The Viking Society for Northern Research celebrated its centenary by publishing a Centenary Saga-Book (XXIII 4, 1992) and by holding an international symposium on 13–15 May 1992. This was arranged in collaboration with the Department of Scandinavian Studies, University College London, and the meetings were held in Birkbeck College. Speakers were invited from Denmark, Iceland and Norway, and from among members of the Society. The papers given, variously revised, make the contents of the present volume.
Author(s): Anthony Faulkes, Richard Perkins (eds.)
Publisher: Viking Society for Northern Research
Year: 1993
Language: English
City: London
A letter from the President of Iceland frontispiece
FOREWORD vii
CENTENARY REVALUATIONS
KNUT HELLE / Norway, 800–1200 1
GUNNAR KARLSSON / A century of research on early Icelandic society 15
VÉSTEINN ÓLASON. The Sagas of Icelanders 26
DIANA WHALEY / The Kings’ Sagas 43
MICHAEL BARNES / Norse in the British Isles 65
CHRISTINE FELL / Norse studies: then, now and hereafter 85
CURRENT PROBLEMS (1): PAGAN BELIEFS AND CHRISTIAN IMPACT
BJARNE FIDJESTØL / The contribution of scaldic studies 100
URSULA DRONKE / The contribution of Eddic studies 121
ELSE ROESDAHL / Pagan beliefs, Christian impact and archaeology — a Danish view 128
PETER FOOTE / Historical studies: conversion moment and conversion period 137
CURRENT PROBLEMS (2): SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY 800–1100
R. I. PAGE / Scandinavian society, 800–1100: the contribution of runic studies 145
JUDITH JESCH / Skaldic verse and Viking semantics 160
PREBEN MEULENGRACHT SØRENSEN / Historical reality and literary form 172
BJØRN MYHRE / The beginning of the Viking Age — some current archaeological problems 182
Figures after page 204
