Text, scholarly version, translated from the 1595Latin 5th Add., 1595 Latin, 1597 German 5th Add., 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612/1641 Spanish and the 1609/1612 Latin editions:
86.1. {1595L5Add{DENMARK.
86.2. Saxo Grammaticus has described Denmark as follows: DENMARK, he says, separated in the middle by the boisterous waves of the sea, contains a few small parts of mainland, disjoined from one another by the intrusion of the ocean winding itself in various ways. Of these [we find] Jutland, located with respect to its size and beginning, at the entrance of the kingdom of Denmark. Since it is situated at the entrance, it extends further, and is situated at the utmost borders of Germany, from whose borders it is separated by the intruding river Eider, and it widens out towards the North, all the way to the banks {not in 1597G5Add{(called by him Fretum Noricum)}not in 1597G5Add}{1597G5Add only{the straits of Norway}1597G5Add only}. In it, you find the bay of Limfjorden which abounds with such quantities of fish that only this [bay] provides as much provision of food to the inhabitants as the whole fields in the remainder of the country.
86.3. It is linked to Friesland the Lesser}{1606E only{(Strand Frisians)}1606E only}, {not in 1597G5Add & 1602G{a province much smaller, lying lower than Jutland with plain and flat fields}not in 1597G5Add & 1602G}. It receives water from the sea which inundates it with great strength, and it is very fertile in corn. It is hard to say whether [the sea] with its inundations brings the country people more profit or more damage. For in tempestuous weather, when the sea breaks in through the creeks which normally contained this water, such a mass often comes and pours into the country that at various times it overflows not only the shallow fields, but also drowns entire families with their goods and cattle.
86.4. After Jutland follows the island of Fyn in the East, which is separated from the mainland by a narrow arm of the ocean. This island looks out upon Jutland towards the West, and towards the East it has the island Sjælland, an island much recommended for the great abundance of all kinds of necessary things that it yields, which for its excellent location is thought to excel above all the provinces of this kingdom. It is regarded as [being] the middle of Denmark, equally situated between one end of it and the other.
86.5. {not in 1597G5Add & 1602G{On the East side of this there runs an arm of the ocean between it [this island] and}not in 1597G5Add & 1602G} Skåne, {1606E only{(Scania, Scandinavia, Basilia and Baltia, as it is called by various authors)}1606E only}, {1606E only{a part of Norway or Sweden}1606E only}. This sea affords good income to the fishermen each year. For this whole bay, or gulf of the sea is so full of all sorts of fish that the fishermen often catch so much fish, and they load their boats so much with them, that they have no room to move their oars, nor do they use any nets here, or other means to catch fish, but often they are caught [just] by hand.
86.6. [Then there are] moreover Halland and Blekinge, two provinces issuing forth from the mainland of Skåne like two arms from one and the same body of a tree, at many places and corners joined and fixed to Gotland and Norway. {not in 1597G5Add & 1602G{So far Saxus Grammaticus}not in 1597G5Add & 1602G}. See also Albert Crantzius, {1601{the ecclesiastical history by Mr. Adamus}1601L} and Sebastian Münster.
86.7. The kingdom of Norway is subject to the crown of Denmark and so is also the isle of Gotland. The same (if you believe Marcus Iordanus in his map of Denmark) [applies to] the islands of Greenland, Iceland, Hetland, Faroer and the Orkneys. Yet we have said before that the Orkney isles belong to the kingdom of Scotland under the name and title of a duchy.
Olaus also says, but incorrectly, as I persuade myself, that the isle of Gotland belongs to the kingdom of Sweden.
86.8. Gothia or the isle of Gotland, is a good place for the feeding and bringing up of cattle, horses and oxen. There is plentiful fishing {1606E only{fowling}1606E only} and hunting. It is very rich in a kind of fair marble, and also in all kinds of things necessary to maintain one's life. On it is the worthy town of Visby, once the most famous and best frequented market of all of Europe. There are still remnants of marble remaining, [providing] sufficient testimony to its ancient greatness and beauty. Presently, it is famous for its fair abbey of the Benedictine friars, and its library contains about 2000 {1597G5Add & 1602G have instead{200}1597G5Add & 1602G instead} books of various authors, {not in 1597G5Ad & 1602G{ [and] ancient manuscripts}not in 1597G5Add & 1602G}. So far for Olaus Magnus and Iacobus Zieglerus.
86.9. CIMBRICA CHERSONESUS {1597G5Add, 1602G & 1606E only{now called Jutland}1597G5Add, 1602G & 1606E only}.
86.10. {1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only{Its name is Cimbrica Chersonesis and Chersonesis is a Greek word, which does not occur in other languages, neither in Latin, nor in any other language. It means neither isle or peninsula but it means land. Yet it is on all sides surrounded by the sea, and has only one entrance with firm soil}1602S & 1609/1612/1641S only}. Cimbrica Chersonesus from which the Cimbri around the year 105 before the incarnation of Christ came forth and spread themselves over other countries of Europe, to the great terror of all of Italy, stretches itself from the river Elbe to the North for about 80 miles, and contains many large and excellent shires. {1601L{It is the part of the kingdom of Denmark, which M[r]. Adamus calls Daniam Cismarinam, [or] Denmark on this side of the sea}1601L}. At the entrance of which, as one comes from Saxony, here lies Holstein, which ancient writers, since it is disjoined from the rest of Germany, designate, [since it lies] towards the North, by the river Elbe, [with the name] Nordalbinga.
86.11. And because of this, it was always considered the utmost Northern frontier of the Roman empire. And therefore Henricus, surnamed Auceps, {1597G5Add, 1602G & 1606E only{the fowler,}1597G5Add, 1602G & 1606E only} emperor of Rome, {not in 1597G5Add & 1602G{about 650 years ago}not in 1597G5Add & 1602G} had here in the city of Sleswig somewhat beyond the limits of the empire, a lieutenant {1606E only{and lord-warden of the marshes}1606E only}. Holstein contains {not in 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{three}not in 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S} principal shires, Wagria, Stormaria and Ditmarschen, of which Fredericus the emperor about 106 years ago made a duchy. The next province, [counted from] the river Eider, which is the furthest frontier of Holstein, even into Kolding, contains the dukedom of Schleswig, so named after the chief city and most ancient market town of this country, Schleswig.
86.12. In former times this country was entitled with the name of the dukedom of Jutland {1602S & 1609/1612/1641S instead{Julia}1602S & 1609/1612/1641S instead}, which Waldemar, the great-grandchild of Abel, king of Denmark, first held in homage from Erik, their king, around the year of Christ 1280. Since the male line of the kings and dukes failed, and since the dukedom of Schleswig and the kingdom of Denmark were united, queen Margareta, heir to the three crowns, granted the dukedom of Schleswig to Gerard, duke of Holstein. [She did this] on the condition that he should acknowledge his tenure from the king of Denmark.
86.13. The rest {not in 1597G5Add & 1602G{of Cimbrica Chersonesus}not in 1597G5Add & 1602G}, called North Jutland, stretches itself towards Norway via Skagen (a town well known to sailors because of its quicksand and the shallowness of the sea here), becoming pointed like a wedge [at its end]. This province is [at its] broadest around Ålborg, a market town lying at an inlet from the gulf which they call Limfjorden; for there it falls into Jutland and pierces almost quite through it Westwards, dividing Wensussel (except for a very small piece of land) and making it into a peninsula.
86.14. From there it branches out in greater breadth, enclosing and surrounding many worthy islands, putting out many elbows and branches. [Thus] it borders on various shires and countries. In this bay is an island, which Otto the first around the year after Christ's incarnation 960, called Ottonia when he passed from one end of Jutland to the other. After which the whole stretch of land at this island is called Ottesund {1606E only{or commonly Odsunt}1606E only}. That island is now called Tyrhalm, so named, I suppose, after Tyra, the mother of king Harald, who after the departure of emperor Otto from Jutland, caused all the country from Schleswig Northwards to be fenced with a wall {1606E & 1608/1612I only{and a deep trench}1606E & 1608/1612I only}.
86.15. On that island there is today a village called Odby, where they suppose that the Jutes overthrew the emperor and his forces. This is what the author of this map himself has written in his own hand about the whole province}1595L5Add, 1595L & 1597G5Add, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L & 1609/1612/1641S end here}.
Text, vernacular version, translated from the 1598/1610/1613 Dutch editions:
86.16. {1598/1610/1612D{DENMARK.
86.17. DENMARK [is] soaked by the sea, contains a few small parts of mainland, and is surrounded and disjoined from one another by the vast sea. Jutland is the largest part and as the beginning part of this kingdom is the most special part, attached as it is to a part of Germany from which it is separated by the river Eider and broadening reaches the Northern sea. Denmark has many islands. East of Jutland lies Fyn, which is separated from the mainland by a narrow arm of the ocean, and like it has Jutland towards the West, towards the East it has the island of Sjælland, an island much recommended for the great abundance of all kinds of necessary things that it yields, which for its excellent location is thought to excel above all the other provinces. It is regarded as [being] the middle of Denmark. This sea affords such miraculous fishing that one can almost catch the plentiful fish by hand.
86.18. The kingdom of NORWAY is subject to the crown of Denmark as is also the isle of GOTLAND. The same (if you believe Iordanus in his map of Denmark) applies to the islands of Greenland, Iceland, Hetland, Faroer and the Orkneys. Yet we have said before that the Orkneys belong to the kingdom of Scotland, under the title of a duchy. About these [Orkney islands] I will relate what I heard from a trustworthy man, namely about Christianus, Count of Oldenburg and first chosen king of Denmark, who more than 120 years ago gave his bastard daughter Margareta in marriage to Jacobus the Third, king of Scotland, who had asked for this through an envoy. And he promised a dowry of sixty thousand guilders. He received ten thousand, and for the rest he received the Orkney islands as a pawn, under the condition that the king of Denmark could at any time redeem it by furnishing the remainder of the money, which has not happened up to the present time.
86.19. Olaus also says, but incorrectly, as it seems to me, that the isle of Gotland belongs to the kingdom of Sweden. The isle of Gotland is a good place for cattle, horses and oxen. There is plentiful hunting and fishing. It is very rich in produce and good marble. On it is the worthy town of Visby, once a famous market. There are still remnants of marble remaining. Presently, it is famous for its abbey of the Benedictine Friars, and its library contains about 2000 old books of various authors.
86.20. JUTLAND.
86.21. Jutland used to be called Cimbrica Chersonesis by the writers of Latin from which the Cimbri around the year 105 before the birth of Christ came forth to the great fright of all of Italy. It stretches itself from the river Elbe to the North for about 80 miles, and contains many large and excellent shires. At the entrance of which, as one comes from Saxony, here lies Holstein, which ancient writers, since it is separated from the rest of Germany [since it lies] towards the North, by the river Elbe, [with the name] Nordalbinga.
86.22. And because of this, it was always considered the utmost Northern frontier of the Roman Empire. And therefore emperor Henricus, surnamed Auceps, [the Fowler] about 650 years ago appointed here in the city of Schleswig somewhat beyond the limits of the empire a Governor. Holstein contains three principal shires, Wagria, Stormaria and Ditmarschen, of which Frederick about 106 years ago made a dukedom. The next province, [counted from] the river Eider, which is the furthest frontier of Holstein, even into Kolding, contains the dukedom of Schleswig, so named after the chief city and most ancient market town of this country, Schleswig.
86.23. In former times this country was entitled with the name of the dukedom of Jutland, which Waldemar, nephew of Abel, king of Denmark, first held in homage from Erik, their king, around the year 1280. Since the male line of the kings and dukes failed, and since the dukedom of Schleswig and the kingdom of Denmark were united, Queen Margareta, heir to the three crowns, granted the dukedom of Schleswick to Gerrit, duke of Holstein. [She did this] on the condition that he should acknowledge his tenure from the king of Denmark.
86.24. The rest of Cimbrica Chersonesus, called North Jutland, stretches itself towards Norway via Skagen, (a town well known to sailors because of its quicksand and the cliffs in the sea here. This province is [at its] broadest around Ålborg, a market town lying at an inlet from the sea which they call Limfjorden; for there it falls into Jutland and pierces almost quite through it Westwards, dividing the seigniory of Wensussel and making it into a peninsula.
86.25. From there it branches out in greater breadth, enclosing and surrounding many worthy islands, putting out many branches. [Thus] it borders on various shires and countries. In this bay is an island, which Otho the first around the year of Christ 960, having traversed all of Jutland with his army, called Ottonia. After which the whole stretch of land at this island is called Otthesund. That island is now called Tyrhalm, so named, I suppose, after Tyra, the mother of king Harald, who after the departure of emperor Otho from Jutland, caused all the country from Sleswick Northwards to be fenced with a wall}1598/1610/1613D ends here}.