The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( A feud (ˈfjuːd (referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud or vendetta) is a long-running argument or fight between parties&mdashoften through Guilt They were written in the Old Norse language, mainly in Iceland. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (
The texts are epic tales in prose, often with stanzas or whole poems in alliterative verse embedded in the text, of heroic deeds of days long gone, tales of worthy men, who were often Vikings, sometimes Pagan, sometimes Christian. An epic is a lengthy Narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation For the Wikipedia guideline regarding editing articles see WikipediaManual of Style. In prosody, alliterative verse is a form of verse that uses Alliteration as the principal structuring device to unify lines of poetry as opposed to A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and The Germanic peoples underwent gradual Christianization in the course of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. The tales are usually realistic, except legendary sagas, sagas of saints, sagas of bishops and translated or recomposed romances. They are sometimes romanticised and fantastic, but always dealing with human beings one can understand.
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Background
The term saga originates from the Icelandic saga (pl. sögur), and refers to (1) "what is said, statement" or (2) "story, tale, history". Plural is a Grammatical number, typically referring to more than one of the Referent in the real world It is cognate with the English word "say", and the German sagen. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Icelandic sagas are based on oral traditions and much research has focused on what is real and what is fiction within each tale. The accuracy of the sagas is often hotly disputed. Most of the manuscripts in which the sagas are preserved were taken to Denmark and Sweden in the 17th century, but later returned to Iceland. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland (
There are plenty of tales of kings (e. g. Heimskringla), every-day people (e. Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse Kings' sagas. g. Bandamanna saga) and larger than life characters (e. Bandamanna saga is one of the Sagas of Icelanders. g. Egils saga). Egils saga is an epic Icelandic saga possibly by Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241 AD who may have written the account between the years 1220 and The sagas describe a part of the history of some of the Nordic countries (e. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, g. the last chapter of Hervarar saga). Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is a Legendary saga from the 13th century combining matter from several older sagas The British Isles, northern France and North America are also mentioned. It was only recently (start of 20th century) that the tales of the voyages to America were authenticated.
Most sagas of Icelanders take place in the period 930–1030, which is actually called söguöld (Age of the Sagas) in Icelandic history. Icelanders are the Nation or Ethnic group of Iceland descended primarily from Norsemen of Scandinavia. The sagas of kings, bishops, contemporary sagas and so on, of course have their own time frame. Most were written down between 1190 to 1320, sometimes existing as oral traditions long before, others are pure fiction, and for some we do know the sources: The author of King Sverrir's saga had met the king and used him as a source. Sverre Sigurdsson ( Sverrir Sigurðarson, c 1145/1151 &ndash 9 March 1202) was King of Norway from 1184 to 1202 The Mythology theory of saga origin maintains that the plots and characters were heavily influenced by mythological material associated with the local landscape. Einar Pálsson (1925-1996 was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is best known for his theories about the origin of the Icelandic Saga literature as relict
Plot and writing style
Some of the sagas live between Christianity and Paganism and fate plays a central role, a key line in Grettis saga (ch. Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events It may be conceived as a predetermined future whether in general or of an individual Grettis saga (also known as Grettla, Grettir's Saga or The Saga of Grettir the Strong) is one of the Icelanders' sagas. 69) is
- . . . she spoke thus: "Now you are going, my two sons, and you are fated to die together, and no one can escape the destiny that is shaped for him. Predestination (also linked with Foreknowledge) is a religious concept which involves the relationship between God and His creation Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events It may be conceived as a predetermined future whether in general or of an individual '
The civilization of Norse sagas is complex, many-layered, with often-contradictory agents sometimes acting as forces for good, sometime evil, and always human.
The writing style tends towards the impersonal, terse, with no explanation of why's. Things happen; no one questions fate. Characters are often but briefly introduced, There was a man named . . . , followed by brief biographies, genealogy, and all-important relations to other figures in the saga. Personalities are shown through action, seldom through analysis any deeper than offhand lines like He was an utter scoundrel, or, He was a powerful chieftain. Often a prominent agent figures in other sagas, and one may draw information from them, which saga writers simply assumed. Relationships between individuals are complex, by friendship, blood, marriage, and immediate geography.
One must often and at disadvantage overcome fantastic enemies. Life is short, uncertain, and men's worth is determined by glory in arms. A weapon is a Tool used either in Hunting, or attack or defence in Combat for the purpose of subduing enemy personnel or to destroy enemy weapons
Critical concepts to the saga technique are honour, luck (or destiny), and fate, the supernatural, and character. Honor or Honour (see spelling differences) (the latter directly from the Latin word honos honoris) is the evaluation of a person's Luck (also called fortunity) is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events It may be conceived as a predetermined future whether in general or of an individual The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Moral character or character is an evaluation of a particular individual's moral qualities Behavior is often not explained, as within the world of the saga it is what must be done, and early listeners of sagas had no need of questions.
Any slight to one's honour (or that of one's family) had to be avenged, by blood or money. Men could easily be goaded to fatal violence over a (real or imagined) slight to their honour. Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes
The concept of luck is simple, certainly in one such as Njáls saga: one is born with a certain store of good luck. When one's good luck runs out, one is doomed.
The supernatural often plays a major role as well. Oneiric (i. e. , relating to prophetic dreams) factors may also play a role. Dreams are the images sounds thoughts and feelings experienced while Sleeping, particularly strongly associated with Rapid eye movement sleep.
Do agents have the character to surmount their difficulties, or do they succumb to vices such as evil, cowardice and pride?
As a final stylistic point, Magnus Magnusson notes in his introduction to Njáls saga;
- In the midst of such economy, one spendthrift sentence can speak volumes: 'two ravens flew with them all the way' (Chapter 79) as Skarp-Hedin and Hogni set out at night to avenge Gunnar . The software program VICE (all caps standing for V ersat' I' le C ommodore E mulator, is an Emulator for Commodore Evil, in many cultures is used to describe acts or thoughts which are contrary to some particular religion Coward redirects here For other meanings including as a surname see Coward (disambiguation. Pride is a lofty view of one's self or one's own Pride often manifests itself as a high opinion of one's Nation (national pride Ethnicity (ethnic pride or appearance Magnús Magnússon KBE (ˈmaknus ˈmaknuˌsɔn October 12 1929 &ndash January 7 2007) was an Icelandic television . .
Classification
Norse sagas are generally classified as:
Kings' sagas (Konungasögur)
These tell of the lives of Scandinavian kings. The Kings' sagas are Norse sagas which tell of the lives of Scandinavian kings They were composed in the 12th to 14th centuries in Iceland and Norway They were composed in the 12th to 14th centuries.
Icelanders' sagas (Íslendingasögur)
These are heroic prose narratives written in the 12th to 14th centuries of the great families of Iceland from 930 to 1030. The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing Events By Place Europe With the establishment of the Althing, now the world's oldest Parliament, the Icelandic Commonwealth These are the highest form of the classical Icelandic saga writing. Some well-known examples include Njáls saga, Laxdœla saga and Grettis saga. Njáls saga (also known as "Brennu-Njáls saga" or "The Story of the burning of Njáll") is arguably the most famous of the Sagas of Laxdœla saga is the saga of the clan /family of Laxárdalur. Grettis saga (also known as Grettla, Grettir's Saga or The Saga of Grettir the Strong) is one of the Icelanders' sagas.
Short tales of Icelanders (Íslendingaþættir)
The material of these sagas is similar to Íslendinga sögur, just shorter. The þættir (singular þáttr) were short stories written mostly in Iceland during the 13th and 14th centuries.
Contemporary sagas (Samtíðarsögur or Samtímasögur)
These narratives are set in 12th and 13th century Iceland, and were written soon after the events they describe. Most are preserved in the compilation Sturlunga saga. Sturlunga saga (often called simply Sturlunga) is a collection of Icelandic sagas by various authors from the 12th and 13th centuries; it was
Legendary sagas (Fornaldarsögur)
These blend remote history with myth or legend. A Legendary saga or Fornaldarsaga (literally a tale of times past) is a Norse saga that unlike the Icelanders' sagas, takes place The aim is on a lively narrative and entertainment. Scandinavia's pagan past was a proud and heroic history for the Icelanders.
Chivalric sagas (Riddarasögur)
These are translations of Latin pseudo-historical works and French chansons de geste as well as native creations in the same style. The chansons de geste, Old French for "songs of Heroic deeds lineages" are the epic poems that appear at the dawn of French literature
Other
- Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa
- Hróa þáttr heimska
- Eymundar þáttr hrings
- Eindriða þáttr ok Erlings
Different meanings of the word saga
Besides the Icelandic sagas, the Norse word saga in contemporary Nordic languages describes several different kind of stories. Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa ( The Tale of Styrbjörn the Swedish Champion) is a short story a þáttr on the Swedish claimant and Jomsviking Styrbjörn Hróa þáttr heimska or the Tale of Roi the Fool is an amusing short story from Iceland about a Dane called Hrói the Fool who is helped in a legal dispute by the Eymundar þáttr hrings is a short Norse Saga, which is preserved in two versions The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages Some of them are:
- a folk tale - in the sense of a fairy tale by an unknown author, "folksaga" (Swedish and Danish)
- a fairy tale by a known author, such as H. C. Andersen or Astrid Lindgren, "konstsaga" (Swedish only - the Danish and Norwegian terms are eventyr)
- a work of fantasy fiction. History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving Hans Christian Andersen (ˈhanˀs ˈkʰʁæʂd̥jan ˈɑnɐsn̩ in Danish or simply H Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren ( Née Ericsson 14 November 1907 &ndash 28 January 2002 was a Swedish children's book author and Screenwriter Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series was translated to Swedish by Åke Ohlmarks by the title Sagan om ringen. The Lord of the Rings is an epic Åke Joel Ohlmarks (1911 in Kristianstad – 1984 in Crist di Niardo Brescia, Italy) was a Swedish author translator and scholar of religion Tolkien was dissatisfied with the Swedish title, and the 2004 translation was titled Ringarnas herre, a literal translation from the original.
External links and references
- Viktor Rydberg's ;Teutonic Mythology: Gods and Goddesses of the Northland" e-book
- W. Wagner's "Asgard and the Home of the Gods" e-book
- "Myths of Northern Lands" e-book by H. A. Guerber
- Peter Andreas Munch's "Norse Mythology: Legends of Gods and Heroes" e-book
- Free saga e-texts and related materials
- A Norse saga page
- Norse saga resources from the University of Oregon
- (Unknown author, translated by Magnus Magnusson) (1960), Njal's Saga, (ISBN 0-14-044103-4)
- (Unknown author, translated by Seamus Heaney), Beowulf, (2000) (ISBN 0-393-32097-9)
- The Icelandic sagas at Netútgáfan
- Icelandic Saga Database - The Icelandic sagas in the original Icelandic along with translations into many languages
- «Kulturformidlingen norrøne tekster og kvad»
- [1]- Sagas from all over the world
HA Guerber, more commonly known as Helene A Guerber ( Hélène Adeline Guerber) born 1859, died 1929, is a British historian most well known
Dictionary
saga
-noun
- An Old Norse (Icelandic) prose narrative, especially one dealing with family or social histories and legends
- Something with the qualities of such a saga; an epic, a long story.
Saga
-proper noun
- Saga Prefecture - a prefecture in the Western island, Kyushu, Japan
- Saga - a city in Saga Prefecture, Japan
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