social Life And Manners.
attestation: The hall-dinner was a central feature of old Teutonic court-life, with scenes taking place while king and men sat over ale.
"The hall-dinner was an important feature in the old Teutonic court-life. Many a fine scene in a saga takes place in the hall while the king and his men are sitting over their ale"
attestation: Food at court was simple: boiled beef, pork, mutton without sauce, and ale served in horns from the butt.
"The food was simple, boiled beef and pork, and mutton without sauce, ale served in horns from the butt"
attestation: Mimes and jugglers attached to lords' courts were despised for their ribaldry, obscenity, and cowardice.
""Mimes and jugglers", who went through the country or were attached to the lord's court to amuse the company, were a despised race because of their ribaldry, obscenity, cowardice, and unabashed self-debasement"
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Funeral Rites And Man'S Future State.
attestation: Great men's funerals involved burning on a ship-pyre, with devoted bower-maidens choosing to die with their mistress.
"the byre sometimes formed out of a ship; the "sati"; the devoted bower-maidens choosing to die with their mistress"
attestation: Barrow-ghosts were stopped by decapitation, thigh-forking, or staking and burning.
"He must in such case be mastered and prevented doing further harm by decapitation and thigh-forking, or by staking and burning"
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Magic And Folk-Science.
attestation: Panic terror could be induced by setting a dead horse's head on a pole facing the antagonist.
""Panic Terror" may be induced by the spell worked with a dead horse's head set up on a pole facing the antagonist"
attestation: Porridge mixed with the slaver of tortured snakes could give magic strength or bestow knowledge of beast and bird speech.
""Food", porridge mixed with the slaver of tortured snakes, gives magic strength or endues the eater with eloquence and knowledge of beast and bird speech"
attestation: Spells to wake the dead were written on wood and placed under the corpse's tongue.
"Spells to wake the dead were written on wood and put under the corpses' tongue"
attestation: The first three bridal nights were kept hallowed due to superstition, and dreams during them were considered fateful.
"The dreams of the three first bridals nights (which were kept hallowed by a curious superstition"
attestation: A dying man's curse was powerful unless it could be turned back upon the utterer.
"A "curse" is powerful unless it can be turned back, when it will harm its utterer, for harm someone it must"
attestation: Drinking lion's blood gave might and strength, and drinking bear's blood gave great bodily power.
"drinking of a lion's blood that eats men as a means of gaining might and strength; the drinking of bear's blood is also declared to give great bodily power"
attestation: It was believed a dumb person could be so moved by passion that they would acquire speech.
"It was believed that a "dumb man" might be so wrought on by passion that he would speak, and wholly acquire speech-power"
attestation: Wounded intestines were bound with withies to keep bowels from risk until proper treatment could be given.
"in one case of intestines protruding owing to wounds, withies were employed to bind round the trunk and keep the bowels from risk"
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Folk-Tales.
comparison: The tale of a clever king's daughter choosing a suitor by feeling a ring sewn into his leg parallels the giantess choosing Njord by his feet in the Prose Edda.
"the "Clever King's Daughter", who evidently in the original story had to choose her suitor by his feet (as the giantess in the prose Edda chooses her husband)"
attestation: Two children ordered to be killed were saved by substituting other children, then disguised and named as dogs until they came into their own.
"Two children, ordered to be killed, are saved by the slaying of other children in their place; and afterwards by their being kept and named as dogs; they come to their own and avenge their wrongs"
attestation: The hero's illuminating hair that gives light in darkness is a folk-tale motif found in Saxo.
"The shining, effulgent, "illuminating hair" of the hero, which gives light in the darkness, is noticed here"
The Danish History, > Books I-Ix > Preface.
attestation: Denmark had recently adopted Christianity and Latin, but its people were still unfamiliar with both.
"It had but lately been admitted to the common faith: it still languished as strange to Latin as to religion"
attestation: Ancient Danes recorded their lordly deeds in poetical compositions and carved their forefathers' works on rocks and cliffs in their own characters.
"the more ancient of the Danes, when any notable deeds of mettle had been done, were filled with emulation of glory, and imitated the Roman style; not only by relating in a choice kind of composition, which might be called a poetical work, the roll of their lordly deeds; but also by having graven upon rocks and cliffs, in the characters of their own language"
The Danish History, > Book One.
attestation: Kings were elected by standing on stones planted in the ground, symbolizing the lasting nature of the deed.
"The ancients, when they were to choose a king, were wont to stand on stones planted in the ground, and to proclaim their votes, in order to foreshadow from the steadfastness of the stones that the deed would be lasting"
attestation: The sorcerers prevailed over the giants in war and acquired the repute of being divine.
"the sorcerers prevailed, subdued the tribe of giants by arms, and acquired not merely the privilege of ruling, but also the repute of being divine"
The Danish History, > Book Eight.
attestation: Crops were ruined by inclement weather causing a mighty dearth of corn and widespread famine
"the yield of crops was ruined by most inclement weather, and a mighty dearth of corn befell. Victuals began to be scarce, and the commons were distressed with famine"
attestation: The famine was so severe that people resorted to eating bark and roots to survive
"the commons were distressed with famine"
attestation: The weather disaster struck across the entire Danish territory, not just one region
"the yield of crops was ruined by most inclement weather"
attestation: The crops failed due to either too little rain or soil baked too hard, causing the fields to yield little produce
"Whether it was that the soil had too little rain, or that it was too hard baked, the crops, as I have said, were slack, and the fields gave but little produce"
attestation: The land lacked food and was threatened with famine so severe that people faced starvation
"but little produce; so that the land lacked victual, and was worn with"
attestation: The famine persisted across multiple seasons, devastating the Danish population
"a weary famine."
attestation: The Danish farmland became overgrown like a forest as tillers labored less and furrows disappeared
"the land of the Danes, where the tillers laboured less and less, and all traces of the furrows were covered with overgrowth, began to look like a forest"
attestation: Denmark was almost stripped of its pleasant natural appearance due to agricultural collapse
"Almost stripped of its pleasant native turf, it bristled with the dense unshapely woods that grew up."
attestation: Traces of ancient tillage are still visible as mounds and stone piles among the forest that overgrew the farmland
"the mounds which men laboriously built up of old on the level ground for the burial of the dead are now covered by a mass of woodland"
attestation: The conflict between Denmark and the Frankish empire was one of the major political events of the era
"a bracelet from his arm, called the man to him, and put it between his lips."
The Danish History, > Book Nine.
attestation: A child remained in infancy requiring a guardian for both the pupil and the realm
"While this child remained in infancy a guardian was required for the pupil and for the realm"
attestation: Most people found it invidious or difficult to provide the guardianship needed
"inasmuch it seemed to most people either invidious or difficult to give the aid that this office needed"