Laxdæla saga
Laxdæla saga is the saga of the clan/family of Laxdal. It is one of the most important Icelanders' sagas, originally written in Icelandic (Old Norse), and it was probably written in western Iceland in the sometime around the year 1245 A.D. The author is unknown, although some scholars believe that through textual evidence that the author was probably a woman.
The protagonist is Guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir, who is famous for her beauty, and who was courted by the two foster-brothers Kjartan Ólafsson and Bolli Þorleiksson. Guðrún preferred Kjartan, but she gave herself to Bolli, because of a false rumour that Kjartan was engaged to the sister of Olaf Trygvasson. The two foster-brothers engaged in hostilities which ended with Bolli killing Kjartan, and Bolli being killed by Kjartan's kinsmen.
The saga has a high reputation for its literary qualities, consistent storyline and character description. However, its historic accuracy is criticised. There were probably real events behind the saga, but their order has been rearranged and there are anachronisms concerning clothes and armour.
A later addition from the early 14th century is Bollaþáttr, which ends the saga in the MSs.
Source
This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the public domain.
External links
- Translation in English by Muriel Press (The Temple Classics, London, 1899)
- Read it in modern Icelandic
Other references
- Sveinsson, Einar Ólafur (ed.): "Íslenzk Fornrit, vol. V: Laxdœla Saga" (University of Iceland, Reykjavík, 1934).
- Arent, A. Margaret (trans): "The Laxdale Saga" (University of Washington Press, 1964).
- Magnusson, Magnus & Hermann Pálsson (trans): "Laxdaela Saga" (Penguin Classics, London, 1969).