The Norwegian medieval literature composed in Latin consists of a few, but important historical writings from the time around 1200. The three main pieces are Passio Olavi, Theodricus Monachus's De antiquitate regum Norwagiensium, and Historia Norwegie, all of them probably contributions to a national ideology centered on the archiepiscopal see in Trondheim (Nidaros) and to the celebration of the royal martyr, Olav den Hellige (d. 1030), whose relics were preserved in Trondheim. In 1880 the historian and Old Norse philologist Gustav Storm edited these three texts together with a number of minor and fragmentary ones in Monumenta Historica Norwegiæ Latine scripta, a book of some 300 pages which contains a large part of the Latin literary heritage from the Norwegian Middle Ages. An extension of the Norwegian corpus came when the Norwegian provenance of the anonymous Historia de Profectione Danorum in Hierosolymam was demonstrated (also written about 1200, ed. by Gertz in Scriptores Minores Hist. Dan. II, Copenhagen 1920-22, pp. 443-92).

Storm's (and Gertz's) editions have now served historians for more than a century and are increasingly perceived as deficient. In the course of the past century important text witnesses to Theodricus and Passio Olavi, unknown to Storm, have been identified. In 1996 a group of latinists consisting of Inger Ekrem and Egil Kraggerud (Oslo) and Karen Skovgaard-Petersen and Lars Boje Mortensen (Bergen) launched a project whose aim was to produce a new critical edition with commentary and English translation of these four texts which are so central to the knowledge of early and high medieval Norwegian history and literate culture. The English translations are done by Peter Fisher, Cambridge, known for his translations of Saxo and Olaus Magnus.

In addition to the central philological work (cf. publ. 2, 4, 10, 16 below), the project has contributed to the understanding of the works and their background in various ways. New insights have been gained into the international relations between the Norwegian ecclesiastical elite and the foreign ones (publ. 13, 16) and into the making of an official ideology based on the new archiepiscopal see of Trondheim (e.g. publ. 8, 9). New interpretations of the Historia Norwegie have been proposed (publ. 3, 5, 16) and the Profectio Danorum has been interpreted in the light of contemporary crusading literature (publ. 11).

In spring 2000 Inger Ekrem died. She left a manuscript for an edition of Historia Norwegie; updatings, new introduction i.a. were made by L.B. Mortensen. Their joint edition came out at the beginning of 2003. Work on the editions of Theodoricus Monachus (Kraggerud) and Historia de profectione (Skovgaard-Petersen) is near conclusion. A monograph on Historia de Profectione by Skovgaard-Petersen appeared in 2001. The edition of Passio Olaui is further afield, but some studies on the transmission i.a. have come out (no.s 8, 9, 13 & 14).

1. L.B. Mortensen, Arbejdskonkordans til norsk middelalderlatin, Bergen 1997 (2 vols).

2. E. Kraggerud, ‘12 nøtter - mest havsalte [on textual problems in the Profectio Danorum] Klassisk Forum 1997:1, pp. 38-42.

4. E. Kraggerud, ‘Gamle paranøtter fra Storms Monumenta’ [on textual problems in Theodoricus's Historia de Antiquitate regum Norwagensium]Klassisk Forum 1998:1 pp. 78-84.

5. I. Ekrem, ‘Historia Norwegie og erkebispesetet i Nidaros’ Collegium Medievale 11, 1998, pp. 49-67.

6. E. Kraggerud, 'Theodoricus scrutinized' [review of Theodoricus Monachus. Historia de antiquitate regum norwagiensium: An Account of the Ancient History of the Norwegian Kings. Translated and Annotated by David and Ian McDougall with an Introduction by Peter Foote. London: Viking Society 1998] Collegium Medievale 11, 1998, pp. 119-126. *

8. L.B. Mortensen, 'Olav den helliges mirakler i det 12. årh.: streng tekstkontrol eller fri fabuleren?' Olavslegenden ... [see n. 7], pp. 89-107.

9. I. Ekrem, 'Om Passio Olavis tilblivelse og eventuelle forbindelse med Historia Norwegie' Olavslegenden ... [see n. 7], pp. 108-56.

10. E. Kraggerud, ‘Theoderiks tekst etter Storm' Olavslegenden ... [see n. 7], pp. 263-80.

11. K. Skovgaard-Petersen, 'Korstogstematik i Historia de Profectione Danorum in Hierosolynam' Olavslegenden ... [see n. 7], pp. 281-302.

12. L.B. Mortensen, [review of Theodoricus Monachus. Historia de antiquitate regum norwagiensium: An Account of the Ancient History of the Norwegian Kings. Translated and Annotated by David and Ian McDougall with an Introduction by Peter Foote. London: Viking Society 1998], Mål og Minne 2000, pp. 101-104. *

14. L.B. Mortensen 'Recent Research in the Legend of Saint Olav', Scripturus vitam. Lateinische Biographie von der antike bis in die Gegenwart. Festgabe fuer Walter Berschin zum 65. Geburtstag, ed. D. Walz (Heidelberg) pp. 1011-1018.

15. K. Skovgaard-Petersen, A Journey to the Promised Land — Crusading Theology in the Historia de profectione Danorum in Hierosolymam (c. 1200). Copenhagen 2002. 84 pp. Museum Tusculanum Press

16. Historia Norwegie. Edited by I. Ekrem & L.B. Mortensen with an English Translation by P. Fisher. Copenhagen. 248pp. Museum Tusculanum Press

17. K. Skovgaard-Petersen, 'Et håndskriftfund i Luebeck ca. 1620 - om den spinkle overlevering af to norske nationalklenodier', Fund og Forskning 41 (2002) 107-27.

19. E. Kraggerud, Theodorici monachi Ecclesiastica historia Norwagiensium. With Introduction and Commentary by E. Kraggerud and an English Translation by P. Fisher. Ca 150 pp.

Kraggerud, Mortensen, and Skovgaard-Petersen are further planning to publish a volume of Norwegian/Danish translation of Passio Olavi, Theodoricus Monachus's De antiquitate regum Norwagiensium, Historia Norwegie, and Historia de Profectione Danorum in Hierosolymam.