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In:Latin Literatures of Medieval and Early Modern Times in Europe and Beyond: A millennium heritage
Edited by Francesco Stella
[Comparative History of Literatures in European Languages XXXIV] 2024
► pp. 221–234

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Chapter 13
Nordic countries

 | University of Southern DenmarkOdense
Published online: 2 July 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/chlel.34.13mor
Abstract
This chapter surveys Latin writing in the Nordic countries from the late 11th-century beginnings to the introduction of print. The story is told from a book-historical perspective rather than one of traditional literary history. Instead of following each modern Nordic country separately, it attempts to see common developments in a five-step chronology. The emphasis is on local text production and on the circulation of books of foreign origin as well as on the interaction, mainly from the 13th century onwards, between Latin and the vernacular languages used for books (Old Norse, Old Danish, Old Swedish).
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Eleventh-century beginnings
  • Twelfth-century mythopoiesis
  • Thirteenth-century riches
  • Fourteenth-century survivors
  • The short fifteenth century
  • References
References (59)
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