Incipit proemium in gestis Swenomagni regis et filiorum eius et passione gloriosissimi Canuti regis et martyris.

Regna aquilonis, in remotis mundi partibus abdita, longe diuque paganis tenebantur ritibus dedita, quousque ea de profundo erroris et infidelitatis diuina extraxit clementia. Nam postquam fere omnia occidentis regna, quę Iulius Gaius, Magni quondam Pompeij gener, Ausonio subiecerat imperio, christianis colla subdidere legibus, nationes illę, que ex aduerso latere Francorum seu Gallorum Saxonumque aquilonalibus consistunt partibus, Suethi uidelicet et Gothi, Normanni atque Isonij, tanto serius fidei signa suscepere, quanto illuc fidei doctores tam pro uictus rerumque penuria quam et pro barbarorum feritate et innata duricia magnipendebant diuertere.

Dani uero, qui Gallis Saxonibusque uiciniores existere uidentur, idcirco gentibus prenominatis potiores habentur, quod et ipsi solum necessariis utilius usibus incolunt, fidemque Trinitatis ante, quam illi cognouerunt, isti susceperunt, finesque suos regum nobilium ui et consilio tam presulibus quam et diuini officij ministris ęcclesijs dei ibidem in dies circumquaque adauctis nobilitauerunt, fidemque hactenus susceptam hucusque fideliter uenerando seruauerunt.

Ut enim quiddam ex antiquorum relatu contingam, ex quo uenerabilis memorię pontifex Poppo candentis ferri ardorem inusta deferens dextera et ignitas ferri laminas incombustis pertransiens plantis Christum, dei filium, uerum et solum deum fore euidenti indicio declarauit, fidem, quam gens Danica suscepit, in hodiernum illibatam conseruare et custodire Ihesu Christo fauente contendit. Suethi uero et Gothi rebus ad uotum fluentibus prosperisque succedentibus christianitatis fidem nomine tenus uenerari uidentur;

at ubi aduersitatis aura, siue terrę infertilitate aerisue siccitate aut procellarum densitate, seu hostium incursione uel ignis adustione, inflauerit, fidei religionem, quam uerbo tenus uenerari uidebantur, non modo uerbis uerum rebus christianorumque fidelium persecutionibus insecuntur aque suis finibus omnino expellere conantur. Unde pię memorię Eskillinus episcopus, ex nobilissimo Anglorum orbe deueniens ibique euangelium fidei feris et indomitis gentibus denuncians, pro ueritatis testimonio barbarorum feritate et uesania transitorio sequestratus seculo angelis colletantibus superna adijt uicturus perpetuo.

Aquilonales autem, qui ob situm regionum Normanni dicuntur, et Isonii, qui etiam ob hiemis ibidem uehementiam et longeuioris glaciei seriem Glaciales tam patria quam et Danica et Normannica lingua nuncupantur, ritum quidem christianę religionis obseruant, sed pro terrę infertilitate uictusque exiguitate eandem fidei religionem tam sollempnibus ieiuniorum diebus quam et quadragesimali tempore illicitorum esu ciborum commaculant. Ab aquilone enim, ut per prophetam dominus commemorat, pandetur malum super faciem uniuersę terrę.

Iccirco nationes istę, quas commemorauimus, antiquę infidelitatis obstrictę frigoribus uix umquam ita feruore succensę fidei stabilitate solidantur, ut infidelitatis nexibus penitus absoluantur, dum et fidei sacramenta, quod mortalibus inconcessum est, humanis conantur rationibus perstringere legesque suas dei iusticię preponere et ab antiquis sese ritibus siue religiosis seu irreligiosis diuini respectu timoris pudori deputant abstrahere.

Verum ne his diutius immorer, quicquid seu illis siue cunctis in diuinis perficiendis deest mandatis fidelibus, exurgente aquilone (id est: frigore torporis et iniquitatis effugato) ueniat auster et perflet hortum ęcclesię fidelium, ut fluant aromata illius: ueniat scilicet calor gratię spiritualis et influat in corda credentium, ut ueręfidei professione operumque fraglancia redundante luceat lux nostra coram hominibus (id est: mundi amatoribus et non superna sed caduca sapientibus), et glorificent patrem nostrum, qui in cęlis est. Et ut proposita congruenter prosequamur, fauore nos, ut essemus, creantis et, ut reformaremur, recreantis adiuuemur.

The northern kingdoms, hidden away in the far reaches of the world, long remained devoted to pagan practices, until divine mercy drew them out of the depths of error and unbelief. For after almost all the kingdoms of the West — those which Julius Gaius, son-in-law of Pompey the Great, had once brought under Roman rule — had bowed their necks to Christian law, the peoples who lived on the opposite, northern side of the Frankish, Gallic, and Saxon lands adopted the signs of faith much later. These were the Swedes and the Goths, the Norsemen and the Isønian peoples. They were slower to receive Christianity because teachers of the faith were reluctant to travel there, both because of shortages of food and supplies and because of the savagery and stubborn hardness believed to be native to those peoples.

The Danes, however, who appear to live closer to the Franks and Saxons, are therefore regarded as superior to the aforementioned nations. They inhabit land more suitable for basic needs, and they accepted belief in the Trinity earlier than the others. Through the strength and counsel of noble kings, they adorned their territories with churches of God, established day by day in all directions by bishops and ministers of divine worship alike. And the faith they once accepted, they have preserved with faithful devotion to this day.

To recall one example from ancient tradition: from the time when Bishop Poppo, of venerable memory, carried glowing iron in his bare hand and walked unharmed across red-hot iron plates with unburned feet, thereby proving by clear evidence that Christ, the Son of God, is the true and only God — from that time onward, with Christ’s favor, the Danish people have striven to preserve and guard intact the faith they received.

The Swedes and Goths, by contrast, when circumstances go according to their wishes and prosperity follows prosperity, seem to honor the Christian faith in name alone. But whenever a breath of adversity arises — whether through barren land, dry air, violent storms, enemy attacks, or destructive fire — they not only abandon in practice the faith they claimed to honor in words, but actively pursue it through persecution of Christians and the faithful, and attempt to drive it entirely from their lands. For this reason Bishop Eskil, of blessed memory, who came from the noblest parts of England and proclaimed the gospel of faith to those fierce and untamed peoples, was cut down by barbarian savagery and madness as a witness to the truth. Carried out of this fleeting world, he passed into the heavenly realm, where angels rejoice, to live forever.

The northern peoples, known as Norsemen because of their location, and the Isønians — called “The Icelanders” in their own lands as well as in Danish and Norse speech because of the harsh winters and long-lasting ice there — do observe the rites of the Christian religion. Yet because of the barrenness of their land and the scarcity of food, they defile that same faith by eating forbidden foods on the solemn fast days and during the season of Lent.

For from the north, as the Lord declares through the prophet, evil will be unleashed upon the face of the whole earth. Therefore these nations, long bound by ancient unbelief and chilled by its cold, are scarcely ever set ablaze strongly enough by the heat of faith to become firmly established, so that they might be completely freed from the bonds of unbelief. Instead, they attempt — something not granted to mortals — to subject the mysteries of faith to human reasoning, to place their own laws above God’s justice, and to excuse themselves from abandoning ancient customs, whether religious or irreligious, by invoking a misplaced sense of reverence for divine fear.

But lest I linger too long on these matters: whatever may be lacking — whether among these peoples or among all the faithful — in the fulfillment of God’s commands, may the south wind come when the north wind rises, that is, when the cold of spiritual numbness and injustice is driven away. May it blow through the garden of the faithful Church, so that its fragrances may flow. Let the warmth of spiritual grace come and pour into the hearts of believers, so that through true profession of faith and the fragrance of good works shining forth, our light may truly shine before others — before those who love the world and seek not what is eternal but what is passing — and that they may glorify our Father who is in heaven.

And so, that we may fittingly pursue what we have set out to do, may we be aided by the favor of the One who created us to exist and renews us to be restored.