Sagas

A saga is a long narrative, typically in prose, that recounts deeds of historical or legendary figures. The term comes from Old Norse saga, meaning “what is said” or “a tale.” In medieval Iceland and Norway, sagas were written in vernacular Old Norse and later Icelandic, bridging oral tradition and manuscript culture. They cover various kinds, including family sagas detailing the lives of settlers and their kin, kings’ sagas about rulers, and legendary or chivalric sagas drawn from myth and heroic legend.

Sagas are notable for a focus on realistic detail, social norms, kinship, and feud, often conveyed through dialogue and episodic plots. They mix everyday life with dramatic crises, and frequently incorporate legal processes, oaths, and community oversight. While rooted in myth and legend, they strive for verisimilitude in character and setting, and often preserve local laws, landscapes, and customs.

Origins and manuscripts: most surviving sagas date from the 13th and 14th centuries and were copied and preserved in Icelandic manuscript culture. Cycles such as the family sagas (samtíðarsögur) of settler clans and the kings’ sagas (konungasögur) were composed in various centers and collected in large codices, including Flateyjarbók and Morkinskinna, which group myth, history, and romance.

Examples and influence: prominent sagas include Njáls saga, Laxdaela saga, Grettis saga, Egil’s Saga, the Volsunga saga, and the Vinland Sagas. They shaped medieval Icelandic literature and influenced later European prose, while remaining a cornerstone for studies of language, law, and narrative technique. In modern usage, the term “saga” also denotes long, multi-volume literary or cinematic works beyond their historical roots.