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.