Vatnsdæla saga (Icelandic: [ˈvassˌdaiːla ˌsaːɣa]; listen; Old Norse: Vatnsdœla saga) is one of the sagas of Icelanders. The saga follows several generations of a family originating in Norway and settling in the north of Iceland until the arrival of Christianity in the late tenth century.
Manuscripts and dating
A fragment of Vatnsdæla saga is preserved in a late-14th or early-15th-century manuscript (AM 445 b 4to). Complete versions of the text are preserved in later paper manuscripts including AM 559 4to, written between 1686 and 1688, and AM 942 4to, written between 1700 and 1782. These texts likely originate from a 14th-century source, while the saga may have originally been written in the late 13th century.
Synopsis
Vatnsdæla Saga is essentially a family chronicle. It relates to residents of Vatnsdalur, a valley that runs south from Húnaflói, a large bay in the north of Iceland. The principal protagonist is a man named Ingimundr Þorsteinsson who fought for King Harald Fairhair of Norway at the Battle of Hafrsfjord winning his friendship and an amulet. At the instigation of a sorceress, he moved to Iceland to settle at Vatnsdalur in Húnaþing.
References
- "The Vatnsdæla saga (13th century)". astrofella.wordpress.com. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- "Vatnsdæla saga". Icelandic Saga Database. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- "AM 445 b 4to | Handrit.is". handrit.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- "AM 559 4to | Handrit.is". handrit.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- "AM 942 4to | Handrit.is". handrit.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2023-12-06.
- Pulsiano, Phillip, ed. (1993). Medieval Scandinavia: an encyclopedia. Garland reference library of the humanities Garland encyclopedias of the Middle Ages. New York, NY: Garland. ISBN 978-0-8240-4787-0.
Other sources
- Jane Smiley (2001) The Sagas of the Icelanders (Penguin Classics) ISBN 978-0141000039
External links
- "Proverbs of Vatnsdœla Saga and the Sword of Jokull: The Oral Backgrounds of Grettir Ásmundarson's Flawed Heroism" by Harris, Richard L. (2010) in Essays in honor of George Clark, Robin Waugh and James Weldon (eds.), (Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University . pages 150 - 170. )
- Proverbs in Vatnsdœla saga
- Full text at the Icelandic Saga Database
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