Re: Language - Area - Routes

--- In cybalist@..., jekl@... wrote:

> --- In cybalist@..., tgpedersen@... wrote:
> > A more meticulous answer:
> > This is what I think happened in general with those medieval
> > chroniclers:
> > Soon after a people is forced (by constant harassment by its
> > Christian neighbors) to convert to Christianity, the leaders of
> that
> > country become worried about losing their roots (as everybody

says

> > today) and assigns a monk from one of the newly-formed

monasteries

> to
> > write down the history of that people, inasmuch as it can be
> > reconstructed. To that end the monk is suplied with the best

books

> by
> > (late) classical authors, unlimited access to collections of
> sayings,
>
> Nice description of the history writing reasons. Possible
> problems: classical authors haven't written anything about
> some remote country or just don't mention curent inhabitants,
> country itself was illiterate before...
>
> > old poems, the king's best bards etc. From this, the chronicler
> > attempts to create a coherent history for his people. He tries to
> > equate events mentioned in different sources, he tries to
> etymologize
> > diffcult old words in old poems from old people's memory, in

short:

> > he does no more and no less than what we are all doing in this

list

>
> Well he didn't have that much information as we do (linguistics,
> archaeology), and then the most important problem:
> It is a problem of reasons behind writing his history:
> to tell most likely version of the history in his judgement
> (which may itself vary from man to man) or writing ad maiorem
> gloriam whoever... It makes a big difference :-)
>
> Not that I critise Saxo who has a good reputation I think.
>
> writing this from nothern side of Baltic sea...
> /Jerzy

But as I see it there is a bias in your description of historians:
non-classical writers are supposed to be corruptible by their lust
for ethno-gratification, whereas Roman and and Greek authors are not
similarly suspect? That's not very fair, I think.
A possible problem, you say, is that classical authors may not have
written about that country. No, but all peoples have a history and
historians, even illiterate ones. Same bias?
And thank you for the kind words about Saxo. Perhaps you should
extend the same trust to Polish chroniclers?

Torsten