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.
Revisiting the long-standing debate about the oral and literary components of the sagas, Andersson argues that there is a clear progression from the somewhat mechanical gathering of oral lore in the early sagas to an increasingly tight and authorially controlled composition in the later sagas. The early sagas―including The Legendary Saga of Saint Olaf and Odd Snorrason's Saga of Olaf Tryggvason―focus on conspicuous individuals and their memorable deeds; later works are more apt to formulate the abstract problems and ideas that preoccupied their authors. As the authors begin to impose their views on the inherited narratives, the sagas become more and more critical and self-conscious, to the point where Njáls saga may be considered not only to approximate a novel in our sense of the term but also to comment on the saga form.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"This strikingly original book by Theodore M. Andersson, who knows more about the craft of saga-writing in medieval Iceland than anyone else, crowns four decades of his writings on these extraordinary texts. From the first glittering appearance of sagas at the end of the twelfth century to the autumnal wisdom and bleakness of Nyála a hundred years later, there is much here to surprise and delight."—Roberta Frank, Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of English, Yale University
"Theodore M. Andersson gathers various threads including oral tradition, Oláfs saga Tryggvasonar, Morkinskinna, and the Ljósvetninga saga into a culmination of his pursuit of the origins and development of the Icelandic sagas over the past forty years. This is a subject that somehow always seems fresh in Andersson’s hands. I am very much impressed by how Andersson manages to convey to the reader some sense of the magic of the sagas. I particularly like his refreshing and somewhat daring new analysis of Njáls saga."—Ármann Jakobsson, Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books!. Seller Inventory # OTF-9780801444081
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 4162930-n
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. This item is printed on demand. Seller Inventory # 9780801444081
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABLIING23Feb2416190190241
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # I-9780801444081
Book Description Condition: New. . Seller Inventory # 52GZZZ00XRLK_ns
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard080144408X
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover080144408X
Book Description Hardback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Andersson 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 politics and history. Seller Inventory # B9780801444081
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 4162930-n