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Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Icelandic Stories (Penguin Classics) Paperback – April 30, 1971

by Anonymous (Author), Hermann Pálsson (Translator, Introduction)
4.5 out of 5 stars 79 ratings
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Written around the thirteenth century AD by Icelandic monks, the seven tales collected here offer a combination of pagan elements tightly woven into the pattern of Christian ethics. They take as their subjects figures who are heroic, but do not fit into the mould of traditional heroes. Some stories concern characters in Iceland - among them Hrafknel's Saga, in which a poor man's son is murdered by his powerful neighbour, and Thorstein the Staff-Struck, which describes an ageing warrior's struggle to settle into a peaceful rural community. Others focus on the adventures of Icelanders abroad, including the compelling Audun's Story, which depicts a farmhand's pilgrimage to Rome. These fascinating tales deal with powerful human emotions, suffering and dignity at a time of profound transition, when traditional ideals were gradually yielding to a more peaceful pastoral lifestyle.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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  1. Print length
    144 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    April 30, 1971
  5. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.36 x 7.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140442383
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140442380
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 30, 1971
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140442383
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140442380
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.95 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.36 x 7.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 79 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
79 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's sagas and stories rich in content, with one describing them as a great treasure of world literature. They appreciate its readability, with one mentioning they enjoyed reading it for class.

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ReadabilityStory quality
3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning they enjoyed reading it for class and another noting it's fun to read.

"...But there is humor and good nature in these tales too. The sagas are fun to read and move quickly...." Read more

"...information relating to the worship of Freyr, but it is also a good literary work...." Read more

"Great stories! Really enjoyed reading these for class." Read more

3 customers mention "Story quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the collection of sagas and stories, describing it as a great little anthology with rich content, and one customer notes its literary and historical value.

"Medieval Icelandic sagas are a great treasure of world literature. This book contains a sample of some of the shorter tales of the genre...." Read more

"...All in all, I think this is a great little anthology and would recommend it to all saga-lovers." Read more

"Great stories! Really enjoyed reading these for class." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • James Ashley
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Little Insight Into Iceland’s History
    Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I’ve read “Hrafnkel’s Saga” a number of times.

    It is a story, part fact and probably part fiction, that illuminates a distant time in Iceland’s history. It was especially important to me when I recently visited an area of Iceland where some of the story’s events, real or imagined, took place in the 10th Century.
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  • Joey
    5.0 out of 5 stars timeless tales
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Medieval Icelandic sagas are a great treasure of world literature. This book contains a sample of some of the shorter tales of the genre. You can think of them as a type of historical fiction: stories taking place just after the Vikings settled Iceland, but written a few hundred years later. These aren't the great larger than life sagas that describe the adventures of gods, monsters and heroes. The type of sagas presented here are more real to life.
    Taking place at a harsher time and location, we here of the trials and tribulations of farmers, travelers, chieftains,
    and kings. And dealing with such issues as poverty, betrayel, murder, kinship, misunderstandings and the ever pervasive blood feud! But there is humor and good nature in these tales too. The sagas are fun to read and move quickly. They are from a different world, but we can still relate to the characters because at a deeper level they tell the story of the vicissitudes concerning human interaction.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • wiredweird
    4.0 out of 5 stars Brief and enjoyable
    Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2004
    The word "saga" doesn't necessarily mean a long story. This book collects seven of the Icelandic classics into about a hundred pages, plus some historical commentary by the translator.

    Iceland around 1000 AD was a remarkable place. It was a rough, Norse culture, but had an effective democracy and system of courts. Many sagas, including most of these, are dramatic stories of pride and revenge. That still leaves room for courtroom manueverings (as in the Ale-Hood story), for protection by powerful lords (as in Hreidar the Fool), and for several kinds of uneasy peace (as in Halldor Snorrason).

    Hrafnkel's Saga is by far the longest in the collection, and the widest ranging. Fortunes are made, upset, and reversed again. Revenge is hot and bitter. It's almost a soap opera, with tales of adventure mixed in. That's probably why these stories have lasted through all those centuries when story-telling was the form for recalling history and for passing the long Nordic winters.

    The translations are smooth and readable, and the stories are exciting. This is a brief, enjoyable, and thought-provoking read. It's also an enjoyable introduction to this wonderful tradition of stories.

    //wiredweird
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Christopher R. Travers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice little anthology
    Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    This anthology of short sagas and stories is rich, both from a literary and a historical sense. Although the sagas were generally written as something similar to historical fiction, the general consensus is that they provide a great deal of information which would have been otherwise lost in terms of practices and the like.

    Hrafnkel's Saga is interesting in part because it is likely to preserve a number of important pieces of information relating to the worship of Freyr, but it is also a good literary work.

    Most of the other stories are simpler, with more literary and less historical value.

    All in all, I think this is a great little anthology and would recommend it to all saga-lovers.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • DannEboE
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Great stories! Really enjoyed reading these for class.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mithridates VI of Pontus
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Selection of Shorter Icelandic Stories
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2008
    The best way to start reading the realist fiction of medieval Iceland is to read the short stories. Slowly acclimating oneself to Icelandic literature with small doses will definitely yield greater enjoyment when the you decide to tackle the sometimes lengthy and tedious masterpieces of the genre (Njal's Saga, Egil's Saga, Laxdaela Saga, The Saga of the Volsungs, Gisli's Saga, etc). These stories are from thirteenth century, the Golden Age of Saga writing, and explore the key themes and values of Medieval Icelandic culture. Often, Icelandic stories describe actual historical events (with liberal use of the imagination). The seven stories in this volume can be divided into two groups. "Hrafnkel's Saga", "Thorsteein the Staff-Struck", and "Ale-Hood" are set in the native Iceland. While "Hreidar the Fool", "Halldor Snorrason", "Audun's Story", and "Ivar's Story" describe the adventures of Icelanders at the royal courts of Norway and Denmark (8). This volume has extensive and useful footnotes, a wonderful introduction, lists of characters (for even the short stories have tons of names), and maps.

    "Hrafnkel's Saga" is the longest story in the volume and is structured similarly to the longer sagas. It follows the actions of Chief Hrafnkel (a real historical person) and the conflict that emerges between him and Bjarni. The fued begins when Hrafnkel's kills Bjarni's kinsman who rode Hrafnkel's special horse. This story introduces key features of Icelandic society: the Althing, the Law-Rock, lawyers, and lengthy family feuds.

    The story of "Thorstein the Staff Struck" follows similar lines. A vicious feud begins at a horse fight when Thorstein does not avenge his honor when Thord (a servant of another man named Bjarni) strikes him with a horse goad. This time women play a major role in manipulating their husband to continue the feud. Bjarni's wife Rannveig prods her husband into fighting a duel with Thorstein. The key feature of this lengthy feud is the conflict that arises over new and Old Icelandic traditions. Bjarni and Thorstein clearly doe not want to fight to the death, which should normally happen in this situation. Thorstein's father who adheres to the older values prods him on.

    The short story "Ale-Hood" centers on a central point of conflict in many Icelandic sagas, the breaking of the law. Ale-Hood, a poor carpenter and blacksmith, accidentally burns down a forest (more like a few shrubs considering Iceland has no real trees). Thorstein decides to defend Ale-Hood against the property owners of the forest and the rest of the story describes the exchange of insults and eventual reconciliation.

    "Hreidar the Fool" is the first of the stories in the volume that take place primarily abroad. The plot follows events at the court of King Magnus of Norway with Thord and his brother Heidar the Fool the main characters. Thord continually attempts to keep Heidar from messing up his own relation ship with the King. However, the King is interested in the "big-built man, ugly and with the look of a criminal, and immensely strong; but [...] very even-tempered" (97). This story illuminates for the reader the importance of traveling away from Iceland and the relations between Icelanders (who had no Kings) and the kings of the lands of their ancestors. Travel was a way to become immensely wealthy and respected.

    "Halldor Snorrason" furthers the exploration of the conflicts that arise between Kings and Icelanders who have chosen to travel to their courts and become liegemen. Here, a man name Bard spreads false accusations against Halldor (an Icelander) about his disloyalty to King Harald of Norway.

    "Audun's Story" is by far the most entertaining and interesting. The main character, Audun, decides to travel to Greenland and spend all his money on a massive exotic polar bear. He then decides to give this amazing gift to the King of Denmark - stopping along the way at the court of the King of Norway who is at war with the Danish sovereign. Audun's gift giving transcends the personal animosities between the two Kings and eventually brings about the return to a semblance dialogue between them. This story is a mere 7 pages but has extraordinary depth and a very interesting (and unique) subject matter.

    The last story, "Ivar's Story" (3 pages long) describes without much conflict Ivar's relationship with King Eystein of Norway and his desire to return to his native country.
    15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • greybeard
    5.0 out of 5 stars well received
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    well received
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  • april
    4.0 out of 5 stars informative
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    odd insights in odd cultures...fun...
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  • Scott Baker
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    nice book
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