"morkinskinna": The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle Of The Norwegian Kings (1030-1157)
E-Book Overview
"Morkinskinna" ("rotten parchment"), the first full-length chronicle of the kings of medieval Norway (1030-1157), forms the basis of the Icelandic chronicle tradition. Based ultimately on an original from ca. 1220, the single defective manuscript was written in Iceland ca. 1275. The present volume, the first translation of "Morkinskinna" in any language, makes this literary milestone available to a general readership, with introduction and commentary to clarify its position in the history of medieval Icelandic letters. The book is designed to be used by readers with no knowledge of Icelandic. The translation is keyed to, and may be used in conjunction with, the existing diplomatic editions. Notes on the manuscript problems, as well as introductory and appended matter, augment the text. Above all, Kari Ellen Gade's edition of the skaldic stanzas provides a substantial initial step toward a future edition of the Icelandic text: "Morkinskinna" is the first large-scale repository of skaldic verse. "Morkinskinna" also includes many semi-independent tales that recount the adventures of individual Icelanders at the Norwegian court. These tales, with their often humorous or ironic inflections, shift the focus of the chronicle from the deeds of the kings to the Icelandic perception of Norwegian royalty.
E-Book Information
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Series: Islandica, 51
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Year: 2,000
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City: Ithaca
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Pages: XVI+556
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Pages In File: 576
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Language: English
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Topic: 102
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Identifier: 0801477832, 9780801477836
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Org File Size: 33,388,858
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Extension: pdf
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Toc: Foreword by Patrick J. Stevens vii
Preface ix
Abbreviations xi
Introduction
The Narrative 1
The Manuscripts 5
The Native Sources 11
The Poetic Corpus of AEMsk and the Question of Interpolation 25
The Oral Sources 57
Time and Place of Composition 66
Toward a Profile of the Author 72
Contents of "Morkinskinna" 85
The Text of "Morkinskinna" 89
Textual Notes 405
Explanatory Notes 418
Notes on Stanzas 466
Appendixes
A. Concordance of Episodes in "Fagrskinna" and "Heimskringla" 497
B. The Latin Compendium of Hakon Ivarsson 512
Maps 516
Bibliography 523
Indexes 533