The Chronicle of Duke Erik

A verse epic from medieval Sweden

Erik Carlquist & Peter C. Hogg (övers.), Eva Österberg (Förord)

The Chronicle of Duke Erik is a Swedish classic with resounding national status like the English Beowulf or Finnish Kalevala. Here, at last, it is made available to a wider international readership in an English version. Written in the fourteenth century, it is a fascinating tale with many levels of meaning, reflecting the ideals of politics and aesthetics typical of the Age of Chivalry.

The narrator describes real characters and power struggles in medieval Sweden and seems anxious to let his version of events be heard. The translators’ rendition of his resolute vocabulary and the pronounced rhythm of the original is intelligent and sensitive. The linguistic traits of form, assonance, and rhyme are skilfully reproduced. The rhyming verses are accompanied by a prose version and a commentary, which makes the text enjoyable reading for anyone with an interest in medieval texts and the classic works of chivalry.

The Chronicle is a valuable source for the broad scholarly disciplines of comparative literature as well as poetics. It contains intriguing dichotomies between centre and periphery, male and female, and Christian and heathen, and offers a wealth of material for researchers of medieval, colonial, and political history.

But above all the Chronicle is a striking piece of Swedish history, and with its uniquely authentic voice tells its gripping tale of powerful, noble knights and fair ladies in an era of tumultuous fame.