123:. In centuries past, they were considered to be reliable historic sources by Scandinavian scholars, but since the 19th century, they have been considered to contain very little historic material. The present consensus is that, although some of the sagas contain a small core which is not fiction, or are based on historical characters, the primary function of the legendary sagas was entertainment, and the aim of the sagas has not been to present a historically accurate tale. Recently, however, it has been emphasized that the sagas are useful sources for the culture of 13th and 14th century Iceland, "in terms of the light that they can shed on the culture in which they were composed" i.e. Iceland in the later Middle Ages. In the words of Margaret Clunies Ross,
214:
20:
131:
lend themselves to interpretation, not as realistic narratives, but rather as subjects dealing with deep and disturbing issues that cannot be approached from the perspective of the mundane world but must rather be enacted in a literary world in which often taboo subjects can be raised and aired,
246:
have generally held the legendary sagas in less esteem, in terms of their literary value, than the
Icelanders' sagas. The content is often less realistic, the characters more two-dimensional, and the sagas often borrow themes from each other, and from folk tales. In these aspects of style and
225:
and complexes of motifs from many types of legend of which there is otherwise no documentation in
Scandinavia prior to the mid-19th century. They are also of great value for scholars studying medieval Scandinavian ballads, particularly the Faroese
63:, which takes place in the 11th century. The sagas were probably all written in Iceland, from about the middle of the 13th century to about 1400, although it is possible that some may be of a later date, such as
900:
Fornaldarsögur norðurlanda: A bibliography of manuscripts, editions, translations and secondary literature compiled by M. J. Driscoll & Silvia
Hufnagel, Arnamagnæan Institute, Copenhagen
101:
and the conversion of
Scandinavia, but occasionally it moves temporarily to more distant and exotic locations or has its characters encounter Christian cultures (one example of both being
567:- A late saga of Swedish origin, which takes place in the 11th century and the historic basis of which is indisputable thanks to the fact that there are corroborating historic sources.
599:
164:
during the period c. 150-450, and the last part of the saga is used as a historic source for
Swedish history. Indeed, they often contain very old Germanic matter, such as the
230:, which are often based on the same matters. Moreover, they are also very important for the study of Scandinavian and Germanic heroic legends together with
81:
are similar to various other saga-genres, but tend towards fairly linear, episodic narratives. Like sagas in other genres, many quote verse, but in the
981:
344:
424:- a saga which may be of Swedish origin containing Swedish, Geatish and Gothic heroes. This saga still serves as a source for Swedish historians.
859:
Gödel, Vilhelm, “Hjalmars och
Hramers saga. Ett literärt falsarium från 1690”, Svenska fornminnesföreningens tidskrift 9(2) (1896): 137–54.
136:
Some of the sagas are based on distant historic characters, and this is evident in cases where there are corroborating sources, such as
941:
991:
359:
835:
1131:
996:
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268:
1101:
882:
1016:
394:
847:
804:
1126:
1041:
1036:
592:
578:
428:
1066:
799:. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Distributed by Harvard University Press for the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute.
471:
1208:
1021:
401:
1111:
986:
630:
1026:
934:
408:
1071:
759:"Changing style and changing meaning: Icelandic historiography and the medieval redactions of Heiðreks saga"
563:
144:
59:
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1046:
1031:
914:
451:
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352:
1006:
976:
380:
325:
971:
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274:
1203:
1096:
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927:
524:
961:
915:
A presentation of the
Fornaldarsögur in Old Norse with all available English translations online.
709:
1086:
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616:
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387:
213:
966:
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677:
50:
1106:
1076:
1051:
540:
483:
443:
65:
8:
1172:
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Kulturhistorisk leksikon for nordisk middelalder fra vikingtid til reformasjonstid, bd. 4
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904:
637:
623:
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kind, where a young man delivers a troll woman and her beautiful daughter from a curse.
222:
29:
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103:
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though not necessarily resolved. They may also be treated in a comic or parodic vein.
116:
1177:
231:
1116:
547:
259:
172:
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1157:
950:
905:
Fornaldarsögur Norðurlanda in Old Norse and modern
Norwegian from heimskringla.no
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252:
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120:
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19:
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512:
191:
138:
536:- A remnant of a larger work dealing with the Swedish and Danish kings of old.
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373:
236:
166:
156:
150:
108:
90:
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The
Fornaldarsagas have great value for legend research, since they contain
187:
258:
The legendary sagas have influenced later writers, for instance the Swede
909:
758:
459:
439:- A saga about a Swedish warrior princess who is won by a Geatish prince.
182:
94:
86:
532:
1182:
476:
227:
46:
243:
199:
899:
919:
910:
Online publication of the legendary sagas in the original language
336:
331:
161:
177:
290:, with information about manuscripts, bibliography, etc., see
112:
463:, a lost saga, and also one of the names of a post-medieval
272:. One such saga was even forged in the early modern period:
107:). There are also very often mythological elements, such as
740:
Else Mundal, "Sagalitteraturen", in Odd Einar Haugen (ed.)
93:
found in most other saga genres). The setting is primarily
828:
Götarnas Riken : Upptäcktsfärder Till
Sveriges Enande
781:
The Cambridge Introduction to the Old Norse-Icelandic Saga
722:
The Cambridge Introduction to the Old Norse-Icelandic Saga
447:; A saga which is related to the Old English poem Beowulf.
240:
which was based on the same heroic poetry and traditions.
412:- A Norwegian legend, the hero of which is compared to
783:(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010), p. 80.
724:(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010), p. 77.
45:(literally, "story/history of the ancient era") is a
1102:
Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum í Dana ok Svíaveldi
292:
255:, particularly those composed in medieval Iceland.
206:overlap in genre and occasionally content with the
160:, it conveys names of historical places in present
838:pp. 154, 158, 160 and Lagerquist, Lars O. (1997).
293:Stories for all time: The Icelandic fornaldarsögur
186:and which would otherwise have been lost (see the
127:The themes, characters and the whole world of the
689:
687:
1195:
85:that verse is almost invariably in the metre of
606:
342:
684:
982:Egils saga einhenda ok Ásmundar berserkjabana
935:
345:Egils saga einhenda ok Ásmundar berserkjabana
552:
493:, thought to have existed as the source of
72:
942:
928:
840:Sveriges Regenter, från forntid till nutid
667:
665:
663:
661:
736:
734:
732:
730:
585:
286:For a comprehensive list of the medieval
872:
520:a legendary Viking warrior and his sons.
217:Hjorvard and Hjalmar propose to Ingeborg
212:
190:). Other sagas deal with heroes such as
18:
756:
658:
1196:
752:
750:
727:
923:
877:. New Haven, CT: Troth Publications.
57:. There are some exceptions, such as
281:
949:
747:
180:that did not find its way into the
13:
14:
1220:
1032:Heiðreks saga konungs ok Hervarar
893:
889:(Tale of Jokul Buason, pp. 53-64)
528:- A prequel to Göngu-Hrólfs Saga.
1027:Hálfs saga konungs ok Hálfsrekka
826:(1990), Larsson, Mats G (2002).
866:
853:
475:A saga of the more traditional
202:. In these respects, then, the
992:Frá Fornjóti ok hans ættmönnum
810:
786:
773:
714:
703:
551:- The Scandinavian version of
360:Frá Fornjóti ok hans ættmönnum
1:
1022:Hálfdanar saga Eysteinssonar
402:Hálfdanar saga Eysteinssonar
176:which contains poetry about
28:("times past"); painting by
7:
1127:Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar
1002:Gautreks saga ok Gjafa-Refs
579:Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar
10:
1225:
1132:Þorsteins þáttr bæjarmagns
1017:Hálfdanar saga Brönufóstra
875:Sagas of Giants and Heroes
830:. Bokförlaget Atlantis AB
645:Þorsteins þáttr bæjarmagns
516:(two versions) - Sagas of
395:Hálfdanar saga Brönufóstra
1145:
1062:Högna saga Hálfdanarsonar
1057:Hrómundar saga Gripssonar
1047:Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar
957:
742:Handbok i norrøn filologi
710:The Literary Encyclopedia
491:Ormars saga Fraðmarssonar
452:Hrómundar saga Gripssonar
436:Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar
421:Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks
367:Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna
275:Hjalmars och Hramers saga
269:Friðþjófs saga ins frœkna
251:tend to overlap with the
97:in the time prior to the
53:, takes place before the
1097:Sturlaugs saga starfsama
1067:Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra
842:. Norstedts, Stockholm.
651:
533:Sögubrot af fornkonungum
525:Sturlaugs saga starfsama
472:Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra
409:Hálfs saga ok Hálfsrekka
73:Description of the sagas
972:Ásmundar saga kappabana
962:Af Upplendinga konungum
779:Margaret Clunies Ross,
720:Margaret Clunies Ross,
696:, "Fornaldarsögur", in
309:Ásmundar saga kappabana
1209:History of Scandinavia
1087:Ragnars saga loðbrókar
1042:Hjálmþés saga ok Ölvis
1037:Helga þáttr Þórissonar
873:Waggoner, Ben (2010).
607:
593:Helga þáttr Þórissonar
586:Þættir (short stories)
553:
513:Ragnars saga loðbrókar
429:Hjálmþés saga ok Ölvis
343:
312:- A saga based on the
218:
139:Ragnars saga loðbrókar
32:
1072:Ingvars saga víðförla
1007:Gríms saga loðinkinna
997:Friðþjófs saga frækna
977:Bósa saga ok Herrauðs
600:Jökuls þáttr Búasonar
564:Yngvars saga víðförla
381:Gríms saga loðinkinna
326:Bósa saga ok Herrauðs
216:
145:Yngvars saga víðförla
99:settlement of Iceland
60:Yngvars saga víðförla
55:settlement of Iceland
22:
1112:Tóka þáttr Tókasonar
987:Eiríks saga víðförla
823:Nationalencyklopedin
816:e.g. in the article
763:Scandinavian Studies
678:Nationalencyklopedin
631:Tóka þáttr Tókasonar
353:Eireks saga víðförla
1173:Sagas of Icelanders
967:Áns saga bogsveigis
694:Einar Ól. Sveinsson
302:Áns saga bogsveigis
16:Genre of Norse saga
1163:Contemporary sagas
850:pp. 26, 42, 44, 45
797:The origin of Rus'
700:(Copenhagen, 1959)
219:
77:In terms of form,
33:
30:Peter Nicolai Arbo
1191:
1190:
1146:Other saga genres
1107:Sörla saga sterka
1092:Ragnarssona þáttr
1082:Norna-Gests þáttr
1077:Ketils saga hængs
1052:Hrólfs saga kraka
1012:Göngu-Hrólfs saga
836:978-91-7486-641-4
617:Ragnarssona þáttr
609:Norna-Gests þáttr
541:Sörla saga sterka
484:Ketils saga hœngs
444:Hrólfs saga kraka
388:Göngu-Hrólfs saga
318:Lay of Hildebrand
282:List of the sagas
154:. In the case of
66:Hrólfs saga kraka
51:Icelanders' sagas
49:that, unlike the
1216:
1122:Þjalar-Jóns saga
944:
937:
930:
921:
920:
888:
860:
857:
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814:
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793:Pritsak, Omeljan
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784:
777:
771:
770:
757:A. Hall (2005),
754:
745:
738:
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712:
707:
701:
691:
682:
669:
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572:Þjalar-Jóns saga
558:
348:
232:Saxo Grammaticus
1224:
1223:
1219:
1218:
1217:
1215:
1214:
1213:
1204:Legendary sagas
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1158:Chivalric sagas
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1137:Örvar-Odds saga
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951:Legendary sagas
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266:, based on the
264:Frithiof's saga
253:Chivalric sagas
247:reception, the
104:Örvar-Odds saga
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17:
12:
11:
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1155:
1153:Bishops' sagas
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894:External links
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884:978-0578059334
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744:(Bergen, 2004)
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548:Völsunga saga
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374:Gautreks saga
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260:Esaias Tegnér
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237:Gesta Danorum
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197:
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173:Völsunga saga
169:
168:
167:Hervarar saga
163:
159:
158:
157:Hervarar saga
153:
152:
151:Völsunga saga
147:
146:
141:
140:
130:
129:fornaldarsaga
126:
125:
124:
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118:
114:
110:
106:
105:
100:
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92:
91:skaldic verse
88:
84:
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68:
67:
62:
61:
56:
52:
48:
44:
43:
42:fornaldarsaga
38:
31:
27:
26:
21:
1168:Kings' sagas
874:
867:Translations
855:
839:
827:
821:
817:
812:
796:
788:
780:
775:
766:
762:
741:
721:
716:
705:
697:
676:
672:
671:The article
643:
636:
629:
622:
615:
598:
591:
577:
570:
562:
546:
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531:
523:
511:
502:
496:Ormars rímur
494:
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365:
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291:
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285:
273:
267:
263:
262:, who wrote
257:
248:
244:Philologists
242:
235:
220:
208:Kings' sagas
203:
188:Great Lacuna
181:
171:
165:
155:
149:
143:
137:
135:
128:
102:
89:(unlike the
87:Eddaic verse
82:
78:
76:
64:
58:
41:
40:
36:
34:
24:
23:
1183:Short tales
638:Völsa þáttr
624:Sörla þáttr
460:Huldar saga
414:Hrólf Kraki
196:Hrólf Kraki
183:Poetic Edda
95:Scandinavia
1198:Categories
795:. (1981).
769:: at p. 1.
504:Örvar-Odds
477:fairy tale
47:Norse saga
818:Blot-Sven
200:Orvar-Odd
25:Fornalder
170:and the
339:heroes.
337:Geatish
335:it has
332:Beowulf
329:- like
162:Ukraine
109:dwarves
881:
846:
834:
807:p. 214
803:
681:(1991)
314:German
223:motifs
178:Sigurd
117:giants
652:Notes
228:kvæði
121:magic
113:elves
879:ISBN
844:ISBN
832:ISBN
801:ISBN
506:saga
198:and
148:and
119:and
820:in
675:in
39:or
1200::
767:77
765:,
761:,
749:^
729:^
686:^
660:^
296:.
278:.
234:'
210:.
194:,
142:,
115:,
111:,
69:.
35:A
943:e
936:t
929:v
887:.
605:'
559:.
499:.
489:*
467:.
458:*
416:.
321:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
