Sagnamyndir

Sagnamyndir is an Icelandic term for visual representations that depict narrative content. It covers a range of forms, from marginal illustrations in medieval manuscripts to modern illustrations and graphic storytelling. In medieval Icelandic manuscripts, sagnamyndir served to visualize episodes from sagas and myths, helping readers follow the plot and providing mnemonic cues. They varied in style from simple line drawings to decorative scenes and often accompanied the main text or functioned as marginal commentary.

In contemporary practice, sagnamyndir encompasses illustrated books, graphic novels, and digital art that reinterpret or retell legends and sagas. Artists may use sagnamyndir to explore identity, memory, and national heritage, sometimes blending traditional Norse iconography with modern aesthetics.

Scholars study sagnamyndir as part of visual culture and folklore, examining how images encode narrative structure, character, and action, and how viewers interpret scenes beyond the text. The concept highlights the interplay between oral storytelling, textual culture, and visual representation in Icelandic cultural history.