Translated by Jack Turbes.
Originally published as: "Isländische Märchen und Volkssagen von Åge Avenstrup und Elisabeth Treitel" in 1919 by Axel Juncker Verlag, Berlin, Germany.
These Icelandic stories, originally published as "Isländische Märchen und Volkssagen" in German, are available from various sources including the Internet, but to the best of my knowledge not as a single body in English. My hope in translating these works is to provide the interested reader of English with the means to enjoy these tales, which might otherwise go unnoticed. It would be inappropriate to overlook the extensive collection of Icelandic tales and legends in Jacqueline Simpson’s English compilation, "Icelandic Folk Tales and Legends” (California Press, 1972 and The History Press, 2004) in which a number of these stories are also contained.
These folktales and legends from Iceland range from the 14th to the 17th century. They originate from a number of sources, but primarily from the diligent work of Árni Magnússon in the 17th and Jón Árnason of the 19th centuries, both Icelandic scholars, librarians, collectors and compilers of itinerant manuscripts.
These unique and fascinating stories shine a light on Iceland's late medieval rural legends and beliefs in such things as ghosts, trolls, witches, the lindworm - Iceland's version of the Loch Ness monster - and the hidden people, or Huldrefolk, that are still given deference and respect even today.
Where practicable, this second revision now includes a number of e-links to Google street or satellite views of the locales as they are today. Please note that most locales are, as they were then, private residences and are not open to the public. Most have been rebuilt elsewhere on the same location and are not the places they once were.
Author(s): Åge Avenstrup, Elisabeth Treitel
Edition: 2nd, revised
Publisher: Jack Turbes
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 264
Translator's Notes
Chapter 1. The Huldre King of Selö (Seley)
Chapter 2. The Maid of the High Meadow
Chapter 3. The Elf Queen
Chapter 4. The Huldre’s New Year’s Dance
Chapter 5. The Priest’s Daughter from Prestbakki
Chapter 6. The Harvest Hand
Chapter 7. Thord of Throstestad (Thrastarstadir)
Chapter 8. The Child’s Cradle
Chapter 9. The Changeling of Sogn
Chapter 10. The Little Merman
Chapter 11. The Sea Sprite
Chapter 12. Kort of Mödruvold and the Sea Monster
Chapter 13. Bishop Brynjolf
Chapter 14. The Troll of the Cliffs
Chapter 15. The Giantess of Blaahvam
Chapter 16. Gilitrutt
Chapter 17. The Farmer from Gnupar
Chapter 18. Guldbraa and Skegge
Chapter 19. Jon and the Giantess
Chapter 20. Ketil of Silfrunarstad
Chapter 21. “Trunt, Trunt and the Mountain Trolls!”
Chapter 22. The Night Troll
Chapter 23. The Spirit’s Nightcap
Chapter 24. The Groom and the Ghost
Chapter 25. The Sexton of Mörkaa
Chapter 26. Sigurd and the Ghost
Chapter 27. The Brave Youth
Chapter 28. The Saga of Jon Asmundson
Chapter 29. The Brothers
Chapter 30. Lake Ulf
Chapter 31. Asmund the South Traveler
Chapter 32. The Magicians of the Westman Islands
Chapter 33. The Sending
Chapter 34. The Marriage Devil
Chapter 35. The Red Bull
Chapter 36. The Cask
Chapter 37. The Tailcapped Lady of Hleidrargaard
Chapter 38. The Manskin Shoes
Chapter 39. Tales of Saemund the Wise
1. The Black School
2. How Saemund Escaped from the Black School
3. How Saemund Became Priest at Odda
4. How Saemund Brought In his Hay during Dry Weather
5. How Saemund Took the Devil into his Service
6. How Saemund Perplexed the Devil when He Changed into a Fly
7. The Devil’s Flute
8. The Devil as Stableboy
9. How Saemund the Wise broke his Stableboy of Cursing
10. The Devil and the Stupid Lad
11. The Wish Moment
12. Saemund the Wise on his Deathbed
Chapter 40. Sagas of Kalf Arneson
1. How Kalf Misled the Devil
2. Kalf Visits Saemund the Wise
3. How Kalf Sent the Devil for the Priest
4. Kalf’s Death
Chapter 41. Gudbjart Floke and the Bishop of Holar
Chapter 42. The Woman from Málmey
Chapter 43. Sagas of Erik the Priest of Vogsosar
1. The Beggar Woman
2. The Face in the Mound
3. The Horse Theft
4. Erik and the Farmer
5. Erik and the Old Woman
6. Erik and the Bishop
7. How Erik Brought Back the Farmer’s Wife
8. How Erik Rescued the Farmer’s Wife from the Huldre Folk
9. Priest Erik’s Death
Chapter 44. The Man from Grimsey and the Bear
Chapter 45. The Bear that Wrestled with The Barrel
Chapter 46. How the Seal Came to Be
Chapter 47. The Sealskin
Chapter 48. The Lindworm in the Lagarfljót
Chapter 49. The Thankful Raven
Chapter 50. Asmund and Signe
Chapter 51. The Two Ash Trees
Chapter 52. The Glowing Key
Chapter 53. What Happened to Jon’s Soul
Appendix A. Bibliography
Appendix B. Variation on Saemund the Wise’s Escape from the Black School
Appendix C. The Elf Cross
