A Description of the Northern Peoples

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The Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus was a monumental work by Olaus Magnus on the Nordic countries, printed in Rome 1555. It was a work which long remained for the rest of Europe the authority on Swedish matters. Its popularity increased by the many small sketches of people and their customs, amazing the rest of Europe. It was translated into Italian (1565), German (1567), English (1658) and Dutch (1665). Abridgments of the work appeared also at Antwerp (1558 and 1562), Paris (1561), Amsterdam (1586), Frankfort (1618) and Leiden (1652). It is still today a valuable repertory of much curious information in regard to Scandinavian customs and folk-lore .

[edit] Gallery

Examples of the small sketches.

Depiction of the city Skänninge
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Depiction of the city Skänninge
Dwarves fighting cranes, which presumably was common in northern Sweden
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Dwarves fighting cranes, which presumably was common in northern Sweden
An example of people fishing from ice in winter. A net was dragged under the ice and hauled up through a large hole in it. Note the attention to the detail: the fishermen are wearing spiked shoes to maintain their balance on slippery ice.
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An example of people fishing from ice in winter. A net was dragged under the ice and hauled up through a large hole in it. Note the attention to the detail: the fishermen are wearing spiked shoes to maintain their balance on slippery ice.
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