author
Laurence Marcellus Larson
1868–1938
A Norwegian-born scholar who built his career in the United States, he wrote and translated influential works on medieval history and Norse literature. His books helped bring Scandinavian sources and ideas to English-speaking readers.
1 Audiobook
Canute the Great, 995 (circa)-1035, and the Rise of Danish Imperialism during the Viking Age
by Laurence Marcellus Larson
About the author
Born near Bergen, Norway, in 1868, Laurence Marcellus Larson later emigrated to the United States and became a historian, teacher, writer, and translator. He studied at the University of Wisconsin, earning a master's degree in 1900 and a Ph.D. in 1902, after earlier schooling at Drake University.
After teaching at the high school level in Milwaukee, he joined the University of Illinois in 1907. Over the years he served as a professor and eventually led the history department, building a reputation for work on medieval Scandinavian and English history.
Larson is especially remembered for making difficult older texts more accessible to modern readers. Among his notable achievements was his translation from Old Norse of Konungs skuggsjá (The King's Mirror), along with other scholarship that connected Scandinavian history, language, and culture with a wider English-speaking audience.