Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

~ Anonymous (Author), Hermann Palsson (Translator) "IT was in the days of King Harald Fine-Hair that a man called Hallfred brought his ship to Iceland..." (more)
Key Phrases: six chieftains, blue clothing, King Harald, King Magnus, King Svein (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Written around the thirteenth century AD by Icelandic monks, the seven tales collected here offer a combination of pagan elements tightly woven into the pattern of Christian ethics. They take as their subjects figures who are heroic, but do not fit into the mould of traditional heroes. Some stories concern characters in Iceland among them Hrafknel's Saga, in which a poor man's son is murdered by his powerful neighbour, and Thorstein the Staff-Struck, which describes an ageing warrior's struggle to settle into a peaceful rural community. Others focus on the adventures of Icelanders abroad, including the compelling Audun's Story, which depicts a farmhand's pilgrimage to Rome. These fascinating tales deal with powerful human emotions, suffering and dignity at a time of profound transition, when traditional ideals were gradually yielding to a more peaceful pastoral lifestyle.

Language Notes

Text: English, Icelandic (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (April 30, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140442383
• ISBN-13: 978-0140442380
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #560,327 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Short Saga to Cut Your Teeth On, June 11, 2001

By	James Paris "Tarnmoor" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

It's not easy to dive cold into the world of the Icelandic saga. One of the advantages of reading HRAFNKEL'S SAGA and the shorter sagas and tales in this volume is that you get a good idea of the best of the genre in less than 150 pages. According to Magnus Magnusson in his excellent book ICELAND SAGA, "it is nothing short of a masterpiece, a brilliantly wrought short novel that has been published and translated and written about more than any other saga."

Given that, what can you expect? In the strange world of the Icelandic saga, there is little mention of the deity other than in passing: To the Icelanders of the classic age, all that mattered is what strength and cunning and stamina YOU had, and whether you could rely upon any stouthearted friends of like mettle in a pinch. At the heart of every saga are one or more conflicts. The better man does not always win; justice does not always triumph. Hrafnkel is heroic, but he is no hero: In our time, he would be a convicted felon for slaughtering his shepherd Einar. In the age of the Vikings, he was a stern man of his word in whom people could rely.

Curiously, even in today's Iceland, adherence to the Judaeo-Christian tradition is seen only as an alternative, one imposed from without. The minister at the pulpit is as likely to discuss Hrafnkel and the other great Saga heroes as he is the Gospels. In a way, the sagas are taken as scripture.

The oddest thing of all is that most of them were probably written by Medieval monks: Christianity there underwent a strange sea change into something rich and strange.

So as you read these instructive tales, consider that they represent a different world view in a tiny island nation whose people know them by heart. The Icelandic language today is virtually identical to the Old Norse spoken by the first settlers of Iceland. Imagine if English were identical to the Anglo-Saxon of BEOWULF!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Saga Assortment Gives a Flavour of the Genre, February 9, 2000

By	"sdkjambo" (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews

This short volume provides a good introduction to the area of Icelandic Saga literature. Centring around Hrafnkel's Saga, but including six other bite-size tales, the style of writing may be a little dry for some tastes. However, for me, the plain-speaking narrative reflects a harsh way of life on the North Atlantic island. The action revolves around individuals, their families and followers, and reveals a surprisingly political edge to early life in Iceland. It is not a case of epic plots - the issues are at a personal level. These tales were recorded for a later audience , perhaps as salutory tales - instructions, not just stories. The characters are often abrupt in word and deed, but I found this a refreshing, and often amusing, change from less prosaic fantasy adventures - after all, these are (mostly) real people, and real life. This book encouraged me to read more sagas, and I haven't been disappointed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Selection of Shorter Icelandic Stories, June 1, 2008

By	Mithridates VI of Pontus (United States) - See all my reviews

The best way to start reading the realist fiction of medieval Iceland is to read the short stories. Slowly acclimating oneself to Icelandic literature with small doses will definitely yield greater enjoyment when the you decide to tackle the sometimes lengthy and tedious masterpieces of the genre (Njal's Saga, Egil's Saga, Laxdaela Saga, The Saga of the Volsungs, Gisli's Saga, etc). These stories are from thirteenth century, the Golden Age of Saga writing, and explore the key themes and values of Medieval Icelandic culture. Often, Icelandic stories describe actual historical events (with liberal use of the imagination). The seven stories in this volume can be divided into two groups. "Hrafnkel's Saga", "Thorsteein the Staff-Struck", and "Ale-Hood" are set in the native Iceland. While "Hreidar the Fool", "Halldor Snorrason", "Audun's Story", and "Ivar's Story" describe the adventures of Icelanders at the royal courts of Norway and Denmark (8). This volume has extensive and useful footnotes, a wonderful introduction, lists of characters (for even the short stories have tons of names), and maps.

"Hrafnkel's Saga" is the longest story in the volume and is structured similarly to the longer sagas. It follows the actions of Chief Hrafnkel (a real historical person) and the conflict that emerges between him and Bjarni. The fued begins when Hrafnkel's kills Bjarni's kinsman who rode Hrafnkel's special horse. This story introduces key features of Icelandic society: the Althing, the Law-Rock, lawyers, and lengthy family feuds.

The story of "Thorstein the Staff Struck" follows similar lines. A vicious feud begins at a horse fight when Thorstein does not avenge his honor when Thord (a servant of another man named Bjarni) strikes him with a horse goad. This time women play a major role in manipulating their husband to continue the feud. Bjarni's wife Rannveig prods her husband into fighting a duel with Thorstein. The key feature of this lengthy feud is the conflict that arises over new and Old Icelandic traditions. Bjarni and Thorstein clearly doe not want to fight to the death, which should normally happen in this situation. Thorstein's father who adheres to the older values prods him on.

The short story "Ale-Hood" centers on a central point of conflict in many Icelandic sagas, the breaking of the law. Ale-Hood, a poor carpenter and blacksmith, accidentally burns down a forest (more like a few shrubs considering Iceland has no real trees). Thorstein decides to defend Ale-Hood against the property owners of the forest and the rest of the story describes the exchange of insults and eventual reconciliation.

"Hreidar the Fool" is the first of the stories in the volume that take place primarily abroad. The plot follows events at the court of King Magnus of Norway with Thord and his brother Heidar the Fool the main characters. Thord continually attempts to keep Heidar from messing up his own relation ship with the King. However, the King is interested in the "big-built man, ugly and with the look of a criminal, and immensely strong; but [...] very even-tempered" (97). This story illuminates for the reader the importance of traveling away from Iceland and the relations between Icelanders (who had no Kings) and the kings of the lands of their ancestors. Travel was a way to become immensely wealthy and respected.

"Halldor Snorrason" furthers the exploration of the conflicts that arise between Kings and Icelanders who have chosen to travel to their courts and become liegemen. Here, a man name Bard spreads false accusations against Halldor (an Icelander) about his disloyalty to King Harald of Norway.

"Audun's Story" is by far the most entertaining and interesting. The main character, Audun, decides to travel to Greenland and spend all his money on a massive exotic polar bear. He then decides to give this amazing gift to the King of Denmark - stopping along the way at the court of the King of Norway who is at war with the Danish sovereign. Audun's gift giving transcends the personal animosities between the two Kings and eventually brings about the return to a semblance dialogue between them. This story is a mere 7 pages but has extraordinary depth and a very interesting (and unique) subject matter.

The last story, "Ivar's Story" (3 pages long) describes without much conflict Ivar's relationship with King Eystein of Norway and his desire to return to his native country.