Fornsögn

Fornsögn is a term used in Icelandic and related Nordic languages to denote an ancient tale or legend. In folkloristic and literary discussions, it serves as a broad label for traditional narratives that originate in the pre-modern oral tradition, roughly corresponding to what English speakers might call an ancient legend or old tale. The concept appears in discussions of medieval Icelandic literature and Norse folklore, where it helps distinguish older narratives from later, more modern forms. In practice, the exact scope of fornsögn varies by context, and it is sometimes overlapped with more specific categories such as fornaldarsögur or goðsögur.

Etymology: The word is formed from for- meaning ancient or old and sögn meaning story or tale. In Icelandic, fornsögn is the standard singular form; the plural form is fornsögur.

Usage and scope: Fornsögn covers a broad range of pre-modern narratives, including legendary sagas, oral ballads, and mythic cycles. It is not a fixed literary genre but a descriptive label for old narratives that circulated before the rise of modern saga literature. In scholarly contexts, more precise subcategories are often used to convey scope and setting, such as fornaldarsögur (sagas of antiquity) and goðsögur (myths).

See also: goðsögur, fornaldarsögur, Íslendingasögur.