Rosalind Kerven - Viking Myths and Sagas: Retold from Ancient Norse Texts

I met a wild woman walking down the road. Her grey hair was grimy and unkempt, coiling round her shoulders like winter snakes, her eyes unnaturally bright.She hailed me and began to speak in a clear, compelling voice. This is what she told me...

The stories of the Viking Age rank amongst the worlds great narrative traditions. Preserved orally through countless generations and eventually transcribed in the 13th Century, their vividly imagined characters and high dramas are richly embroidered with dark humour and wisdom.

This definitive and unique collection presents thirty-four of the most important Viking myths, heroic legends and historical sagas, many previously known only within the academic world. Gods, giantesses, dwarfs, valkyries, ghosts and dragons mingle with real life queens, kings, slaves, lovers and outlaws. Visions of the mythical creation and end of the world contrast with a graphic account of the Vikings discovery of North America. It includes tales of the cursed ring that inspired Tolkien, and the story behind Shakespeares Hamlet.

Written by a master storyteller in consultation with leading scholars, the book also contains proverbs, spells, poems, riddles, detailed notes and a comprehensive glossary, offering a unique insight into Viking Age culture and beliefs.

ROSALIND KERVEN has been collecting and retelling world myths and legends for thirty years. She has written over sixty books for publishers such as the British Museum, British Library, Cambridge University Press and Dorling Kindersley, highly acclaimed by reviewers and translated into numerous languages.

Cover image:

Viking Age rune-stone

repainted in its original colours.

Historiska museet, Stockholm.

Photo Rosalind Kerven

We are very curious to see mighty folk
about whom great tales are told.

The Saga of Gisli the Outlaw

Retold from ancient Norse texts

Rosalind Kerven

First published in the UK by Talking Stone 2015

Text copyright Rosalind Kerven 2015

Talking Stone
Swindonburn Cottage West, Sharperton
Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 7AP

The moral right of Rosalind Kerven
to be identified as the author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 9781783016334

Names in SMALL CAPITALS refer to stories in this book.

Words and names in bold can be found in the Glossary.

The original versions of these stories were written in Old Norse, which contains a number of unfamiliar letters. For ease of reading, this book follows the conventions of modern scholars in anglicising the Old Norse names.

The book includes a number of quotes from Old Norse texts. Sometimes these are based on more than one translation, and are slightly adapted to improve clarity whilst still maintaining the original content and meaning.

For Richard

I would like to thank the following for their invaluable help and advice: Professor Diana Whaley, Newcastle University, who generously gave her time to advise on the Glossary, Introduction and skaldic verse. Professor Gisli Sigurdsson, University of Iceland, who comprehensively answered numerous questions, especially about the sagas. Dr Judy Quinn, Cambridge University, for clarifying various aspects of Eddic poetry and mythology. Dr Terry Gunnell, University of Iceland, for sending me his fascinating articles on Viking religion and the performance of Eddic poetry. Professor John McKinnell, Durham University, for his advice on dating the Eddic poems. I am also immensely grateful to all the scholars from the early 20th Century to the present day who have translated the Old Norse texts on which my retellings are based.

from The Prose Edda

from The Prose Edda
+ The Poetic Edda (Voluspa, Vafthrudnismal)

from The Prose Edda

from The Poetic Edda (Thrymskvida)

from The Poetic Edda (Havamal)

from The Prose Edda + The Poetic Edda (Hymiskvida)

from The Prose Edda

from The Prose Edda

from The Prose Edda

from The Prose Edda

from The Prose Edda

from The Prose Edda
+ The Poetic Edda (Voluspa, Vafthrudnismal)

from The Prose Edda

from The Poetic Edda (various poems),
Prose Edda + Volsunga Saga

from The Poetic Edda (various poems),
Prose Edda + Volsunga Saga

from Hervarar Saga ok Heidreks

from The Poetic Edda (Rigsthula)

from The Poetic Edda (Grimnismal)

from Gesta Danorum

from Laxdaela Saga

from Landnamabok, Laxdaela Saga + Eiriks Saga

from Njals Saga

from Grettirs Saga

from Gisli Surssons Saga

from The Poetic Edda (Havamal), Grettirs Saga,
Laxdaela Saga, Volsunga Saga + Njals Saga

from The Prose Edda

from Laxdaela Saga

from The Poetic Edda (Volundarkvida)

from The Poetic Edda (Helgakvida Hundingsbana in fyrri, Helgakvida Hjorvardssonar, Helgakvida Hundingsbana onnur)
+ Volsunga Saga)

from Heimskringla

from Graenlendinga Saga + Eiriks Saga

from Yngvars Saga

From the Poetic Edda (Lokasenna, Oddrunargratr, Hyndluljod, Sigrdrifumal, Havamal), Heimskringla + Egils Saga

from Vatnsdaela Saga

from Graenlendinga Saga + Eiriks Saga

from Eyrbyggja Saga

from Njals Saga

from Laxdaela Saga

from Vatnsdaela Saga

The guest has arrived
Courteous words, then courteous silence
That he may tell his tale.

Havamal,Poetic Edda

The people we now call Vikings dominated northern Europe for three hundred years from the late 8th Century. Originally from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, their merchants, plunderers, armies and migrants carried Viking culture far and wide. They established flourishing colonies, particularly in the British Isles, Iceland and Greenland.

What was their world like, and what sort of lives did they lead?

Most of the Viking nations were warrior kingdoms, although Iceland and Greenland were democratic republics. Society was made up of nobles, freehold farmers, paid labourers and slaves. Political power and warfare were exclusively male preserves. However, women enjoyed a fair degree of influence and freedom; they could own land and property and had easy access to divorce.

The Viking landscape was overwhelmingly rural and most people worked on farms. Their rectangular houses were built of timber, turf or stone. The main room had broad benches along each long wall, for both sitting and sleeping, and was usually dominated by a large upright loom. Heating and cooking were from the central fire-pit, which burned wood or peat, whilst oil lamps provided lighting. Wealthy people had additional rooms and small bed-closets for the heads of the household; otherwise, everyone slept on the benches.