The Growth of the Medieval Icelandic Sagas, 1180-1280

249 Pages·2012·1.14 MB·English

by  Theodore M. Andersson

THE GROWTH OF THE
MEDIEVAL ICELANDIC SAGAS
(1180–1280)
Also by Theodore M. Andersson
The Legend of Brynhild(1985)
with Kari Ellen Gade, Morkinskinna: The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle of the
Norwegian Kings (1030–1157) (2000)
The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason by Oddr Snorrason(2003)
THE GROWTH OF THE
MEDIEVAL ICELANDIC SAGAS
(1180 –1280)
Theodore M. Andersson
cornell university press
ithaca and london
Copyright © 2006by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this
book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address
Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512East State Street, Ithaca,
New York 14850.
First published 2006by Cornell University Press
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Andersson, Theodore Murdock.
The growth of the medieval Icelandic sagas, 1180–1280/
by Theodore M. Andersson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8014-4408-1(cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8014-4408-X (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Sagas—History and criticism. I. Title.
PT7181.A52 2005
839.6(cid:2)309—dc22
2005025054
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CONTENTS
ANote on Orthography
vii
Abbreviations
ix
introduction
The Prehistory of the Sagas
1
chapter one
From Hagiography to Hero: Odd Snorrason’s Saga of Olaf Tryggvason
21
chapter two
Sanctifying a Viking Chieftain: The Oldest/Legendary Saga of Saint Olaf
43
chapter three
Creating Personalities: The Saga Age Icelanders
60
chapter four
Defining Political Identities: The Saga of King Magnús and King Harald
86
chapter five
Political Ambiguities: Egils saga Skallagrímssonar
102
chapter six
Turning Inward: Ljósvetninga saga
119
chapter seven
Gilding an Age: Laxdœla saga
132
chapter eight
Two Views of Icelandic History: Eyrbyggja sagaand Vatnsdœla saga
150
chapter nine
Pondering Justice: Hœnsa-fióris saga, Bandamanna saga,
and Hrafnkels saga
162
chapter ten
Demythologizing the Tradition: Njáls saga
183
Epilogue
204
Bibliography
211
Index
227
vi Contents
A NOTE ON ORTHOGRAPHY
Because this book is intended to be accessible to the nonspecialist
reader, I have for the most part Latinized the special Icelandic conso-
nant characters “fi(fl)” and “›,” rendering them as “th” and “d.” Fol-
lowing a widespread convention, I have also simplified pronunciation
by dropping the nominative “r” ending following a consonant. Thus
the proper name Hƒskuldr appears as Hƒskuld, Oddr as Odd. I have
done this even where the final “r” has been assimilated to a preceding
nasal or liquid: thus Egil for Egill, Gunnar for Gunnarr, and Kolbein
for Kolbeinn.
The only deviations from this system occur in references to Icelandic
scholars, the titles of Icelandic sagas, the names of Icelandic publish-
ers, and a few technical terms such as fláttr ‘short prose narrative’
(plur. flættir); in these cases I use the correct Icelandic form. In a few
place names, where a final component is almost identical to the English
equivalent, I have used the English form of the component. Thus
Hl‡rskógshei›r appears as Hl‡rskógsheath and Laxárdalr appears as
Laxárdale.
I have, however, retained the special Icelandic vowels “æ,” “ø,” “œ,”
and “ƒ” to preserve some of the flavor of the original. The character
“æ” may be pronounced like the vowel in English “bad.” The charac-
ters “ø” and “œ” may be approximated with the French “œu” as in œuf
or œuvre.The character “ƒ” may be pronounced like the vowel in En-
glish “ought.” Icelandic “y” and “‡” may be treated as short and long
variants of French “u.” I have also retained the acute accents, which
are used in Old Icelandic to mark long vowels and are no impediment
to pronunciation.
vii

ABBREVIATIONS
ÅNOH Aarbøger for nordisk oldkyndighed og historie
ANF Arkiv för nordisk filologi
ÍF Íslenzk fornrit. Reykjavik: Hi›Íslenzka Fornritafélag
Introductory Essays Introductory Essays on Egils saga and Njáls saga.
Ed. John Hines and Desmond Slay. [London] Viking Society for
Northern Research, 1992.
JEGP Journal of English and Germanic Philology
MHN Monumenta Historica Norvegiae: Latinske kildeskrifter til Norges
historie i middelalderen.Ed. Gustav Storm. 1880. Rpt. Oslo: Aas &
Wahl, 1973.
MM Maal og minne
NVAOS Skrifter utgitt av Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi i Oslo
ONIL Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: ACritical Guide.Ed. Carol J.
Clover and John Lindow. Islandica 45. Ithaca: Cornell University
Press, 1985; rpt. Toronto: Toronto University Press, 2005.
Sagas Sagas of the Icelanders: ABook of Essays.Ed. John Tucker. New
York: Garland, 1989.
SBVS Saga-Book of the Viking Society
SI Scripta Islandica
Sjötíu ritger›ir Sjötíu ritger›ir helga›ar Jakobi Benediktssyni 20. júlí
1977.Ed. Einar G. Pétursson and Jónas Kristjánsson. 2 vols. Reyk-
javik: Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, 1977.
Skj Den-norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning.Vols. IA–IIA, Tekst efter hånd-
skrifterne;vols. IB–IIB, Rettet tekst.Ed. Finnur Jónsson. Copen-
hagen: Gyldendal, 1908–15; rpt. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde &
Bagger, 1967–73.
ix
SS Scandinavian Studies
STUAGNL Samfund til Udgivelse af Gammel Nordisk Litteratur
Studien zum Altgermanischen Studien zum Altgermanischen.
Festschrift für Heinrich Beck.Ed. Heiko Uecker: Berlin and New
York: de Gruyter, 1994.
Studien zur Isländersaga Studien zur Isländersaga. Festschrift für Rolf
Heller.Ed. Heinrich Beck and Else Ebel. Berlin and New York: de
Gruyter, 2000.
Th Theodoricus Monachus. Historia de Antiquitate Regum Nor-
wagiensium; An Account of the Ancient History of the Norwegian
Kings.Trans. and ann. David and Ian McDougall; intro. Peter
Foote. Viking Society for Northern Research, Text Series 11. Lon-
don: University College London; Viking Society for Northern Re-
search, 1998.
ZDA Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum und deutsche Literatur
x Abbreviations