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Sagas of Icelanders

October 30, 2023

Not to be confused with Sagas, an Icelandic literary form encompassing this and other genres; Íslendinga saga, a specific saga based on historical events from the thirteenth century.

The sagas of Icelanders (Icelandic: Íslendingasögur, modern Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈislɛndiŋkaˌsœːɣʏr̥]), also known as family sagas, are one sub-genre or text groups of Icelandic sagas. They are prose narratives mostly based on historical events that mostly took place in Iceland in the ninth, tenth, and early eleventh centuries, during the so-called Saga Age. They were written in Old Icelandic, a western dialect of Old Norse. They are the best-known specimens of Icelandic literature.

Egill Skallagrímsson in a seventeenth-century manuscript of Egil's Saga
Grettir is ready to fight in this illustration from a seventeenth-century Icelandic manuscript.
Detail of a miniature from a thirteenth-century Icelandic manuscript

They are focused on history, especially genealogical and family history. They reflect the struggle and conflict that arose within the societies of the early generations of Icelandic settlers.[1] The Icelandic sagas are valuable and unique historical sources about medieval Scandinavian societies and kingdoms, in particular regarding pre-Christian religion and culture and heroic age.[2]

Eventually, many of these Icelandic sagas were recorded, mostly in the 13th and 14th centuries. The 'authors', or rather recorders, of these sagas are largely unknown. One saga, Egil's Saga, is believed by some scholars[3][4] to have been written by Snorri Sturluson, a descendant of the saga's hero, but this remains uncertain. The standard modern edition of Icelandic sagas is produced by Hið íslenzka fornritafélag ('The Old Icelandic Text Society'), or Íslenzk fornrit for short.

Historical time frame edit

Among the several literary reviews of the sagas is the Sagalitteraturen by Sigurður Nordal, which divides the sagas into five chronological groups (depending on when they were written not their subject matters) distinguished by the state of literary development:[5]

  • 1200 to 1230 – Sagas that deal with skalds (such as Fóstbrœðra saga)[5]
  • 1230 to 1280 – Family sagas (such as Laxdæla saga)[5]
  • 1280 to 1300 – Works that focus more on style and storytelling than just writing down history (such as Njáls saga)[5]
  • Early fourteenth century – Historical tradition[5]
  • Fourteenth century – Fiction[5]

This framework has been severely criticised as based on a pre-supposed attitude to the fantastic and an over-estimation on the precedence of Landnámabók.[6]

List of sagas edit

It is thought that a number of sagas are now lost, including the supposed Gauks saga Trandilssonar – The saga of Gaukur á Stöng. In addition to these, the texts often referred to as the "Tales of Icelanders" (Íslendingaþættir) such as "Hreiðars þáttr" and "Sneglu-Halla þáttr" of the kings' saga Morkinskinna could be included in this corpus, as well as the contemporary sagas (written in the 13th century and dealing with the same period) incorporated into Sturlunga saga.[7]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Myers, Ben (2008-10-03). "The Icelandic Sagas: Europe's most important book?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  2. ^ Bagge, Sverre (2014). Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation. Princeton University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-4008-5010-5.
  3. ^ Egil's Saga, English translation, Penguin Books, 1976, introduction by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards, p. 7
  4. ^ Sigurður Nordal had this to say in his edition of Egils saga: "This matter will never be settled fully with the information we now have. … As for me, I have become more and more convinced, as I gained a better understanding of Egils saga that it is the work of Snorri, and I will henceforth not hesitate to count the saga among his works, unless new arguments are presented, which I have overlooked."
  5. ^ a b c d e f Lönnroth, Lars (1976). Njáls Saga. London: University of California Press. pp. 204–205. ISBN 0-520-02708-6 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ Ármann Jakobsson and Yoav Tirosh (2020). ""The 'Decline of Realism' and inefficacious Old Norse literary genres and sub-genres"". Scandia (3): 102–38.
  7. ^ Tirosh, Yoav (2019). On the Receiving End: The Role of Scholarship, Memory, and Genre in Constructing Ljósvetninga saga. University of Iceland: Unpublished Doctoral Thesis.

Further reading edit

  • Arnold, Martin (2003). The Post-Classical Icelandic Family Saga. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press
  • Ármann Jakobsson (2013). Nine Saga Studies: The Critical Interpretation of the Icelandic Sagas. Reykjavík: University of Iceland Press. ISBN 9-789-97954997-0. OCLC 855995457
  • Bampi, Massimiliano, Carolyne Larrington and Sif Rikhardsdottir (eds.) A Critical Companion to Old Norse Literary Genre. Studies in Old Norse Literature 5. D. S. Brewer. Woodbridge, 2020
  • Falk, Oren. 2021. Violence and Risk in Medieval Iceland: This Spattered Isle. Oxford University Press.
  • Karlsson, Gunnar (2000). The History of Iceland. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press
  • Liestøl, Knut (1930). The Origin of the Icelandic Family Sagas. Translated by Jayne, Arthur Garland. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780837172538.
  • Miller, William Ian (2009). Bloodtaking and Peacemaking: Feud, Law, and Society in Saga Iceland. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226526829. OCLC 781292936
  • Mundal, Else (ed.) Dating the Sagas: Reviews and Revisions. Museum Tusculanum, 2013.
  • Smiley, Jane; Kellogg, Robert Leland (2001). The Sagas of Icelanders: a selection. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780141000039. OCLC 492636430
  • Viðar Hreinsson (eds.) (1997). The Complete Sagas of Icelanders. 5 vols. Reykjavík: Leifur Eiriksson Publishing. ISBN 9789979929307. OCLC 44999940 – see sagas.is

External links edit

  • Icelandic Saga Database – many sagas of Icelanders, along with some translations into English and other languages
  • from the University of Alaska
  • Icelandic sagas – a selection in Old Norse
  • – photographs of some of the original manuscripts
  • Harmony of the Vinland voyages
  • Icelandic Saga Map – an online digital map with the geo-referenced texts of all of the Íslendingasögur

October 30, 2023
sagas, icelanders, confused, with, sagas, icelandic, literary, form, encompassing, this, other, genres, Íslendinga, saga, specific, saga, based, historical, events, from, thirteenth, century, sagas, icelanders, icelandic, Íslendingasögur, modern, icelandic, pr. Not to be confused with Sagas an Icelandic literary form encompassing this and other genres Islendinga saga a specific saga based on historical events from the thirteenth century The sagas of Icelanders Icelandic Islendingasogur modern Icelandic pronunciation ˈislɛndiŋkaˌsœːɣʏr also known as family sagas are one sub genre or text groups of Icelandic sagas They are prose narratives mostly based on historical events that mostly took place in Iceland in the ninth tenth and early eleventh centuries during the so called Saga Age They were written in Old Icelandic a western dialect of Old Norse They are the best known specimens of Icelandic literature Egill Skallagrimsson in a seventeenth century manuscript of Egil s SagaGrettir is ready to fight in this illustration from a seventeenth century Icelandic manuscript Detail of a miniature from a thirteenth century Icelandic manuscriptThey are focused on history especially genealogical and family history They reflect the struggle and conflict that arose within the societies of the early generations of Icelandic settlers 1 The Icelandic sagas are valuable and unique historical sources about medieval Scandinavian societies and kingdoms in particular regarding pre Christian religion and culture and heroic age 2 Eventually many of these Icelandic sagas were recorded mostly in the 13th and 14th centuries The authors or rather recorders of these sagas are largely unknown One saga Egil s Saga is believed by some scholars 3 4 to have been written by Snorri Sturluson a descendant of the saga s hero but this remains uncertain The standard modern edition of Icelandic sagas is produced by Hid islenzka fornritafelag The Old Icelandic Text Society or Islenzk fornrit for short Contents 1 Historical time frame 2 List of sagas 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksHistorical time frame editAmong the several literary reviews of the sagas is the Sagalitteraturen by Sigurdur Nordal which divides the sagas into five chronological groups depending on when they were written not their subject matters distinguished by the state of literary development 5 1200 to 1230 Sagas that deal with skalds such as Fostbrœdra saga 5 1230 to 1280 Family sagas such as Laxdaela saga 5 1280 to 1300 Works that focus more on style and storytelling than just writing down history such as Njals saga 5 Early fourteenth century Historical tradition 5 Fourteenth century Fiction 5 This framework has been severely criticised as based on a pre supposed attitude to the fantastic and an over estimation on the precedence of Landnamabok 6 List of sagas editAtla saga otryggssonar Bandamanna saga Bardar saga Snaefellsass Bjarnar saga Hitdaelakappa Droplaugarsona saga Egils saga Skalla Grimssonar Egil s Saga Eiriks saga rauda Saga of Erik the Red Eyrbyggja saga Faereyinga saga Finnboga saga ramma Fljotsdaela saga Floamanna saga Fostbraedra saga two versions Gisla saga Surssonar two versions of an outlaw poet Gisla saga Grettis saga Saga of Grettir the Strong Graenlendinga saga Greenland saga Gull THoris saga Gunnars saga Keldugnupsfifls Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu Hallfredar saga two versions Hardar saga ok Holmverja Havardar saga Isfirdings The saga of Havardur of Isafjordur Heidarviga saga Hrafnkels saga Hrana saga hrings post medieval Haensna THoris saga Islendingabok One of the earliest sagas written about the founding of Iceland by a priest called Ari THorgilsson working in the early 12th century Kjalnesinga saga Kormaks saga Kroka Refs saga Laxdaela saga Ljosvetninga saga three versions Njals saga Reykdaela saga ok Viga Skutu Skald Helga saga known only from rimur and later derivations of these Svarfdaela saga Valla Ljots saga Vatnsdaela saga Viga Glums saga Viglundar saga Vapnfirdinga saga THorsteins saga hvita THorsteins saga Sidu Hallssonar THordar saga hredu Olkofra sagaIt is thought that a number of sagas are now lost including the supposed Gauks saga Trandilssonar The saga of Gaukur a Stong In addition to these the texts often referred to as the Tales of Icelanders Islendingathaettir such as Hreidars thattr and Sneglu Halla thattr of the kings saga Morkinskinna could be included in this corpus as well as the contemporary sagas written in the 13th century and dealing with the same period incorporated into Sturlunga saga 7 See also editNorse saga Family sagaReferences edit Myers Ben 2008 10 03 The Icelandic Sagas Europe s most important book The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 2017 08 24 Bagge Sverre 2014 Cross and Scepter The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation Princeton University Press p 45 ISBN 978 1 4008 5010 5 Egil s Saga English translation Penguin Books 1976 introduction by Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards p 7 Sigurdur Nordal had this to say in his edition of Egils saga This matter will never be settled fully with the information we now have As for me I have become more and more convinced as I gained a better understanding of Egils saga that it is the work of Snorri and I will henceforth not hesitate to count the saga among his works unless new arguments are presented which I have overlooked a b c d e f Lonnroth Lars 1976 Njals Saga London University of California Press pp 204 205 ISBN 0 520 02708 6 via Internet Archive Armann Jakobsson and Yoav Tirosh 2020 The Decline of Realism and inefficacious Old Norse literary genres and sub genres Scandia 3 102 38 Tirosh Yoav 2019 On the Receiving End The Role of Scholarship Memory and Genre in Constructing Ljosvetninga saga University of Iceland Unpublished Doctoral Thesis Further reading editArnold Martin 2003 The Post Classical Icelandic Family Saga Lewiston New York Edwin Mellen Press Armann Jakobsson 2013 Nine Saga Studies The Critical Interpretation of the Icelandic Sagas Reykjavik University of Iceland Press ISBN 9 789 97954997 0 OCLC 855995457 Bampi Massimiliano Carolyne Larrington and Sif Rikhardsdottir eds A Critical Companion to Old Norse Literary Genre Studies in Old Norse Literature 5 D S Brewer Woodbridge 2020 Falk Oren 2021 Violence and Risk in Medieval Iceland This Spattered Isle Oxford University Press Karlsson Gunnar 2000 The History of Iceland Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press Liestol Knut 1930 The Origin of the Icelandic Family Sagas Translated by Jayne Arthur Garland Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press ISBN 9780837172538 Miller William Ian 2009 Bloodtaking and Peacemaking Feud Law and Society in Saga Iceland Chicago University of Chicago Press ISBN 9780226526829 OCLC 781292936 Mundal Else ed Dating the Sagas Reviews and Revisions Museum Tusculanum 2013 Smiley Jane Kellogg Robert Leland 2001 The Sagas of Icelanders a selection New York Penguin Books ISBN 9780141000039 OCLC 492636430 Vidar Hreinsson eds 1997 The Complete Sagas of Icelanders 5 vols Reykjavik Leifur Eiriksson Publishing ISBN 9789979929307 OCLC 44999940 see sagas isExternal links editIcelandic Saga Database many sagas of Icelanders along with some translations into English and other languages Proverbs and Proverbial Materials in the Old Icelandic Sagas from the University of Alaska Icelandic sagas a selection in Old Norse Sagnanet photographs of some of the original manuscripts Harmony of the Vinland voyages Icelandic Saga Map an online digital map with the geo referenced texts of all of the Islendingasogur Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sagas of Icelanders amp oldid 1176294921, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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