Second edition with a new introduction. 1st ed. 1988 as Studia Islandica 46.
Scholars of Old Icelandic generally agree that Icelandic literature was influenced by the Gaelic world where oral literature was highly developed and written prose sagas were produced in the vernacular. Ireland and Iceland are the only countries in NW Europe where sagas of this kind were written down. The problem arises however when the importance of the influence on Icelandic culture has to be assessed. In this book, the author looks at the possible channels by which Gaelic influence could have reached Iceland and looks at the nature of the numerous parallels in different genres of Old Icelandic literature with Gaelic literature, especially Old Irish. The intention is twofold: first, to provide a comprehensive bibliography of the subject, and second, to assess what these parallels can tell us about the importance of Gaelic influence for Icelandic literary tradition. This is the 2nd revised edition, with a new preface, and new general introduction.
Author(s): Gísli Sigurðsson
Edition: 2
Publisher: University of Iceland Press
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 190
City: Reykjavík
PREFACE i
INTRODUCTION iv
CHAPTER I: VIKING CONTACTS WITH THE IRISH IN THE
BRITISH ISLES BEFORE 1014 14
Pre-Viking Contacts 14
Ninth and Tenth Century Contacts 16
CHAPTER II: THE GAELS IN ICELAND 24
Papar 24
Gaelic Settlers 25
Slaves 30
CHAPTER III: BLOOD GROUPS OF ICELANDERS AND OTHER
GENETIC EVIDENCE 35
CHAPTER IV: LATER CONTACTS BETWEEN ICELAND AND
THE GAELIC WORLD ON THE ORKNEYS 41
The Nature of the Contacts 41
The 'Everlasting Fight'– Hjaðningavíg 42
Orkneyinga saga – Severed Heads 45
Miscellaneous 46
Darraðarljóð and Krákumál 46
Konungs Skuggjsá 46
Battle of Clontarf 47
CHAPTER V: FORNALDARSÖGUR NORÐURLANDA 48
Late Writing of Older Oral Stories 48
Evidence of Oral Fornaldarsögur 51
Gaelic Influence in the Fornaldarsögur 53
General Resemblances 54
Rebirth 54
Rebirth and Barrows 56
Barrows and Journeys to the Otherworld 56
Álfar, Huldufólk and Síd-folk 60
Voyages to the West 61
Supernatural Fosterages 62
Single Motifs 64
Starkaðr and Cú Chulainn 64
Injuries in Dream 66
Werewolves and Álög – Spells 67
The Beheading Game 70
Irish Substratum in Some Fornaldarsögur 70
CHAPTER VI: MYTHOLOGY 73
Scandinavian Background 73
Single Gaelic Motifs 74
The Sons of Tuireann and Loki 74
Táin Bó Fraích and Þórr’s Visit to Gerröðr 75
Death of Fergus – Death of Baldr 77
The Masterbuilder 78
Þórr’sVisit to Útgarða-Loki 80
Talking Heads 81
Rígsþula 82
CHAPTER VII: THE ICELANDIC FAMILY SAGAS 86
Local Influence on Individual Sagas 86
Laxdæla Saga 87
Kjalnesinga Saga 90
Bandamanna Saga 93
Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss and Eyrbyggja Saga 95
Kormáks Saga 95
Egils Saga 98
Njáls Saga 100
CHAPTER VIII: SCALDIC POETRY 103
Earliest Scalds and Evidence of Early Scaldic Poetry 103
Scaldic Poetry – Eddaic Poetry 106
Scaldic Metres 107
Gabriel Turville-Petre’s Studies 108
Einar Ólafur Sveinsson’s Studies 112
MacKenzie’s Studies 114
Kristján Árnason’s Studies 116
CHAPTER IX: CONCLUSIONS 118
BIBLIOGRAPHY 120
INDEX OF TEXTS, AUTHORS AND CRITICS 156
INDEX OF CHARACTERS AND PLACES 163
