The Norwegian synoptics are three of the earliest
kings' sagas. They give brief overviews of the history of Norway from legendary times up to the 12th century. They are thought to have been written in the period 1180–1220. Two of them are written in Latin while one is written in Old Norse.
Historia Norwegie
''Historia Norwegie'' begins with the legendary
Ynglingar
The Ynglings were a dynasty of kings, first in Sweden and later in Norway, primarily attested through the poem '' Ynglingatal''. The dynasty also appears as Scylfings ( Old Norse ''Skilfingar'') in ''Beowulf''. When ''Beowulf'' and ''Ynglingatal' ...
and ends with the return of
St. Olaf
Olaf II Haraldsson ( – 29 July 1030), later known as Saint Olaf (and traditionally as St. Olave), was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he was posthumously given the title ''Rex Perpet ...
to Norway. It includes a geographical description of Norway and Iceland.
Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium
''Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium'' was written by a monk named Theodoricus, about whom little is known, and dedicated to
Archbishop Eysteinn
Eysteinn Erlendsson (Modern Norwegian ''Øystein Erlendsson'', Latin ''Augustinus Nidrosiensis'') (died 26 January 1188) was Archbishop of Nidaros from 1161 to his death in 1188.
Background
His family came from Trøndelag, and he was related to m ...
(d. 1188). It begins with
Harald Fairhair and ends with the death of
Sigurd the Crusader (1130). Despite its short length, the work includes fairly lengthy digressions, intended to have exemplary value.
Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum
Both the beginning and end of Ágrip are lost but the original scope of the work was probably from the legendary
Halfdan the Black and down to 1177. Ágrip may be regarded as a bridge between the learned Latin works and the later kings' sagas.
References
* Ármann Jakobsson. 2005. Royal Biography, in ''A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture''. Blackwell.
Kings' sagas
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