Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/122

104 The former, which is purely legendary history, comprises the first nine of the sixteen books of the work. In the latter, which is mainly historical, history, pure and authentic, appears with the beginning of the twelfth book. In both the preceding ones, and especially in the tenth, legend and history wrestle with each other for the supremacy.

The entire work doubtless rests exclusively on oral tradition, which had been gathered by Saxo, and which he repeated precisely as he had heard it, for in the whole chronicle there is no trace of criticism proper. In reference to his own time, and that immediately preceding his birth, that is the period treated in the last five books of his work, his materials were so abundant that he was able to be very elaborate, and of course the more so as he gradually approached his own time. Archbishop Absalon, in his eagerness to further the work which he had himself suggested, doubtless took pains to have Saxo provided in the most complete manner with materials.

The tenth and eleventh books are the weakest part of the work, and here the traditions seem to have been particularly scanty and unsatisfactory. On the other hand, the first nine books are of invaluable importance on account of the pictures they furnish of Denmark's legendary age. Saxo's sources are here in all probability old songs, of which a great number doubtless still lived on the lips of the people. His Latin verses all seem to be translations of Danish songs or of fragments of such songs. Among these there are a number which can hardly have been known in Iceland, since no traces of them are found in that country. In many instances there is, moreover, a notable difference between the Icelandic traditions and Saxo's rendering of old Danish legends, a fact which doubtless proves that this kind of poetry and legendary lore lived an independent life in Denmark.

Saxo is guilty of a poetical exaggeration when, after stating that the ancient Danes not only composed poems on the deeds of their heroes but also risted (cut) these poems