ABSTRACT
Latin, of course, was the literary language, but contrary to the practice of England and Ice land, few texts were translated into the vernacular. Therefore, the evidence we have of translation activity is mainly based on the emergence of Latin loan-words in the Danish documents that begin to appear after 1200. Saxo in his Gesta Danorum, written shortly after 1 200, renders Scandinavian tradition, and in some cases undoubtedly translates Scandinavian sources , written and oral, into his ornate silver Latin; but no originals have been preserved.
