![CVP521 69v](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/CVP521_69v.jpg)
''Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum'' (
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...
for ''"Deeds of the Bishops of Hamburg"'') is a historical treatise written between 1073 and 1076 by
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gesta ...
, who made additions (''scholia'') to the text until his death (possibly 1081; before 1085).
It is one of the most important sources of the medieval history of
Northern Europe
The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...
, and the oldest textual source reporting the
discovery of coastal North America.
It covers the entire period known as the
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
, from the foundation of the bishopric under
Willehad
Willehad or Willihad ( la, Willehadus/Willihadus); 745 AD 8 November 789) was a Christian missionary and possibly the Bishop of Bremen from 787 AD.
Willehad was born in Northumbria and probably received his education at York under Ecgbert. ...
in 788 until the rule of prince-bishop
Adalbert
Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names inclu ...
in Adam's own time (1043–1072).
The text focuses on the history of the
Hamburg-Bremen
The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (german: Fürsterzbistum Bremen) — not to be confused with the modern Archdiocese of Hamburg, founded in 1994 — was an ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic ...
diocese and its
bishops
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
. As the bishops had jurisdiction over the
missions to Scandinavia, it also gives a report of the
Norse paganism
Old Norse religion, also known as Norse paganism, is the most common name for a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into a distinct branch of the Germanic peop ...
of the period.
The existence of the work was forgotten in the later medieval period, until it was re-discovered in the late 16th century in the library of
Sorø Abbey
Sorø Abbey was the preeminent and wealthiest monastic house in all of Denmark during the Middle Ages. It was located in the town of Sorø in central Zealand.
After Denmark became Lutheran in 1536, the abbey was confiscated by the Crown. The ab ...
, Denmark.
Contents
The treatise consist of the following parts:
*an introduction, addressed to bishop
Liemar Liemar (unknown – 16 May 1101, in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen from 1072 to 1101, and an important figure of the early Investiture Contest.
He was a supporter of Emperor Henry IV from 1073. In 1074 the papal legates Gerald of Ostia ...
*Book 1: History of the bishopric of Bremen and (after 845)
Hamburg-Bremen
The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (german: Fürsterzbistum Bremen) — not to be confused with the modern Archdiocese of Hamburg, founded in 1994 — was an ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic ...
(788–940)
*Book 2: History of the archbishopric Hamburg-Bremen (940–1045)
*Book 3: Biography of archbishop
Adalbert of Hamburg
Adalbert (also Adelbert or Albert; c. 1000 – 16 March 1072) was Archbishop of Bremen from 1043 until his death. Called ''Vikar des Nordens'', he was an important political figure of the Holy Roman Empire, papal legate, and one of the regen ...
(r. 1043–1072)
*Book 4: ''Descriptio insularum aquilonis'': Geographical description of Northern Europe
*''M. Adami epilogus ad Liemarum episcopum'': A dedication to bishop Liemar in hexameters
The text is one of the most important sources of Northern German and Scandinavian history and geography in the
Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
and the beginning
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...
. It covers the relations between
Saxons
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
,
Wends
Wends ( ang, Winedas ; non, Vindar; german: Wenden , ; da, vendere; sv, vender; pl, Wendowie, cz, Wendové) is a historical name for Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It refers not to a homogeneous people, but to various peopl ...
(West Slavs) and
Danes
Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural.
Danes generally regard t ...
(Vikings). The third book is focused on the biography of archbishop
Adalbert of Hamburg
Adalbert (also Adelbert or Albert; c. 1000 – 16 March 1072) was Archbishop of Bremen from 1043 until his death. Called ''Vikar des Nordens'', he was an important political figure of the Holy Roman Empire, papal legate, and one of the regen ...
.
Adam based his works in part on
Einhard
Einhard (also Eginhard or Einhart; la, E(g)inhardus; 775 – 14 March 840) was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the ''Vita ...
,
Cassiodorus
Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator (c. 485 – c. 585), commonly known as Cassiodorus (), was a Roman statesman, renowned scholar of antiquity, and writer serving in the administration of Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. ''Senator'' w ...
, and other earlier historians, consulting the library of the church of Bremen. The text as presented to bishop Liemar was completed in 1075/1076.
[
After the death of Bishop Leuderich (838–45), the see was given to ]Ansgar
Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...
, it lost its independence, and from that time on was permanently united with the Archdiocese of Hamburg.
The Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen
The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (german: Fürsterzbistum Bremen) — not to be confused with the modern Archdiocese of Hamburg, founded in 1994 — was an ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic ...
was designated the "Mission of the North" and had jurisdiction over all missions in Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
, and the entire scope of Viking expansion
Viking expansion was the historical movement which led Norsemen, Norse explorers, traders and warriors, the latter known in modern scholarship as Vikings, to sail most of the North Atlantic, reaching south as far as North Africa and east as far ...
in the north (Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
), throughout the Viking Age
The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Ger ...
, until the archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen had a falling-out with the pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, and separate archbishopric for the North was established in Lund
Lund (, , ) is a city in the southern Swedish provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, across the Øresund, Öresund strait from Copenhagen. The town had 91,940 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 121,510 . It is the seat of Lund Municipali ...
in 1105.
Adam is also an important source of Viking Age Norse paganism
Old Norse religion, also known as Norse paganism, is the most common name for a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into a distinct branch of the Germanic peop ...
, including the practice of human sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler, an authoritative/priestly figure or spirits of dead ancestors or as a retainer sacrifice, wherein ...
:[
"There is a festival at Uppsala every nine years ..The sacrifice is as follows; of every kind of male creature, nine victims are offered. By the blood of these creatures it is the custom to appease the gods. Their bodies, moreover, are hanged in a grove which is adjacent to the temple. This grove is so sacred to the people that the separate trees in it are believed to be holy because of the death or putrefaction of the sacrificial victims. There even dogs and horses hang beside human beings."]
The description of the temple at Uppsala
The Temple at Uppsala was a religious center in the ancient Norse religion once located at what is now Gamla Uppsala (Swedish "Old Uppsala"), Sweden attested in Adam of Bremen's 11th-century work ''Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum'' and i ...
is one of the most famous excerpts of the ''Gesta'':
:"In this temple, entirely decked out in gold, the people worship the statues of three gods in such wise that the mightiest of them, Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
, occupies a throne in the middle of the chamber; Wotan
(''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the ''Nibelun ...
and Frikko have places on either side. (…) Thor, they say, presides over the air, which governs the thunder and lightning, the winds and rains, fair weather ndcrops. The other, Wotan – that is, '' Fury'' 'Wodan, id est furor''– carries on war and imparts to man strength against his enemies. The third is Frikko, who bestows peace and pleasure on mortals. His likeness, too, they fashion with an immense phallus."
The fourth book describes the geography of Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
and the Baltic region
The terms Baltic Sea Region, Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, mainly in Northern Europe. ...
.
It mentions numerous episcopal seats and churches, including Meldorf
Meldorf (Holsatian: ''Meldörp'' or ''Möldörp'') is a town in western Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, that straddles the river Miele in the district of Dithmarschen.
Overview
Meldorf was first mentioned in writing before 1250 AD. In 1265 it rece ...
, Schenefeld, Verden (), Pahlen
The House of Pahlen (german: von der Pahlen; russian: link=no, Пален, Palen) is a German, Estonian, Russian, Lithuanian, Swedish and Baltic German noble family of Pomeranian origin.
History
The family probably originated from Pomerania, ...
, Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg (; Low German: ''Ratzborg'') is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the district Herzogtum Lau ...
, Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...
, Oldenburg in Holstein
Oldenburg in Holstein () is a town at the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea. The nearest city is Lübeck. The town belongs to the (historical) region of Holstein, today in the state Schleswig-Holstein of Germany.
Oldenburg was the chief tow ...
and Jumne
Wolin (Polish pronouciation: ; formerly german: Wollin) is a town in northwestern Poland, situated on the southern tip of the Wolin island off the Baltic coast of the historic region of Western Pomerania. The island lies at the edge of the strait ...
.
Beyond this, it gives a description of the coast of Scandinavia and of the "northern isles" including Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
and notably (in chapter 39) Vinland
Vinland, Vineland, or Winland ( non, Vínland ᚠᛁᚾᛚᛅᚾᛏ) was an area of coastal North America explored by Vikings. Leif Erikson landed there around 1000 AD, nearly five centuries before the voyages of Christopher Columbus and John ...
(North America),[Adam mentions Vinland (''Winland'') in Chapter 39 of Book IV of his ''Gesta'': From pp. 275–276: ''"XXXVIIII. Praeterea unam adhuc insulam recitavit a multis in eo repertam oceano, quae dicitur Winland, eo quid ibi vites sponte nascantur, vinum optimum ferentes. Nam et fruges ibi non seminatas habundare, non fabulosa opinione, sed certa comperimus relatione Danorum. Post quam insulam, ait, terra non invenitur habitabilis in illo oceano, sed omnia, quae ultra sunt, glacie intolerabili ac caligine immensa plena sunt. Cujus rei Martianus ita meminit: Ultra Thilen, inquiens, navigatione unius diei mare concretum est. Temptavit hoc nuper experientissimus Nordmannorum princeps Haraldus. Qui latitudinem septentrionalis oceani perscrutatus navibus tandem caligantibus ante ora deficientis mundi finibus, inmane baratrum abyssi retroactis vestigiis vix salvus evasit."'' (39. In addition, he Sweyn Estridsson, king of Denmark (reigned 1047–1076)">Sweyn_II_of_Denmark.html" ;"title=".e., Sweyn II of Denmark">Sweyn Estridsson, king of Denmark (reigned 1047–1076)named one more island in this ocean, discovered by many, which is called "Vinland", because vines grow wild there, making the best wine. For [that] crops [that are] not sown, abound there, we learn not from fanciful opinion but from the true account of the Danes. Beyond which island, it is said, habitable land is not found in that ocean, but all ]laces
Lace is a lightweight fabric patterned with open holes.
Lace(s) may also refer to:
Arts and media Films
* ''Lace'' (1926 film), a German silent crime film
* ''Lace'' (1928 film), a Soviet silent film
* ''Laces'' (film), a 2018 Israeli film
M ...
that are beyond, are filled with intolerable ice and boundless fog. About this subject Martianus .e., Martianus Capella (fl. ca. 410–420) in his ''De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii'' (On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury), Book VI, § 666] recalled: At one day's sailing beyond Thule, he says, the sea is frozen. Harald [i.e., Harald Hardrada (ca. 1015–1066), King of Norway], the most enterprising leader of the Normans, recently attempted o go
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...
to this place. t was hewho – the extent of the northern ocean having been investigated by isships – finally by withdrawing from the fogs before the edge at the world's end, barely escaped safely the vast abyss of Hell by reversing istracks.) being the oldest extant written record of the Norse discovery of North America. Adam of Bremen had been at the court of Danish king Sven Estridson
Sven (in Danish and Norwegian, also Svend and also in Norwegian most commonly Svein) is a Scandinavian first name which is also used in the Low Countries and German-speaking countries. The name itself is Old Norse for "young man" or "young war ...
and was informed about the Viking discoveries in the North Atlantic there.
Author
Adam is believed to have come from Meissen
Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrecht ...
(Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''Misnia'') in Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
.
He was probably born before 1050 and died on 12 October of an unknown year (possibly 1081, at the latest 1085).
From his chronicles it is apparent that he was familiar with a number of authors. The honorary name of ''Magister Adam'' shows that he had passed through all the stages of a higher education. It is probable that he was taught at the ''Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...
er Domschule''.
In 1066 or 1067 he was invited by archbishop Adalbert of Hamburg
Adalbert (also Adelbert or Albert; c. 1000 – 16 March 1072) was Archbishop of Bremen from 1043 until his death. Called ''Vikar des Nordens'', he was an important political figure of the Holy Roman Empire, papal legate, and one of the regen ...
to join the Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen
The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (german: Fürsterzbistum Bremen) — not to be confused with the modern Archdiocese of Hamburg, founded in 1994 — was an ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic ...
.[Remy, Arthur F.J. "Adam of Bremen." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 20 Sept. 2012]
/ref> Adam was accepted among the capitulars of Bremen, and by 1069 he appeared as director of the cathedral's school.[ Soon thereafter he began to write the history of Hamburg-Bremen and of the northern lands in his ''Gesta''.
His position and the missionary activity of the church of Hamburg-Bremen allowed him to gather information on the history and the geography of ]Northern Germany
Northern Germany (german: link=no, Norddeutschland) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part of Germany which includes the coastal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony an ...
. A stay at the court of Svend Estridson gave him the opportunity to find information about the history and geography of Denmark and the other Scandinavian countries.[
]
Sources
Adam made use of a variety of sources. He had a preference for biographies over chronicles and annals. He had access to the biographies of the missionary saints Boniface
Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
, Ansgar
Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...
, Liudger
Ludger ( la, Ludgerus; also Lüdiger or Liudger) (born at Zuilen near Utrecht 742; died 26 March 809 at Billerbeck) was a missionary among the Frisians and Saxons, founder of Werden Abbey and the first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia. He has ...
, Radbod, Rimbert Saint Rimbert (or Rembert) (''c.'' 830 - 11 June 888 in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, in the northern part of the Kingdom of East Frankia from 865 until his death in 888. He most famously wrote the hagiography about the life Ansgar, th ...
, Willehad
Willehad or Willihad ( la, Willehadus/Willihadus); 745 AD 8 November 789) was a Christian missionary and possibly the Bishop of Bremen from 787 AD.
Willehad was born in Northumbria and probably received his education at York under Ecgbert. ...
and Willibrord
Willibrord (; 658 – 7 November AD 739) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary and saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands. He became the first bishop of Utrecht and died at Echternach, Luxembourg.
Early life
His fathe ...
. He also made use of Einhard
Einhard (also Eginhard or Einhart; la, E(g)inhardus; 775 – 14 March 840) was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the ''Vita ...
's '' Life of Charlemagne''. His historical sources include Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Florenti ...
's ''Historia Francorum'' and the ''Annals of Fulda
The ''Annales Fuldenses'' or ''Annals of Fulda'' are East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious (died 840) to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Francia with the ac ...
'', which he also calls the ''Historia Francorum''. He had the Regensburg continuation of the latter, perhaps even a copy that had been amplified with other material. He also had an amplified version of the '' Annals of Corbie''. He uses but does not name the '' Swabian World Chronicle'' and the ''Chronicle'' of Regino of Prüm
Regino of Prüm or of Prum ( la, Regino Prumiensis, german: Regino von Prüm; died 915 AD) was a Benedictine monk, who served as abbot of Prüm (892–99) and later of Saint Martin's at Trier, and chronicler, whose ''Chronicon'' is an important s ...
. Three sources he cites appear to be lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
: the ''Annales Caesarum'', ''Gesta Francorum'' and ''Gesta Anglorum.[Francis J. Tschan, "Introduction", in Adam of Bremen, ''History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen'' (Columbia University Press, 2002 ]959
Year 959 ( CMLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* April - May – The Byzantines refuse to pay the yearly tribute. A Hungaria ...
, pp. xxix–xxx.
Among documentary sources, Adam had access to letters and charters, both papal and imperial. He also saw the confraternity book
A confraternity book (german: Verbrüderungsbuch, la, liber confraternitatum or ''confraternitatis''), also called a ''liber memorialis'' (memorial book) or ''liber vitae'' (book of life), is a medieval register of the names of people who had ente ...
and the donation book of Bremen, begun under Ansgar. He was poor, however, at detecting forgeries. Among ecclesiastical texts, he used the False Decretals
Pseudo-Isidore is the conventional name for the unknown Carolingian-era author (or authors) behind an extensive corpus of influential forgeries. Pseudo-Isidore's main object was to provide accused bishops with an array of legal protections amount ...
, the ''Decretum'' of Burchard of Worms
Burchard of Worms ( 950/965 – August 20, 1025) was the bishop of the Imperial City of Worms, in the Holy Roman Empire. He was the author of a canon law collection of twenty books known as the '' Decretum'', ''Decretum Burchardi'', or ''Decreto ...
and lost work by Abbot Bovo II of Corvey.[
]
Manuscript tradition
According to Schmeidler (1917), Adam created three versions of the text, in the convention of Schmeidler (1917) labelled
*(A) representing his preliminary text,
*(a) the work as given to bishop Liemar, and
*(X) which he kept for his own use and supplemented with various additions (''scholia'').
None of the three archetypes has been preserved. The most relevant surviving manuscripts are classified into three groups, labelled A, B and C.
The best manuscript is of group A, labelled A1 ( National Library Vienna, cod. 521), dated to the first half of the 13th century.
Parts of book 2, book 4 and some scholia are also preserved in a ms. dated ca. 1100 (Leiden University Library
Leiden University Libraries is a library founded in 1575 in Leiden, Netherlands. It is regarded as a significant place in the development of Culture of Europe, European culture: it is a part of a small number of cultural centres that gave directi ...
, Codex Vossianus Latinus, VLQ 123).
Manuscripts in the B and C groups are derived from version X. They contain independent additions of scholia. The best ms. in group B was the so-called Codex z, written 1161/2, which was however lost in the Copenhagen Fire of 1728
The Copenhagen Fire of 1728 was the largest fire in the history of Copenhagen, Denmark. It began on the evening of 20 October 1728 and continued to burn until the morning of 23 October. It destroyed approximately 28% of the city (measured by coun ...
. Some copies of this ms. are extant.
The best ms. in group C, labelled C1, is at the Copenhagen Royal Library, Old Royal Collection, No. 2296 quarto (dated c. 1230).
Editions
The editio princeps was printed in 1595 after the now-lost ms. C2 by Erpold Lindenberg.
It was reprinted as ' in 1609 and 1630.
The fourth book was edited by Johannes Messinus in Stockholm in 1615, and by Stephanus Johannes Stephanius in Leiden in 1629.
A revised edition by Joachim Johannes Mader appeared in Helmstedt in 1670, reprinted 1706 by J. A. Fabricius in Hamburg.
The first critical edition, based on ms. A1, is due to Johann Martin Lappenberg
Johann Martin Lappenberg (July 30, 1794 – November 28, 1865) was a German diplomat and historian.
Biography
He was born at Hamburg, where his father, Valentin Anton Lappenberg (1759–1819), held an official position. He attended the Johanneum ...
, published 1846. It was included in the ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica
The ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica'' (''MGH'') is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published primary sources, both chronicle and archival, for the study of Northwestern and Central European history from the end of the Roman Empire ...
'' series, appearing in a revised edition by Georg Waitz in 1876, and edited by Migne in 1884 ( PL 146).
The edition by Bernhard Schmeidler (1917, reprinted 1977, 1993) remains current.
See also
*''Gesta Danorum
''Gesta Danorum'' ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark an ...
''
* ''Chronicon Slavorum
The ''Chronica Sclavorum'' or ''Chronicle of the Slavs'' is a medieval chronicle which recounts the pre-Christian culture and religion of the Polabian Slavs, written by Helmold (ca. 1120 – after 1177), a Saxon priest and historian. It describ ...
''
*Duchy of Saxony
The Duchy of Saxony ( nds, Hartogdom Sassen, german: Herzogtum Sachsen) was originally the area settled by the Saxons in the late Early Middle Ages, when they were subdued by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 772 and incorporated into the C ...
* Vinland
Vinland, Vineland, or Winland ( non, Vínland ᚠᛁᚾᛚᛅᚾᛏ) was an area of coastal North America explored by Vikings. Leif Erikson landed there around 1000 AD, nearly five centuries before the voyages of Christopher Columbus and John ...
* Birca
References
*
* ed. Waitz (1876
Gesta Hammaburgensis Pontificum Liber I (Wikisource)
*Erpold Lindenbrog, Johann Albert Fabricius, ''Scriptores rerum Germanicarum septeatrionalium'' sumptu C. Liebezeit, 1706
google books
.
* Adam von Bremen: ''Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum.'' In: Werner Trillmich, Rudolf Buchner (eds.): ''Quellen des 9. und 11. Jahrhunderts zur Geschichte der Hamburgischen Kirche und des Reiches.'' (FSGA 11), 7th ed., Darmstadt 2000, , 137–499.
*J. C. M. Laurent,''Hamburgische Kirchengeschichte, Adams von Bremen Hamburgische Kirchengeschichte'' (1893)
wikisource
* Linda Kalhjundi: ''Waiting for the Barbarians: the imagery, dynamics and functions of the Other in Northern German missionary chronicles, 11th-early 13th centuries: the Gestae hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum of Adam of Bremen, Chronica Slavorum of Helmold of Bosau, Chronica Slavorum of Arnold of Lübeck, and Chronicon Livoniae of Henry of Livonia'', dissertation, Tartu, 2005
utlib.ee
*''Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum''. English translation in ''History of the Archbishops of Bremen'', translated with an introduction and notes by Francis J. Tschan. Columbia University Press. New York (1959).
*''Adami Bremensis Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum. Codex Havniensis''. Published in photolithography with preface by C. A. Christensen. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde and Bagger, 1948 (Ms. Copenhagen, Old Royal Collection 2296 quarto, c. 1230, Schmeidler's C1)
Ludwig Bieler, review, ''Speculum'' 24.2, April 1949, 256f.
* Adam of Bremen,
History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen
', English translation by F.J. Tschan, Columbia University Press, 2002, .
including current edition of the Latin text
* Adam of Bremen, ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie
''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, german: Universal German Biography) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language.
It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Aca ...
'', online text. German.
* Adam of Bremen
''Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum''
online text. Latin.
Notes
External links
Royal Library Copenhagen, Fragment NKS 1463 2°
National Library Vienna, cod. 521
direct link to digital images
*
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11th-century history books
11th-century Latin books
German chronicles
Danish chronicles
Sources on Germanic paganism
History of Bremen (state)
History of Hamburg
History of Uppsala
Viking Age
Former Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany
Bishops of Bremen
Norse colonization of North America