Making History: Essays on the "fornaldarsögur"

Description

This volume arises out of the Viking Society Student Conference held in Hull in February 2009, which addressed and contributed to the recent revival of scholarly interest in the genre of "fornaldarsögur" ('legendary' or 'mythical-heroic' sagas). It includes essays developed from six of the papers presented there, as well as two translations: that by William Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon of the tale usually now known as "Sörla þáttr", and a new translation of "Ásmundar saga kappabana", interesting for its links with the Old High German "Hildebrandslied". Rory McTurk, Introduction v Elizabeth Ashman Rowe, "Sögubrot af fornkonungum": Mythologised History for Late Thirteenth-Century Iceland 1 Tom Shippey, "Hrólfs saga kraka" and the Legend of Lejre 17 Ármann Jakobsson, Enter the Dragon. Legendary Saga Courage and the Birth of the Hero 33 Carolyne Larrington, Þóra and Áslaug in "Ragnars saga loðbrókar". Women, Dragons and Destiny 53 Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir, "Hyggin ok forsjál". Wisdom and Women's Counsel in "Hrólfs saga Gautrekssonar" 69 Martin Arnold, "Viðþik sættumsk ek aldri". "Örvar-Odds saga" and the Meanings of Ögmundr Eyþjófsbani 85 William Morris and Eiríkr Magnússon (transl.), "The Tale of Hogni And Hedinn". Introduction by Carl Phelpstead 105 Alison Finlay (transl.), "The Saga of Ásmundr, Killer of Champions" 119