A Description of the Northern Peoples

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Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus is a monumental work by Olaus Magnus on the Nordic countries, printed in Rome in 1555.^[1] It long remained for the rest of Europe the authority on Swedish matters. Its popularity was increased by the numerous woodcuts of people and their customs, amazing the rest of Europe. It is still today a valuable repertory of much curious information in regard to Scandinavian customs and folklore.

It was translated into Dutch (1562), Italian (1565), German (1567), and English (1658). Abridgments appeared also at Antwerp (1558 and 1562), Paris (1561), Basel (1567), Amsterdam (1586), Frankfurt (1618) and Leiden (1652).

An exemplar was given to William Cecil during the Swedish king's wooing of queen Elizabeth I of England, and in 1822 it would be referred to by Sir Walter Scott.^[2]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus.

• Olaus Magnus (1555) Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus, Ashgate Pub Co, ISBN 0-904180-43-3 / ISBN 978-0-904180-43-5

• Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus at Project Runeberg
• Compendious History of the Goths, Svvedes, and Vandals, and Other Northern Nations. Printed by J. Streater, and are to be sold by Humphrey Mosely, George Sawbridge, Henry Twiford, Tho. Dring, John Place, and Henry Haringman. 1658.