Overview

The Icelandic sagas have long been famous for their alleged realism, and within this conventional view, references to the supernatural have often been treated as anomalies. Yet, as this volume demonstrates, such elements were in fact an important part of Old Norse literature and tradition, and their study can provide new and intriguing insights into the world-view of the medieval Icelanders. By providing an extensive and interdisciplinary treatment of the supernatural within sagas, the eleven chapters presented here seek to explore the literary and folkloric interface between the natural and the supernatural through a study of previously neglected texts (such as Bergbuaattr, Selkollu attr, and Illuga saga Gridarfostra), as well as examining genres that are sometimes overlooked (including fornaldarsogur and byskupa sogur), law codes, and learned translations. Contributors including Armann Jakobsson, Margaret Cormack, Jan Ragnar Hagland, and Bengt af Klintberg explore how the supernatural was depicted within saga literature and how it should be understood, as well as questioning the origins of such material and investigating the parallels between saga motifs and broader folkloric beliefs. In doing so, this volume also raises important questions about the established boundaries between different saga genres and challenges the way these texts have traditionally been approached.

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9782503575315

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This volume is a collection of essays based on presentations at the third gathering of the Old Norse Folklorists Network (Tartu, 2014). It also reflects the fruits of the research projects 'Encountering the Otherworld in Medieval Nordic Literature, ' led by Daniel Savborg, and 'Encounters with the Paranormal in Medieval Iceland, ' led by Armann Jakobsson. It is the second volume produced by the Network (Folklore in Old Norse--Old Norse in Folklore appeared in 2014). As such, it reflects much thought and scholarly collaboration over the past few years. . . . This provocative book will surely be generative of further study. --Martin Chase, Fordham University, The Medieval Review, 19.08.03

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