In this stimulating and reliable introduction to the Icelandic
saga, Peter Hallberg correctly designates the genre as
"Scandinavia's sole, collective original contribution to world
literature." These prose narratives dating from the thirteenth
century are characterized by a psychological realism which sets
them apart from all other contemporary forms of European
literature. Mr. Hallberg's emphasis is on the branch of saga
literature which deals with the native heroes--with the settlement
of Iceland by Norse chieftains and with the lives of these settlers
and their descendants. After disposing of the controversial
"free-prose" theory of the origin and transmission of these
stories, the author treats such problems as style and character
portrayal, dreams and destinies, values and ideals, humor and
irony. Several of the major sagas are studied in some detail. The
concluding discussion concerns the decline of saga writing and the
role played by the Sagas in modern Scandinavian life and
literature. Paul Schach's introduction and copious annotation
furnish additional background material and bibliographical
references to English translations of the individual sagas and to
significant studies on the major problems of saga research.
Although intended primarily for the layman, The Icelandic Saga is
of value to the specialist since it judiciously evaluates and
incorporates the revolutionary findings of the so-called "Icelandic
school" of saga study.
General
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