萨克索·格拉玛提库斯

生平

根據《日德蘭半島編年史》（Jutland Chronicle）的記載，薩克索出生在西蘭島(丹麥語: Sjælland
)上。據推斷，他出生於1150年後，並在1220年左右去世。他的名字「薩克索」（Saxo）是流行於中世紀丹麥的一個常見的名字。《日德蘭半島編年史》中尊稱他為博學者薩克索 （Saxo Grammaticus），但《西蘭島編年史》則用高大的智者薩克索（Saxo cognomine Longus）來稱呼他。
薩克索•格拉瑪提庫斯生活在戰亂年代，那時大主教阿布薩隆和瓦爾德馬國王正指揮著他的軍隊四處征戰。丹麥人民同時還要抵禦溫茲（西斯拉夫）人的海上威脅。 在瓦爾德馬一世取得國民戰爭的勝利後不久，瓦爾德馬二世又派出遠征隊入侵易北河對岸的霍爾斯坦.
丹麥貴族斯汶·奧吉森編撰了比薩克索稍早一些的丹麥歷史。當他描寫他所處的年代時，曾提及到薩克索，並稱他為contubernalis，意為一起住帳篷的同伴。這表明薩克索和斯汶有可能一起在Hird或者皇家守衛里當過兵。人們在隆德大教堂的神職人員的名單里也發現了一個名叫薩克索的副主教（Archdeacon），但他於1190年逝世，與我們熟知的薩克索不符。
不論哪種觀點，認為他是俗家的薩克索或者修道的薩克索，都證實了他是一個受過良好教育的人。身為神職人員要接受拉丁語的訓練，且表現優異的子弟時常要被派往巴黎。薩克索生於一個軍人家庭所以他自己也對軍人這個身份表示認同。他告訴我們他
雙方的觀點都有,世俗和宗教盛寶,將確認他是受過良好教育,作為神職人員,他會接受培訓在拉丁語和偉人的兒子經常被派往巴黎。盛寶來自一個武士家庭和寫道,他是致力於成為一個士兵。他告訴我們,他是「古代遺傳服務的權利,」,他的父親和祖父」是公認的著名陛下的常客(Valdemar I)戰爭陣營。」
薩克索的教育和能力支持他在接受丹麥以外教育的想法。有人認為標題「Grammaticus」不是指他的教育，而是指他精心設計的拉丁風格 。我們從他的寫作中知道，他是國王瓦爾德馬一世最重要的顧問隆德大主教阿布薩隆的隨員，並得到他的贊助，他是。在阿布薩隆的遺囑中，阿布薩隆寬免了身為書記的薩克索一小筆兩分半白銀的債務，並告訴他把兩本借回來的書送回索勒修道院。薩克索·格拉瑪提庫斯的遺產是十六本丹麥人的英雄歷史書，名為《丹麥人的事跡》。

丹麥人的事跡

In the preface to the work, Saxo writes that his patron Absalon, Archbishop of Lund had encouraged him to write a heroic history of the Danes. The history is thought to have been started about 1185, after Sven Aggesen wrote his history. The goal of Gesta Danorum was as Saxo writes "to glorify our fatherland," which he accomplishes on the model of the 埃涅阿斯紀 by 維吉爾. Saxo also may have owed much to 柏拉圖, 西塞羅 and also to more contemporary writers like Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Saxo's history of the Danes was compiled from sources that are of questionable historical value. He drew on oral tales of the Icelanders, ancient volumes, letters carved on rocks and stone, and the statements of his patron Absalon concerning the history of which the Archbishop had been a part. Saxo's work was not strictly a history or a simple record of old tales, rather it was "a product of Saxo's own mind and times," he combines the history and mythology of the heroic age of Denmark and reworks it into his own story that exemplifies the past of the Danes.
The history is composed of sixteen books and extends from the time of the founders of the Danish people, Dan I of Denmark and Angul into about the year 1187. The first four are concerned with the history of the Danes before Christ, the next four with the history after Christ, books 9-12 Christian Denmark and 13-16 promote Lund and the exploits early before and during Saxo's own lifetime. It is assumed that the last eight books were written first, as Saxo drew heavily on Absalon's testament for evidence of the age of Saint Canute and Valdemar I and Archbishop Absalon died in 1202, before the work was completed. 
The first eight volumes share a likeness with the works of the contemporary Snorri Sturluson. They deal with mythical elements such as giants and the Scandinavian pantheon of gods. Saxo tells of Dan the first king of Denmark who had a brother named Angul who gave his name to the Angles. He also tells the stories of various other Danish heroes, many who interact with the Scandinavian gods. Saxo's "heathen" gods however were not always good characters.  They were sometimes treacherous such as in the story of Harald, legendary king of the Danes, who was taught the ways of warfare by Odinn and then was betrayed and killed by the god who then brought him to Valhalla.
Saxo's world is seen to have had very warlike values. He glorifies the heroes that made their names in battle far more than those who made peace. His view of the period of peace under King Frode was very low and was only satisfied when King Knut brought back the ancestral customs. Saxo's chronology of kings extends up to Saint Canute and his son Valdemar I. 
Of particular interest for Shakespeare scholars is the story of Amleth, the first instance of Hamlet. Saxo based the story on an oral tale of a son taking revenge for his murdered father. Saxo finished the history with the Preface, which he wrote last, about 1216 under the patronage of Anders Sunesen who replaced Absalon as Archbishop of Lund. Saxo included in the preface warm appreciation of both Archbishops and of the reigning King Valdemar II.

歷史貢獻

Christiern Pedersen, a Canon of Lund, collaborated with Jodocus Badius Ascendius, a fellow enthusiast, to print the work of Saxo Grammaticus early in the sixteenth century. This was the first major step toward securing historical significance for Gesta Danorum. It was from that point that it began to spread amongst the academic community. Oliver Elton who was the first to translate the first nine books of Gesta Danorum into English wrote that Saxo was the first writer produced by Denmark. 
Saxo's skill as a Latinist was praised by Erasmus, who wondered at how "a Dane of that age got so great power of eloquence" later R. W. Chambers would call it "a difficult and bombastic, but always amusing Latin". There have also been several attempts to understand his style of Latin and place it in history to glean more information about where he may have been educated. Some have considered Saxo's Latin to have more in common with legal training than ecclesiastical and his poetry is thought to have traces of parallelism.
He is also seen by modern Danes as their first national historian. His works were received enthusiastically by Renaissance scholars who were curious about pre-Christian history and legends. Saxo's account of history has been seen to differ greatly from that of his contemporaries, especially between his account and those of Norwegians and Icelanders in that the titles of hero and villain switch between the characters of the various nationalities. There are even differences between Saxo's work, and that of fellow Danish historian Sven Aggesen. 
These differences often are the result of elaboration on the part of Saxo. His account of the tale of Thyri for example is far more fantastic and blown up than the tale that Sven presents and for this stylization and elaboration of the facts Saxo's history has often been criticized. Saxo's inclusion of Amleth is the most significant part of the Gesta Danorum, however the work also has value in its description of the canonization of Canute and further in comparison to Snorri, whose work shares many characters and stories, creating a better understanding of pre-Christian Scandinavia.