Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga

Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga PDF Author: Heather O'Donoghue
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786736314
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Representative of a unique literary genre and composed in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Icelandic Family Sagas rank among some of the world's greatest literature. Here, Heather O'Donoghue skilfully examines the notions of time and the singular textual voice of the Sagas, offering a fresh perspective on the foundational texts of Old Norse and medieval Icelandic heritage. With a conspicuous absence of giants, dragons, and fairy tale magic, these sagas reflect a real-world society in transition, grappling with major new challenges of identity and development. As this book reveals, the stance of the narrator and the role of time – from the representation of external time passing to the audience's experience of moving through a narrative – are crucial to these stories. As such, Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga draws on modern narratological theory to explore the ways in which saga authors maintain the urgency and complexity of their material, handle the narrative and chronological line, and offer perceptive insights into saga society. In doing so, O'Donoghue presents a new poetics of family sagas and redefines the literary rhetoric of saga narratives.

Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga

Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga PDF Author: Heather O'Donoghue
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786736314
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Representative of a unique literary genre and composed in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Icelandic Family Sagas rank among some of the world's greatest literature. Here, Heather O'Donoghue skilfully examines the notions of time and the singular textual voice of the Sagas, offering a fresh perspective on the foundational texts of Old Norse and medieval Icelandic heritage. With a conspicuous absence of giants, dragons, and fairy tale magic, these sagas reflect a real-world society in transition, grappling with major new challenges of identity and development. As this book reveals, the stance of the narrator and the role of time – from the representation of external time passing to the audience's experience of moving through a narrative – are crucial to these stories. As such, Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga draws on modern narratological theory to explore the ways in which saga authors maintain the urgency and complexity of their material, handle the narrative and chronological line, and offer perceptive insights into saga society. In doing so, O'Donoghue presents a new poetics of family sagas and redefines the literary rhetoric of saga narratives.

Feud in the Icelandic Saga

Feud in the Icelandic Saga PDF Author: Jesse L. Byock
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520082591
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 315

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Book Description
Byock sees the crucial element in the origin of the Icelandic sagas not as the introduction of writing or the impact of literary borrowings from the continent but the subject of the tales themselves - feud. This simple thesis is developed into a thorough examination of Icelandic society and feud, and of the narrative technique of recounting it.

The Medieval Saga

The Medieval Saga PDF Author: Carol J. Clover
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501740520
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 243

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Book Description
Written in the thirteenth century, the Icelandic prose sagas, chronicling the lives of kings and commoners, give a dramatic account of the first century after the settlement of Iceland—the period from about 930 to 1050. To some extent these elaborate tales are written versions of traditional sagas passed down by word of mouth. How did they become the long and polished literary works that are still read today? The evolution of the written sagas is commonly regarded as an anomalous phenomenon, distinct from contemporary developments in European literature. In this groundbreaking study, Carol J. Clover challenges this view and relates the rise of imaginative prose in Iceland directly to the rise of imaginative prose on the Continent. Analyzing the narrative structure and composition of the sagas and comparing them with other medieval works, Clover shows that the Icelandic authors, using Continental models, owe the prose form of their writings, as well as some basic narrative strategies, to Latin historiography and to French romance.

Laxdaela Saga

Laxdaela Saga PDF Author: Magnus Magnusson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9780140442182
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
Written around 1245 by an unknown author, the Laxdaela Saga is an extraordinary tale of conflicting kinships and passionate love, and one of the most compelling works of Icelandic literature. Covering 150 years in the lives of the inhabitants of the community of Laxriverdale, the saga focuses primarily upon the story of Gudrun Osvif's-daughter: a proud, beautiful, vain and desirable figure, who is forced into an unhappy marriage and destroys the only man she has truly loved – her husband's best friend. A moving tale of murder and sacrifice, romance and regret, the Laxdaela Saga is also a fascinating insight into an era of radical change – a time when the Age of Chivalry was at its fullest flower in continental Europe, and the Christian faith was making its impact felt upon the Viking world.

The Cambridge Introduction to the Old Norse-Icelandic Saga

The Cambridge Introduction to the Old Norse-Icelandic Saga PDF Author: Margaret Clunies Ross
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139492640
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
The medieval Norse-Icelandic saga is one of the most important European vernacular literary genres of the Middle Ages. This Introduction to the saga genre outlines its origins and development, its literary character, its material existence in manuscripts and printed editions, and its changing reception from the Middle Ages to the present time. Its multiple sub-genres - including family sagas, mythical-heroic sagas and sagas of knights - are described and discussed in detail, and the world of medieval Icelanders is powerfully evoked. The first general study of the Old Norse-Icelandic saga to be written in English for some decades, the Introduction is based on up-to-date scholarship and engages with current debates in the field. With suggestions for further reading, detailed information about the Icelandic literary canon, and a map of medieval Iceland, this book is aimed at students of medieval literature and assumes no prior knowledge of Scandinavian languages.

The Sagas of Icelanders

The Sagas of Icelanders PDF Author: Annette Lassen
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040268927
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 126

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Book Description
This book offers an accessible and concise introduction to the sagas of Icelanders, perfect for both general and academic readers. Authored by a recognized expert, it immerses readers in the sagas’ world, exploring their cultural and historical context. The book surveys major themes such as belief systems, family dynamics, legal matters, honor, and gender roles, elucidating Icelandic society’s fundamental worldview. Covering diverse tales from the Middle Ages, the sagas depict the struggles of ordinary farmers, fierce heroes, and shrewd women, including epic expeditions to Greenland and Vinland. The book also examines the influence of foreign literature, manuscript evidence, and dating, categorizing the sagas into three periods. Additionally, it explores their unique literary style, including paranormal elements and skaldic poetry. The final section provides concise summaries and information about the dating, manuscripts, and transmission of the forty preserved sagas, offering a comprehensive understanding of these captivating narratives.

Saga

Saga PDF Author: Jeff Janoda
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
ISBN: 089733812X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
This retelling of the ancient Saga of the People of Eyri is a modern classic. Absolutely gripping and compulsively readable, Booklist said this book, "does what good historical fiction is supposed to do: put a face on history that is recognizable to all." And medieval expert Tom Shippey, writing for the Times Literary Supplement said, "Sagas look like novels superficially, in their size and layout and plain language, but making their narratives into novels is a trick which has proved beyond most who have tried it. Janoda's Saga provides a model of how to do it: pick out the hidden currents, imagine how they would seem to peripheral characters, and as with all historical novels, load the narrative with period detail drawn from the scholars. No better saga adaptation has been yet written."

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture PDF Author: Rory McTurk
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 140513738X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 584

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Book Description
This major survey of Old Norse-Icelandic literature and culturedemonstrates the remarkable continuity of Icelandic language andculture from medieval to modern times. Comprises 29 chapters written by leading scholars in thefield Reflects current debates among Old Norse-Icelandicscholars Pays attention to previously neglected areas of study, such asthe sagas of Icelandic bishops and the fantasy sagas Looks at the ways Old Norse-Icelandic literature is used bymodern writers, artists and film directors, both within and outsideScandinavia Sets Old Norse-Icelandic language and literature in its widercultural context

Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga

Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga PDF Author: Heather O'Donoghue
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786726254
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
Representative of a unique literary genre and composed in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Icelandic Family Sagas rank among some of the world's greatest literature. Here, Heather O'Donoghue skilfully examines the notions of time and the singular textual voice of the Sagas, offering a fresh perspective on the foundational texts of Old Norse and medieval Icelandic heritage. With a conspicuous absence of giants, dragons, and fairy tale magic, these sagas reflect a real-world society in transition, grappling with major new challenges of identity and development. As this book reveals, the stance of the narrator and the role of time – from the representation of external time passing to the audience's experience of moving through a narrative – are crucial to these stories. As such, Narrative in the Icelandic Family Saga draws on modern narratological theory to explore the ways in which saga authors maintain the urgency and complexity of their material, handle the narrative and chronological line, and offer perceptive insights into saga society. In doing so, O'Donoghue presents a new poetics of family sagas and redefines the literary rhetoric of saga narratives.

Egil, the Viking Poet

Egil, the Viking Poet PDF Author: Laurence de Looze
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
ISBN: 1442621249
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
Egil, the Viking Poet focuses on one of the best-known Icelandic sagas, that of the extraordinary hero Egil Skallagrimsson. Descended from a lineage of trolls, shape-shifters, and warriors, Egil’s transformation from a precocious and murderous child into a raider, mercenary, litigant, landholder, and poet epitomizes the many facets of Viking legend. The contributors to this collection of essays approach Egil’s story from a variety of perspectives, including psychology, philology, network theory, social history, and literary theory. Strikingly original, their essays will appeal not only to dedicated students of Old Norse-Icelandic literature but also to those working in the fields of Viking studies, comparative ethnology, and folklore.