MAGNUS, JOHANNES.

Historia de omnibus Gothorum Sveonumque Regibus qui unquam ab initio nationis extitere, corumque memorabilibus bellis late varieque per orbem gestis, Opera Olai Magni Gothi Fratris eiusdem autoris ac etiam ... in lucem edita.

Rome, ( Viottis parmensem vin aedibus S. Birgittae), 1554. Folio. Bound in 17th century full calf, later rebacked preserving old titlelabel with gilt lettering. Corners a bit bumped. Woodcut on title-page. 2 full-page woodcuts (printer devise Olaus Magnus-Viottii)(58),787,(1 - Errata),(2 - Colophon) pp. and 238 woodcuts in the text and one full-page woodcut map (a smaller copy of Olaus Magnus Carta marina, published 1555). A few minor marginal brownspots at end. printed on good paper. Internally clean and fine.

First edition, first issue. "This famous history was written in Venice in 1540, where the author was then living as a catholic refugee - he had left Sweden in 1526. In it, the Gothic romantic conception of Sweden as the "vagina gentium", the idea of Jordanes, 6th century chronicler of the Goths, is developed in a history of Swedish kings both at home and abroad leading the migrating peoples. The conception had alredy been adopted by mediaeval Swedish historians and was the leading ideology of Swedish patriotism in the 17th century when the text was translated into Swedish (1620). The book was posthumously published by the author's brother Olaus Magnus, who dedicated it to Pope Julius III as well as to the Swedish Crown Prince Erik." (Swedish Books 1280-1967, No. 17).
Adams, M 136. - Collijn II,210-214.

Order-nr.: 52553