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The Growth of the Medieval Icelandic Sagas (1180-1280)
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The Growth of the Medieval Icelandic Sagas (1180-1280)

In this book, Theodore M. Andersson, a leading scholar of the Norse sagas, introduces readers to the development of the Icelandic sagas between 1180 and 1280, a crucial period that witnessed a gradual shift of emphasis from tales of adventure and personal distinction to the analysis of political and historical propositions. Beginning with the first full-length sagas and culminating in the acknowledged masterpiece Njáls saga, Andersson emphasizes a historical perspective, establishing a chronology for seventeen of the most important sagas and showing how they evolve thematically and stylistically over the century under study.
 
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Tags: sagas, Icelandic, Andersson, historical, perspective
Beowulf and Other Stories: A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literatures
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Beowulf and Other Stories: A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman LiteraturesBeowulf & Other Stories was first conceived in the belief that the study of Old English – and its close cousins, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman – can be a genuine delight, covering a period as replete with wonder, creativity and magic as any other in literature. Now in a fully revised second edition, the collection of essays written by leading academics in the field is set to build upon its established reputation as the standard introduction to the literatures of the time.
 
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Tags: Icelandic, Beowulf, English, Anglo-Norman, Stories
Anglo-Saxon England in Icelandic Medieval Texts
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Anglo-Saxon England in Icelandic Medieval TextsMedieval Icelandic authors wrote a great deal on the subject of England and the English. This new work by Magnús Fjalldal is the first to provide an overview of what Icelandic medieval texts have to say about Anglo-Saxon England in respect to its language, culture, history, and geography.
Some of the texts Fjalldal examines include family sagas, the shorter þættir, the histories of Norwegian and Danish kings, and the Icelandic lives of Anglo-Saxon saints.
 
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Tags: Icelandic, England, Anglo-Saxon, texts, Fjalldal
A History of Icelandic Literature, Vol. 5
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A History of Icelandic Literature, Vol. 5A History of Icelandic Literature, Vol. 5

"A History of Icelandic Literature" provides a complete overview of the literature of Iceland, from the country's settlement in the ninth century until the present day, including chapters on lesser-known areas such as drama, children's literature, women's literature, and North American Icelandic literature. It is the first work to give non-Icelandic readers a wide-ranging introduction to Iceland's literature and each contributor to this volume is a recognized expert in his or her area. Despite its peripheral geographical position and small population, Iceland produced some of the most remarkable literary treasures of the Middle Ages, particularly sagas and Eddic poetry.
 
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Tags: literature, Iceland, Icelandic, Literature, History
Story of Burnt Njal (Njal's Saga)
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Story of Burnt Njal (Njal's Saga)Story of Burnt Njal (Njal's Saga)

Originally written in Icelandic, sometime in the 13th Century A.D. Author unknown.
The saga deals with the process of blood feuds in the Icelandic Commonwealth, showing how the requirements of honor could lead to minor slights spiralling into destructive and prolonged bloodshed. Insults where a character's manhood is called into question are especially prominent and may reflect an author critical of an overly restrictive ideal of masculinity. Another characteristic of the narrative is the presence of omens and prophetic dreams. It is disputed whether this reflects a fatalistic outlook on part of the author.


 
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Tags: Icelandic, author, restrictive, ideal, masculinity, Story, Burnt, critical