8. Implications for Saga Research The overall conclusion to emerge from this study is that, by assuming the existence of a living oral tradition in Icelandic society in the 12th and 13th centuries, the perspective of our research shifts fundamentally. This change applies equally to how we interpret both the historical facts and the individual texts themselves. For instance, in Part I reasons were given for thinking… Read more
Bibliography Published Editions of Works Referenced by Page Number Wherever possible, all references are to the editions in the Íslenzk fornrit (ÍF) series (Reykjavík, 1933-). (For an English translation of the sagas of Icelanders see: The Complete Sagas of Icelanders. Ed. Viðar Hreinsson. Reykjavík: Leifur Eiríksson Publishing 1997). Other editions used are listed below. In some cases, e.g. where these are diplomatic texts or editions using… Read more
Pronunciation Guide The information given here should help non-Icelandic speakers to make a recognizable attempt at pronouncing the words and names that occur in this book. It does not aim to give comprehensive details of Icelandic pronunciation. It gives only the main rules and ignores the numerous refinements to these rules. In addition, though very good, our knowledge of the pronunciation of Old Icelandic is by no… Read more
Series Foreword This new series is dedicated to the empirical study of oral traditions in their historical contexts. The rigorous methods of investigation developed by Milman Parry and Albert Lord, as documented in Lord’s The Singer of Tales (Harvard University Press 1960; Harvard Studies in Comparative Literature 24. Second edition 2000, with Introduction [vii-xxix] by Stephen Mitchell and Gregory Nagy) serve as a model for the books included in the… Read more
Foreword In 1935 Professor Milman Parry, of the Department of Classics, Harvard University, as part of his wider survey of oral literature, was engaged in recording epic poetry in Gacko, on the border between Herzegovina and Montenegro in the former Yugoslavia. He took advantage of the abundant tradition of “women’s songs” in that area and recorded a great number of them, along with the heroic epics or “men’s songs.” He… Read more
Acknowledgements The path leading to the completion of this book involved many scholars, friends, and family members to whom I wish to express my gratitude. I am indebted to Mary Louise Lord, who generously shared with me her knowledge of her late husband’s fieldwork and of the materials held in the Parry Collection. Her meticulous criticism of the manuscript resulted in numerous improvements. Very special thanks go also to Gregory… Read more
Introduction* [In this on-line version, the page-numbers of the printed version are indicated within braces (“{” and “}”). For example, “{69|70}” indicates where p. 69 of the printed version ends and p. 70 begins. These indications will be useful to readers who need to look up references made elsewhere to the printed version of this book.] This volume presents the reader with songs that were never… Read more
Óðinn, Charms, and Necromancy: Hávamál 157 in its Nordic and European Contexts Stephen A. Mitchell, Harvard University Abstract: Óðinn claims in stanza 157 of Hávamál that he is able to carve and color runes such that a hanged man will walk and talk with him. In this essay the central image of this the twelfth charm in the Ljóðatal section of Hávamál is examined… Read more
Vermin Gone Bad in Medieval Scandinavian, Persian, and Irish Traditions Joseph Falaky Nagy, Harvard University Abstract: The tales in medieval Scandinavian literature centered on the legendary entrepreneur Ragnarr loðbrók, his wives, and his sons famously feature several serpentine motifs. The narrative construct of a family literally and metaphorically bound together by dragon-like creatures under the control of a daughter, wife, or mother is also… Read more
Baldr and Iraj: Murdered and Avenged Emily Lyle, University of Edinburgh Abstract: Comparing the Old Norse myth about Baldr with the Persian Iraj story, this essay deals with methodological considerations about comparativism and structural models as heuristic tools for reconstructing ancient traditions. The essay points to common aspects of the narratives focusing on familial relationships among the gods, which are analyzed by using a… Read more
