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Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney
Authors and Contributors      Translated by Hermann Palsson
Translated by Paul Edwards
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:256
Dimensions(mm): Height 198,Width 129
Category/GenreLiterary essays
ISBN/Barcode 9780140443837
ClassificationsDewey:941.13201
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Imprint Penguin Classics
Publication Date 30 April 1981
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

A fascinating account of the time of the Vikings and the feuds of the Orkney Isles Written around AD 1200 by an unnamed Icelandic author, the Orkneyinga Saga is an intriguing fusion of myth, legend and history. The only medieval chronicle to have Orkney as the central place of action, it tells of an era when the islands were still part of the Viking world, beginning with their conquest by the kings of Norway in the ninth century. The saga describes the subsequent history of the Earldom of Orkney and the adventures of great Norsemen such as Sigurd the Powerful, St Magnus the Martyr and Hrolf, the conqueror of Normandy. Savagely powerful and poetic, this is a fascinating depiction of an age of brutal battles, murder, sorcery and bitter family feuds.

Author Biography

Hermann Palsson was General Editor of the New Saga Library and author of many books on the history and literature of medieval Iceland. He has translated many sagas for Penguin Classics.