Work has been going on for several years to get the historical documents to Norway from the Royal Library in Copenhagen. They will be part of the National Library’s major investment in disseminating Norwegian medieval history.
So far, several of the most important documents on culture and tradition in Norway during the Middle Ages have only been on display at Danish institutions.
– This is a major breakthrough for the dissemination of Norwegian medieval history. We are very pleased that the Royal Library now gives us the opportunity to make more manuscripts available to the public, for the first time, says national librarian Aslak Sira Myhre in a press release.
Hope it creates new interest
It was Minister of Culture and Gender Equality Abid Raja (V) who formally requested the documents in August.
– I believe and hope the exhibition will create new interest in our important Norwegian medieval history, says Raja about the document loan.
The well-known edition of Magnus Lagabøte’s national law, which is already on loan in this country, thus remains in Norway, at the same time as four new manuscripts are made available to the public. These are the documents Codex Hardenbergianus and Codex Tunsbergensis, Rantzauboken, Kristin Håkonsdatter’s psalter and Nidarosantifornariet MS Add. 47 fol.
In addition to these five, the National Library is awaiting answers regarding the lending of seven documents from the Arnamagnæan Collection, which have also been requested.
First time in Norway in 500 years
Many Norwegian documents were originally brought to Copenhagen from the royal court in Bergen, Akershus Fortress in Oslo and with the Chancellor in St. Mary’s Church in Oslo when Norway was in union with Denmark from the end of the 14th century until 1814, according to Aftenposten.
No documents were returned until between 1820-1823, and much remains.
It is the first time in 500 years that the four retrieved manuscripts, which will be exhibited at the National Library, are in Norway.
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