Konungs skuggsjá (Old Norse for "King's mirror";, modern (Nynorsk) or Kongespeilet (Bokmål)) is a Norwegian didactic text in Old Norse from around 1250, an example of speculum literature that deals with politics and morality. It was originally intended for the education of King Magnus Lagabøte, the son of King Håkon Håkonsson, and it has the form of a dialogue between father and son. The son asks, and is advised by his father about practical and moral matters, concerning trade, the hird, chivalric behavior, strategy and tactics. Parts of Konungs skuggsjá deals with the relationship between church and state. A study of the relations of the text's manuscripts was undertaken by Ludvig Holm-Olsen, underpinning his 1983 edition, which is presently the standard one. The most important manuscript is AM 243 a fol., copied in Norway (probably Bergen), around 1275.

Form and contents

The seventy chapters of the text consist of a prologue and two main parts, of which the second may perhaps be subdivided into two sections, one focused on the king's court, the other (more specifically) on the king's justice. In the prologue, the speaker sets out to deal with merchants, kingsmen, the clergy and peasants, but his discussion does not extend much beyond the first two classes. It seems possible that the last two chapters were originally intended for a separate treatment of the clergy. Prologue

1. The son states the purpose of the work, useful as he considers it to be both as a King's Mirror and as a handbook for a wider audience. '''First part. The merchant and the natural world'''
2. The dialogue between father (himself a kingsman) and son begins. 3–4. The business and customs of the merchant
3. The sun and the winds 6–7. The sun's course
4. The marvels of Norway
5. Scepticism about the genuineness of marvels 10–1. Marvels of Ireland 12–5. Marvels of the Icelandic sea (e.g. whales) and of Iceland (e.g. volcanoes, springs) 16–20. Marvels of Greenland, its waters, animals, products, climate, etc.
6. Cold and hot zones of the earth 22–3. Navigation, winds and seasons '''Second part. (1) The king and his court'''
7. The king and his court
8. The importance of courtesy in the royal service
9. Advantages from serving in the king's household
10. Classes among the kingsmen (konungsmenn): hirdmenn, gestir, general officials and officials who serve the king abroad
11. Honoured position of kingsmen
12. The hirð, top layer of kingsmen
13. How to approach the king for a post in the hirð
14. Why not to wear a mantle in the king's presence 32–4. Rules of speech and conversation in the king's hall 35–6. Relation between the quality of crops and the moral standard of government
15. Duties, activities and entertainments of royal guardsmen
16. Weapons of offence and defence
17. Military engines 40–1. Proper manners and customs at the royal court (2) Truth and justice
18. God's justice 43–4. Responsibilities and position of the king
19. The importance of leniency in the king's judgment 46–9. The importance of severity in the king's judgment, and the Fall of Lucifer 50–3. Further discussion of the relation between justice, peace and mercy.
20. The king's prayer
21. The king's judicial business (again)
22. Speech of wisdom 57–8. The king's judicial business (again) 59–60. Mercy and severity of judgment 61–2. capital punishment
23. God's judgment in the story of David and Saul 64–6. Judgments of Solomon (e.g. with reference Shimei and Adonijah)
24. Solomon's broken promise to Joab
25. When to keep or break promises
26. Kingship, church and God
27. The authority of kings and bishops

Advice

The book gives advice on various subjects, such as seafaring and trading: A merchant must often put his own life at stake. At times on the ocean, at times in heathen countries, and almost each time among alien nations. Therefore, the merchant must always behave in a good manner in the places where he happens to find himself.

Marvels

There are several chapters on marvels in various countries. For example, it tells of an encounter which fits the description of a wild man or Woodwose: It once happened in that country (and this seems indeed strange) that a living creature was caught in the forest as to which no one could say definitely whether it was a man or some other animal; for no one could get a word from it or be sure that it understood human speech. It had the human shape, however, in every detail, both as to hands and face and feet; but the entire body was covered with hair as the beasts are, and down the back it had a long coarse mane like that of a horse, which fell to both sides and trailed along the ground when the creature stooped in walking. Another story tells that after mass in a church in Ireland, the people found an anchor hanging from a rope from the sky. The anchor got stuck on the church doorway. Looking up, they saw a ship with men, and one came down, as though swimming in the air, to free the anchor. The people tried to grab him, but the bishop forbade them, and the man went back up. The men in the ship cut the rope, and the anchor was kept in the town.

Editions, facsimiles and translations

These are listed here in chronological order:

Secondary literature