The Icelandic Saga
The Icelandic Saga

Author: Peter Hallberg

Publisher: U of Nebraska Press

Published: 1962-01-01

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9780803250826

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In this stimulating and reliable introduction to the Icelandic saga, Peter Hallberg correctly designates the genre as "Scandinavia's sole, collective original contribution to world literature." These prose narratives dating from the thirteenth century are characterized by a psychological realism which sets them apart from all other contemporary forms of European literature. Mr. Hallberg's emphasis is on the branch of saga literature which deals with the native heroes--with the settlement of Iceland by Norse chieftains and with the lives of these settlers and their descendants. After disposing of the controversial "free-prose" theory of the origin and transmission of these stories, the author treats such problems as style and character portrayal, dreams and destinies, values and ideals, humor and irony. Several of the major sagas are studied in some detail. The concluding discussion concerns the decline of saga writing and the role played by the Sagas in modern Scandinavian life and literature. Paul Schach's introduction and copious annotation furnish additional background material and bibliographical references to English translations of the individual sagas and to significant studies on the major problems of saga research. Although intended primarily for the layman, The Icelandic Saga is of value to the specialist since it judiciously evaluates and incorporates the revolutionary findings of the so-called "Icelandic school" of saga study.

The Routledge Research Companion to the Medieval Icelandic Sagas
The Routledge Research Companion to the Medieval Icelandic Sagas

Author: Ármann Jakobsson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-02-17

Total Pages: 516

ISBN-13: 1317041461

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The last fifty years have seen a significant change in the focus of saga studies, from a preoccupation with origins and development to a renewed interest in other topics, such as the nature of the sagas and their value as sources to medieval ideologies and mentalities. The Routledge Research Companion to the Medieval Icelandic Sagas presents a detailed interdisciplinary examination of saga scholarship over the last fifty years, sometimes juxtaposing it with earlier views and examining the sagas both as works of art and as source materials. This volume will be of interest to Old Norse and medieval Scandinavian scholars and accessible to medievalists in general.

Comic Sagas and Tales from Iceland
Comic Sagas and Tales from Iceland

Author:

Publisher: Penguin UK

Published: 2013-03-07

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 0141975520

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Comic Sagas and Tales brings together the very finest Icelandic stories from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, a time of civil unrest and social upheaval. With feuding families and moments of grotesque violence, the sagas see such classic mythological figures as murdered fathers, disguised beggars, corrupt chieftains and avenging sons do battle with axes, words and cunning. The tales, meanwhile, follow heroes and comical fools through dreams, voyages and religious conversions in medieval Iceland and beyond. Shaped by Iceland's oral culture and their conversion to Christianity, these stories are works of ironic humour and stylistic innovation.

In Search of the Culprit
In Search of the Culprit

Author: Lukas Rösli

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2021-12-06

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 3110725339

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Despite various poststructuralist rejections of the idea of a singular author-genius, the question of a textual archetype that can be assigned to a named author is still a common scholarly phantasm. The Romantic idea that an author created a text or even a work autonomously is transferred even to pre-modern literature today. This ignores the fact that the transmission of medieval and early modern literature creates variances that could not be justified by means of singular authorships. The present volume offers new theoretical approaches from English, German, and Scandinavian studies to provide a historically more adequate approach to the question of authorship in premodern literary cultures. Authorship is no longer equated with an extra-textual entity, but is instead considered a narratological, inner- and intertextual function that can be recognized in the retrospectively established beginnings of literature as well as in the medial transformation of texts during the early days of printing. The volume is aimed at interested scholars of all philologies, especially those dealing with the Middle Ages or Early Modern Period.

The Rough Guide to Iceland
The Rough Guide to Iceland

Author: David Leffman

Publisher: Rough Guides UK

Published: 2013-04-02

Total Pages: 473

ISBN-13: 1409325393

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Iceland has never been so hot. Let The Rough Guide to Iceland show you the very best this unspoilt country has to offer: from the party capital, Reykjavík, with its white nights and northern lights, to the vast glaciers of the uninhabited interior. Come eye to eye with the giants of the sea on a whale watching tour or take a dip in the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon - Iceland is Europe's most unusual destination. The Rough Guide to Iceland includes full colour pictures to inspire your travels through this vivid country of lavafields and bubbling mudpools, detailed maps to help you on your way and expert background on everything from smorgasbords to sagas. With The Rough Guide to Iceland in your hand, you'll soon realise that Iceland offers superb value for money following the currency crash of 2008 and is just waiting to be discovered. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Iceland. Now available in ePub format.

Icelanders in the Viking Age
Icelanders in the Viking Age

Author: William R. Short

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2010-03-15

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 0786447273

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The Sagas of Icelanders are enduring stories from Viking-age Iceland filled with love and romance, battles and feuds, tragedy and comedy. Yet these tales are little read today, even by lovers of literature. The culture and history of the people depicted in the Sagas are often unfamiliar to the modern reader, though the audience for whom the tales were intended would have had an intimate understanding of the material. This text introduces the modern reader to the daily lives and material culture of the Vikings. Topics covered include religion, housing, social customs, the settlement of disputes, and the early history of Iceland. Issues of dispute among scholars, such as the nature of settlement and the division of land, are addressed in the text.