Grettir's Saga (Oxford World's Classics) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 019280152X ISBN 13: 9780192801524

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, 2009

Synopsis

A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir's Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the vengefulness of his enemies. Feared by many, Grettir is a warrior and also a poet and a lover. Unable to resolve the dispute that has outlawed him, he lives outside the bounds of family life and he roams the countryside, ridding Iceland and Norway of berserker warriors, trolls, and the walking dead. The saga presents a poignant story of medieval Icelandic society, combining details of everyday legal disputes with folklore and legend. With its scathing humor, explicit verses, and fantastic monsters, Grettir's Saga is among the most famous and widely read of Iceland's epics. In addition to Jesse Byock's lively new translation, this edition includes extensive maps, genealogies, illustrations, a chronology and glossary, as well as helpful notes, an up-to-date bibliography, and thorough introduction exploring the saga in the context of other works of Icelandic and medieval literature.

About this title

Synopsis:

'You will be made an outlaw, forced always to live in the wilds and to live alone.' A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir's Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the vengefulness of his enemies. Feared by many, Grettir is a warrior and also a poet and a lover, who is afraid of the dark. Unable to resolve the dispute that has outlawed him, he lives outside the bounds of family life and he roams the countryside, ridding Iceland and Norway of berserker warriors, trolls, and the walking dead. The saga presents a poignant story of medieval Icelandic society, combining details of everyday legal disputes with folklore and legend. Written in the fourteenth century, but based on earlier oral and written sources, Grettir's Saga, with its scathing humour, explicit verses, and fantastic monsters, is among the most famous and widely read of Iceland's sagas. This new translation features extensive illustrative material to elucidate the story.

About the Author:

Jesse Byock is a specialist in North Atlantic and Viking Studies, and director of the Mosfell Archaeological Project in Iceland. His previous translations from Old Norse include The Prose Edda (Penguin, 2005), Sagas and Myths of the Norsemen (Penguin, 2006), The Saga of the Volsungs (University of California Press 1990), and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki (Penguin, 1998). He has also participated in documentaries on the Vikings for the BBC and the History Channel.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 019280152X
• ISBN 13: 9780192801524
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336