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Similar Kings' sagas, Curious Myths of the Middl, Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu, Heimskringla, Nordlands Trompet |
Konungs skuggsj kongespeilet the kings mirror by arne torp
Konungs skuggsjá (Old Norse for "King's mirror"; Latin: Speculum regale, modern Norwegian: Kongsspegelen (Nynorsk) or Kongespeilet (Bokmål)) is a Norwegian educational text from around 1250, an example of speculum literature that deals with politics and morality. It was originally intended for the education of King Magnus Lagabøte, the son of King Håkon Håkonsson, and it has the form of a dialogue between father and son. The son asks, and is advised by his father about practical and moral matters, concerning trade, the hird, chivalric behavior, strategy and tactics. Parts of Konungs skuggsjá deals with the relationship between church and state.
Contents
- Konungs skuggsj kongespeilet the kings mirror by arne torp
- Form and contents
- Advice
- Marvels
- Editions facsimiles and translations
- Secondary literature
- References
A study of the relations of the text's manuscripts was undertaken by Ludvig Holm-Olsen, underpinning his 1983 edition, which is presently the standard one. The most important manuscript is AM 243 a fol., copied in Norway (probably Bergen), around 1275.
Form and contents
The seventy chapters of the text consist of a prologue and two main parts, of which the second may perhaps be subdivided into two sections, one focused on the king's court, the other (more specifically) on the king's justice. In the prologue, the speaker sets out to deal with merchants, kingsmen, the clergy and peasants, but his discussion does not extend much beyond the first two classes. It seems possible that the last two chapters were originally intended for a separate treatment of the clergy.
Advice
The book gives advice on various subjects, such as seafaring and trading:
Marvels
There are several chapters on marvels in various countries. For example, it tells of an encounter which fits the description of a wild man or Woodwose:
Another story tells that after mass in a church in Ireland, the people found an anchor hanging from a rope from the sky. The anchor got stuck on the church doorway. Looking up, they saw a ship with men, and one came down, as though swimming in the air, to free the anchor. The people tried to grab him, but the bishop forbad them, and the man went back up. The men in the ship cut the rope, and the anchor was kept in the town. (A very similar UFO-type story is reported by the Houston Daily Post of April 28, 1897, occurring on April 26th near Merkel, Texas.)
Editions, facsimiles and translations
These are listed here in chronological order: