Gerhard Schøning and Saga Literature

• Main Author: Jan Ragnar Hagland
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Lofoten; Norway; The Cathedral; Northern Norway
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.563.4979; http://sydney.edu.au/arts/medieval/saga/pdf/109-hagland.pdf

It is fair to say that Gerhard Schøning (1722-80) through his scholarly work created an increased awareness of and interest in Norwegian medieval history and Old Norse literature, among Norwegians in the first place, but also further afield. The edition of Heimskringla in Old Norse, Danish and Latin (I-III, 1777-83) commonly referred to as Schøning’s edition – is without doubt the most important contribution to this process. Several aspects of this edition together with Schøning’s apparent interest in a wider scope of saga literature deserve, as I see it, to be dwelt with at some length within the framework of a Saga Conference. In order to appreciate these interests a few facts from Schøning’s biography may be relevant as a background: He was born at Buksnes in the islands of Lofoten, Northern Norway 1722. From 1739 to 1742 he was a student at the Cathedral School in Trondheim, the rector of which was the well-known Benjamin Dass. After having finished his studies in Trondheim Schøning went on to university studies in Copenhagen where he obtained a degree in theology