Old Norse is a North Germanic language spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia from about the 7th to the 15th centuries. Old Icelandic is a variety of Old West Norse that emerged during the Norse settlement of Iceland in the second half of the 9th century.
The meaning of the word 'saga' (plural: 'sǫgur' or 'sögur') translates as 'that which is said', or more widely: a 'saying', 'statement', 'story', 'tale', or 'narrative'.
This book contains:
- The Saga of the Greenlanders (Groenlendinga Saga) (Old Norse Version)
- The Saga of the Greenlanders (Groenlendinga Saga) (Old Icelandic Version)
- The Saga of Erik the Red (Eiríks Saga Rauða) (Old Norse Version)
- The Saga of Erik the Red (Eiríks Saga Rauða) (Old Icelandic Version)
The texts are presented in their original Norse, with a literal word-for-word line-by-line translation, and a Modern English translation, all side-by-side. In this way, it is possible to see and feel how the Norse language worked and how it has evolved. Also included is a word list with 3,695 Norse words translated in to English, and 2,262 English words translated into Norse.
This book is designed to be of use and interest to anyone with a passion for the Old Norse or Old Icelandic language, Norse history, or languages and history in general.