''Chronica Jutensis'' ( Danish: ''Jyske Krønike''

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

: ''Jutland Chronicle'') also known as ''Continuatio compendii Saxonis'' or ''Chronica Danorum'', is a small Danish historical work from the middle of the 14th century, written in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

. It comes with a smaller summary edition, about one-fourth the size of the original, of Saxo’s ''

Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and is an essentia ...

'', known as ''

Compendium Saxonis Compendium Saxonis (also known as ''Abbreviatio Saxonis'') is a summary located in Chronica Jutensis. It contains a summary of Saxo’s ''Gesta Danorum'', about one-fourth the size of the original. It is written in Latin. It is thought to have be ...

''. The original manuscript is lost; however the work survives in four different handwritten copies, about a hundred years younger. One of them was written by a monk from

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

in 1431. The stories of ''Chronica Jutensis'' begin approximately where ''

'' ends, in King

Canute VI Canute VI (; c. 1163 – 12 November 1202) was King of Denmark from 1182 to 1202. Contemporary sources describe Canute as an earnest, strongly religious man. Background Canute VI was the eldest son of King Valdemar I and Sophia of Polots ...

's reign, just before King

Valdemar II Valdemar II Valdemarsen (28 June 1170 – 28 March 1241), later remembered as Valdemar the Victorious () and Valdemar the Conqueror, was King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. In 1207, Valdemar invaded and conquered Lybeck and Hol ...

gains the throne, and end with the beginning of King

Valdemar Atterdag Valdemar IV Atterdag, Valdemar Christoffersen or Waldemar (24 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance wars under previous rul ...

's reign, about 1342. It was written somewhere around 1342–1350. Since the book does not mention

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

being sold to the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...

, which happened on 29 September 1346, it must have been written before this date or only shortly after. It would probably not be common knowledge for a few years, so it may have been written after 1346. The author is not known. It is, however, thought that he was from

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

because Jutland events and persons are thoroughly described and it seems that the writer is confident with both the

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

and persons of Jutland. Latin copies reside in: *

Danish Royal Library The Royal Library () in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the academic library of the University of Copenhagen. It is among the largest libraries in the world and the largest in the Nordic countries. In 2017, it merged with the ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Add.. 49 2o (1431) *

Den Arnamagnæanske Samling Den may refer to: * Den (room), a small room in a house * Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth Media and entertainment * ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler * Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita'' ...

, Copenhagen, AM 107 8o (16th century). * Riksarkivet,

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Skokloster 47 4o (15th century). *

Uppsala University Library The Uppsala University Library () at Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, consists of 11 subject libraries, one of which is housed in the old main library building, Carolina Rediviva. The library holds books and periodicals, manuscripts, music ...

, De la Gardie 44 4o (15th century).

References

* Rikke Agnete Olsen, ''Jyske Krønike'', Wormianum forlag, 1995, {{ISBN, 87-89531-14-0

External links

Repertorium Chronicarum
Chronicles about Denmark 14th-century history books 14th-century books in Latin