What did Olaus Magnus describe in Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus?

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Swedish literature Stiernhielm, detail of an oil painting by D.K. Ehrenstrahl, 1663; in Gripsholm Castle, Sweden

In his seminal work, Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus (1555), the Swedish ecclesiastic Olaus Magnus provided a comprehensive account of the northern peoples.

Inspired by humanist historiography and written with patriotic fervor, the text offers a detailed depiction of the Swedish countryside and its inhabitants as they stood on the threshold of a new era. For a long period, this work served as a primary source that shaped European perceptions of Scandinavia and its cultures.1