Ekphrases of place in the Preface of Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum

Henrique Verri Fiebig

doi:10.35699/1983-3636.2025.54161

Authors

Henrique Verri Fiebig Universidade de São Paulo (USP) Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3195-0626

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/1983-3636.2025.54161

Keywords:

Ekphrasis, Topography, Saxo Grammaticus, Christian historiography

Abstract

This article examines the topographies, or place-descriptions, of Denmark and Scandinavia in the preface of Saxo Grammaticus’s Gesta Danorum, focusing on their composition, function within the narrative, and ideological implications. By employing commonplaces typical of this type of description, these topographies construct the setting for the narrated events—the res gestae proper—in a ‘periegematic’ manner, while simultaneously assigning specific qualities to different territories in alignment with the Danish and regional political context. Furthermore, the article explores the role of these place descriptions within the scope of Christian historiography, demonstrating how their inclusion symbolically represents the incorporation of Denmark’s territory into the expanse of the Christian orbis.

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