Norse Sagas

Sagas are stories mostly about ancient Nordic and Germanic history, early Viking voyages, the battles that took place during the voyages and migration to Iceland and of feuds between Icelandic families. They were written in the Old Norse language, mainly in Iceland. Kings' sagas are of the lives of Scandinavian kings. They were composed in the 12th to 14th centuries. The Icelanders' sagas, a.k.a. Family Sagas, are stories of real events, passed in oral form till they eventually were recorded, mostly in the 13th century. These are the highest form of the classical Icelandic saga writing. Legendary Sagas blend remote history with myth or legend. The aim is on a lively narrative and entertainment. Contents: Kings' Sagas Ynglinga Saga Halfdan the Black Saga Harald Harfager's Saga Hakon the Good's Saga Saga of King Harald Grafeld and of Earl Hakon Son of Sigurd King Olaf Trygvason's Saga Saga of Olaf Haraldson (St. Olaf) Saga of Magnus the Good Saga of Harald Hardrade Saga of Olaf Kyrre Magnus Barefoot's Saga Saga of Sigurd the Crusader and His Brothers Eystein and Olaf Saga of Magnus the Blind and of Harald Gille Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald Saga of Hakon Herdebreid Magnus Erlingson's Saga Sagas of Icelanders Egil's Saga (The Story of Egil Skallagrimsson) Laxdæla Saga The Saga of Hrafnkell, Frey's Priest The Story of the Confederates (Bandamanna saga) The Saga of Gisli the Outlaw The Saga of Gunnlaug the Worm-Tongue and Raven the Skald Saga of the Greenlanders Erik the Red's Saga Grettir's Saga (The Story of Grettir the Strong) Njal's Saga (The story of Burnt Njal) The Saga of Cormac the Skald The Saga of Howard the Halt The Saga of the Ere-Dwellers The Saga of Thrond of Gate The Saga of Viga-Glum The Saga of Viglund the Fair The Saga of Hen-Thorir Legendary Sagas Volsunga Saga Frithiof's Saga

Snorri Sturluson (1179 - 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker to the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He was the author of the Prose Edda or Younger Edda, which consists of Gylfaginning, a narrative of Norse mythology, the Skáldskaparmál, a book of poetic language, and the Háttatal, a list of verse forms. He was also the author of the Heimskringla, a history of the Norwegian kings that begins with legendary material in Ynglinga saga and moves through to early medieval Scandinavian history.