Why is Njáls saga the best Icelandic saga?
Brennu-Njáls saga can—and most often is—be translated to The Story of Burnt Njal. But another way of translating it is The Story of Njáll the Burner. And I believe it is exactly this duality of the saga’s main character Njáll that makes the saga so appealing
Between Fiction and Falsehood: The Ethics of Lying in the Sagas of Icelanders
This paper discusses a series of episodes from the Sagas of Icelanders in which one character attempts to deceive another.
Why Icelandic Vikings were buried with horses
Archaeologists in Iceland have for decades examined the remains of more than 350 graves from the Viking Age. In approximately 150 of these, teeth or bones of horses were found.
5 Magic Spells from Medieval Iceland
Here are five spells from the Galdrabók, which range from helpful to cruel!
Big Men During the Icelandic Commonwealth
By comparing chosen cases of ambitious men taken from the Íslendingasögur and the Sturlunga compilation, the applicability of the category to commonwealth Iceland is assessed.
Making a copy of Njáls saga: the story of the Urðabók manuscript
Who scribed Urðabók? And for whom and what? Wawn aims at unveiling the story behind this little, modest manuscript.
Proving Facts in Njáls saga
Clover uncovers the seemingly inadequate evidence-finding process in Njáls saga and discusses how the legal process can be transmitted to the saga’s narrative structure.
Why this is the week to be in Iceland (and learn about sagas)
The scholarly world interested in all things Norse, Viking and saga-related is coming to Iceland this week for the 17th International Saga Conference. Here is a quick guide to what is happening.
Axlar-Björn: The Only Serial Killer of Iceland
Axlar-Björn, or Björn of the farm Öxl, was executed in 1596 for having murdered at least 18 people.
New Yorkers in Viking Age Iceland
In Iceland, there are four settlement sites that answer to the name of Jórvík – and all of them probably are Viking Age foundations named after the Old Norse name of York: Jórvík. So basically, there are four ‘New Yorks’ in Iceland.
Rómverja saga: an introduction and a translation
Rómverja saga is an Old Icelandic translation of three Latin works on historical themes from the classical period. In this thesis, I provide the first English translation of this little-known text in the hope that it might prove a resource for scholars interested in the reception of Latin literature in the medieval period.
The Making of Flateyjarbók: What we are learning about Iceland’s National Treasure
Made in the last quarter of the 14th century, Flateyjarbók (Book of Flatey) is probably the finest manuscript that Iceland has ever produced.
Hveiti ok Hunang: Viking Age Icelandic Mead?
This paper will try and draw out the picture of mead in Viking Age Iceland, a picture worth elaborating on due to the importance of Icelandic sources of information for an even larger culture.
Genetic origins of Iceland’s first settlers revealed
“It’s like having a time machine. Now it is possible to study the actual people who participated in the founding of Iceland.”
‘To Talk of Many Things’: Whales, Walrus, and Seals in Medieval Icelandic Literature
In comparing the roles of whales, walrus, and seals, this study will examine the themes that recur throughout the Old Icelandic literary tradition, and how these may have been influenced by the circumstances of the time.
The Legendary Topography of the Viking Settlement of Iceland
This paper focuses on Icelanders’ myth of origin as presented in the various Landnámabók redactions, and explores how a largely fictional medieval text can assert ownership and control over territory, and ultimately contribute to the creation of a legendary topography.
How a volcanic eruption influenced Iceland’s conversion to Christianity
Memories of the largest lava flood in the history of Iceland, recorded in an apocalyptic medieval poem, were used to drive the island’s conversion to Christianity, new research suggests.
The Medieval Magazine: (Volume 4: No. 4): Issue 106
In this issue, we look medieval cannibalism, dietary advice to a king, animal sex in art, the medieval precinct of St. Paul’s, visit Dorchester Abbey, and look at the life of Edward II.
Bloodfeud and Miracles: Creating and Killing a Saint
Hrafn Sveinbjarnarson was a physician and chieftain in Iceland who was drawn into a bloodfeud that ultimately resulted in his death.
Erosive and Mechanical Tooth Wear in Viking Age Icelanders
The importance of the Icelandic Sagas as a source of information about diet habits in medieval Iceland, and possibly other Nordic countries, is obvious.
Gender Ambiguity in Medieval Iceland: Legal Framework and Saga Dynamics
In the judgmental genre of the Icelandic family saga, gender transgression is always central to plot dynamics and this is its only rationale for inclusion.
‘To Talk of Many Things’: Whales, Walrus, and Seals in Medieval Icelandic Literature
The use of whales, walrus, and seals in the sagas illustrates a cultural map of the ocean. This network of places, known and imagined, is filled in by trade goods, species and place names, and stories that incorporate the denizens of the deep.
Medieval Iceland, Greenland, and the New Human Condition: A case study in integrated environmental humanities
By interlinking analyses of historically grounded literature with archaeological studies and environmental science, valuable new perspectives can emerge on how these past societies may have understood and coped with environmental impacts.
The World’s Saga: An English Translation of the Old Norse Veraldar saga, a History of the World in Six Ages
Veraldar saga is a medieval Icelandic prose universal history written in the Old Norse vernacular. It describes the history of the world divided into six “ages” from the Biblical creation narrative until the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa.
