Three Icelandic Outlaw Sagas: "The Saga of Gisli," "The Saga of Grettir," "The Saga of Hord"

by Anonymous

Here are three epic stories of exile and adventure: the heroes condemned to wander their lands in expiation of crimes committed in honour's name. Gisli with his biting sword Greyflank; Grettir the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0903521660
• ISBN13: 9780903521666
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Viking Society for Northern Research Universi
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

interesting read

The Saga of Gisli provides an interesting account of medieval Icelandic life and justice. The saga recounts the story of Gisli, an immigrant to Iceland. After his brother-in-law Vestein is killed, Gisli using his prophetic dreams as proof of the murderer's identity avenges Vestein's death. He is betrayed by his sister and sentenced to outlawry by the Assembly. The story goes on to tell of Gisli's experiences during his outlawry. As a medieval Icelandic story, The Saga of Gisli is filled with terse, straightforward sentences that often lack description. Although this means that it can be easy to read, the story is almost purely action. It can also be quite violent at times which reflects the society where it takes place. Because lineage was of great interest to the original audience, the ancestors of many characters are recounted. This, along with the fact that many characters share similar names, can cause confusion at times. However, Gisli's family tree is provided and helps to logically present many of the characters and their relationships with each other.Although a little long and boring at times, the introduction by Anthony Faulkes provides valuable, up-to-date information on the history of the sagas and the history of Iceland. Published recently, it contains the most recent findings on Iceland and the sagas. The introduction is a important resource especially for those who have little knowledge of the Icelandic legal system. It goes into depth about the legal proceedings in Iceland during the time period when Gisli's saga occurs. This allows the reader to understand how Gisli became an outlaw. The book contains many helpful extras that facilitate an understanding of the text. Detailed maps enable the reader to follow the geographic locations mentioned in the story. Also, an index of names is provided that includes the chapters where the characters appear. The summary of the text can help recap the action-packed story if the reader forgets what happened in previous chapters. A glossary with the meanings of Icelandic words is also helpful.Three Icelandic Sagas, which contains The Saga of Gisli, provides an interesting read about a different culture in a different time while providing many resources that enable the reader to have a fairly good understanding of the text.