Library
Of Viking age literary sources
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO THE LIBRARY
We Vikings are bringing together English translations of all the primary literary sources on the Viking age here below for you to read and study at will.
This surviving written material is an essential pillar of Viking Age study. Preserved through the ages, the literature sheds light upon the period. How society was structured, their customs, laws, prominent values, and more. All providing a better picture of why and how the Vikings set their mark on history.
On the library's division
The library below is divided into two main sections. They are Poetry and Sagas. The poetry section is divided into three subsections. They are Norse Mythology, Heroic lays, and Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson’s guide to poetry and Norse myth. The Sagas follow noteworthy happenings of the period, often in great detail and length. The saga section includes two subsections, one is the Heimskringla, a series of sagas about the Norwegian kings of the Viking Age. The other is a section for Short stories, intended for brief sagas.
POETRY
INTRODUCTION
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems. Its contents can be categorized by Mythological poetry (Norse Mythology) and Heroic lays. The former usually includes the Norse gods in one way or another. The Heroic lays are more centered around the deeds of mortal legends of old. Heroes and stories which people would have been familiar with in the Viking age.
These poems were originally made to be performed at gatherings, hence the way they were structured and told would also be important for memorization and the performance. Something which is difficult to convey through writing, let alone a translation.
When translating poetry from one language to another, it can be challenging to stay true to the style while keeping it accurate to the original. Often one or the other will suffer in the process. Here the focus is mainly on the meaning of the poems, hence the original style will take second place.
NORSE MYTHOLOGY
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO MYTHOLOGICAL POETRY
The Eddic poems to follow are a cornerstone in studying the Viking age. Without these handful of poems, present-day understanding of Norse mythology would be rather poor. These ancient poems were written and preserved for many centuries in Iceland. They are by many considered to be Iceland’s greatest contribution to the world’s cultural heritage.
Much can be learned from these poems about the old gods, what they were known for, and their character traits. The reader is introduced to a whole belief system and stories that were once part of the North European people’s dominant religion.
PROPHECY OF THE SEERESS
VÖLUSPÁ
HIGH ONE’S SAYINGS
HÁVAMÁL
VAFTHRUDNIR’S SAYINGS
VAFÞRÚÐNISMÁL
GRÍMNIR’S SAYINGS
GRÍMNISMÁL
SKÍRNIR’S SAYINGS
SKÍRNISMÁL
LAY OF HARBARD
HÁRBARÐSLJÓÐ
HYMIR’S POEM
HYMISKVIÐA
LOKI’S QUARREL
LOKASENNA
LAY OF THRYM
ÞRYMSKVIÐA
LAY OF VÖLUNDR
VÖLUNDARKVIÐA
WORDS OF ALLWISE
ALVÍSSMÁL
RIG’S LAY
RÍGSÞULA
BALDR’S DREAMS
BALDRS DRAUMAR
HYNDLA’S POEM
HYNDLULJÓÐ
HEROIC LAYS
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE HEROIC LAYS
Among the Eddic poems are a series of Heroic lays, stories about legendary heroes of old. They can be divided into three stories. That of Helgi Hundingsbani, The Niflung cycle, and the story of Jörmunrekkr, the king of the Goths. The stories blend Scandinavian, German, and Gothic cultural heritage. Even though the heroes may have existed at one time, the stories have surely changed in the telling and have been embellished over the centuries.
Below are the Heroic lays in the same order as they appear in the primary surviving source of the poems, the manuscript called Codex Regius, Konungsbók, or Sæmundar-Edda. The Helgi lays are Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, Helgakviða Hjörðvarssonar and Helgakviða Hundingsbana II. The Niflung cycle comes next and finishes with Atlamál in grænlensku. The Jörmunrekkr lays are Guðrúnarhvöt and Hamðismál.
LAYS OF HELGI
LAY OF HELGI HUNDINGSBANE I
HELGAKVIÐA HUNDINGSBANA I
LAY OF HELGI HJÖRVARÐ’S SON
HELGAKVIÐA HJÖRVARÐSSONAR
LAY OF HELGI HUNDINGSBANE II
HELGAKVIÐA HUNDINGSBANA II
THE NIFLUNG CYCLE
PROPHECY OF GRÍPIR
GRÍPISMÁL
WORDS OF REGIN
REGINSMÁL
WORDS OF FÁFNIR
FÁFNISMÁL
WORDS OF SIGRDRÍFA
SIGRDRÍFUMÁL
FRAGMENT OF THE LAY OF SIGURÐR
BROT AF SIGURÐARKVIÐU
LAY OF GUÐRÚN I
GUÐRÚNARKVIÐA I
BRYNHILDR’S HEL-RIDE
HELREIÐ BRYNHILDAR
LAY OF GUÐRÚN II
GUÐRÚNARKVIÐA II
LAY OF GUÐRÚN III
GUÐRÚNARKVIÐA III
ODDRÚN’S LAMENT
ODDRÚNARGRÁTR
LAY OF ATLI
ATLAKVIÐA
GREENLAND LAY OF ATLI
ATLAMÁL IN GRÆNLENSKU
THE JÖRMUNREKKR LAYS
GUÐRÚN’S INCITEMENT
GUÐRÚNARHVÖT
LAY OF HAMÐIR
HAMÐISMÁL
THE PROSE EDDA
Edda of Snorri Sturluson
SAGAS
EGIL’S SAGA
EGILS SAGA SKALLA-GRÍMSSONAR
GRETTIR’S SAGA
Grettis saga
THE SAGA OF
THE BURNING OF NJÁL
Brennu-Njáls saga
LAXDALE SAGA
Laxdæla saga
THE SAGA OF
EIRÍKR THE RED
Eiríks saga rauða
THE SAGA OF GUNNLAUGR
WORM-TOUNGE
Gunnlaugs saga Ormstungu
THE SAGA OF GÍSLI
THE OUTLAW
Gísla saga Súrssonar
HRAFNKEL FREYR’S
PRIEST SAGA
Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða
THE SAGA OF
THE SETTLERS OF EYRI
Eyrbyggja saga
THE SAGA OF
THE FAROE ISLANDERS
Færeyinga saga
THE SAGA OF
THE BANDED MEN
Bandamanna saga
THE SAGA OF
HÁVARÐR OF ICEFIRTH
Hávarðar saga Ísfirðings
THE SAGA OF
THE HEATH SLAYINGS
Heiðarvíga saga
HEN-ÞÓRIR’S SAGA
Hænsna-Þóris saga
THE SAGA OF VÍGA-GLÚM
Víga-Glúms saga
THE SAGA OF
VÍGLUNDR THE FAIR
Víglundar saga
THE SAGA OF
KORMÁKR THE SKALD
Kormáks saga
THE BOOK OF ICELANDERS
Íslendingabók
SHORT TALES
HAWKDALE SAGA
HAUKDÆLA ÞÁTTR
HEIMSKRINGLA
Chronicles of Norse Kings
The Story of The Yngling
Ynglinga saga
The Saga of Halfdane the Black
Hálfdanar saga svarta
(WE VIKINGS ARE WORKING ON THE TRANSLATION)
The Saga of Harald Fair-hair
Haraldar saga hárfagra
(WE VIKINGS ARE WORKING ON THE TRANSLATION)
The Saga of Hakon the good
Hákonar saga góða
The Saga of Harald Gray-cloak
Haralds saga gráfeldar
The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason
Ólafs saga Tryggvasonar
(WE VIKINGS ARE WORKING ON THE TRANSLATION)
The Saga of Olaf the Holy
Ólafs saga helga
The Saga of Magnus the Good
Magnúss saga góða
The Saga of Harald ‘Hardrade’ Sigurdson
Haralds saga ‘Harðráða’ Sigurðarsonar
The Saga of Olaf the Peaceful
Ólafs saga kyrra
The Saga of Magnus the Barefoot
Magnúss saga berfætts
The Saga of Magnus’ sons
Magnússona saga
The Saga of Magnus the Blind and Harald Gilla
Magnúss saga blinda og Haralds gilla
The Saga of Ingi and his brothers
Saga Inga konungs og bræðra hans
The Saga of Hakon the Broad-shouldered
Hákonar saga Herðibreiðs
The Saga of Magnus Erling’s son
Magnúss saga Erlingssonar
