Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Harmondsworth Penguin cop. 1965
Description
The Saga of the Greenlandersand Eirik the Red's Sagacontain the first ever descriptions of North America, a bountiful land of grapes and vines, discovered by Vikings five centuries before Christopher Columbus. Written down in the early thirteenth century, they recount the Icelandic settlement of Greenland by Eirik the Red, the chance discovery by seafaring adventurers of a mysterious new land, and Eirik's son Leif the Lucky's perilous voyages to explore it. Wrecked by storms, stricken by disease and plagued by navigational mishaps, some survived the North Atlantic to pass down this compelling tale of the first Europeans to talk with, trade with, and war with the Native Americans.
User reviews
LibraryThing member PamelaDLloyd
I've only just started reading the introduction, but already I feel this should be required reading for elementary or middle school history classes. (It would be great to have it tied to an English or social studies class on the Norse myths.)Update: Having finished reading the introduction and both
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sagas, I feel even more strongly that this work needs to be far better known. Our children are still taught, by and large, that Columbus discovered America. Even discounting the fact that this continent was already home to many peoples, the Viking explorers visited and established colonies on the mainland (however short-lived) long before Columbus' search for a westward route to India.This translation was very smooth, the writing very clear. The people are sketched quickly, but vividly. I enjoyed this work. Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
This is the Penguin Classics version of the Vinland Sagas, which includes a very interesting introduction as well as both Graenlendinga Saga & Eirik's Saga.
The introduction describes the Vikings' exploration and settlement of the islands of the North Atlantic, showing just how feasible it was that
The sagas themselves are very interesting and the Skraelings encountered by the Greenlanders certainly sound like Native Americans. There are also some interesting supernatural encounters, outbreaks of disease and a lot of trading voyages, to Norway and Iceland as well as Vinland. The differences between the stories mostly concern who went on which voyage and which order things happened.
And finally, there is a very useful index of names in the back to help with all those confusing thornames.
The introduction describes the Vikings' exploration and settlement of the islands of the North Atlantic, showing just how feasible it was that
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they could have reached America once they had settled the west coast of Greenland. This is followed by a discussion of why the Icelanders became such prolific saga writers and about the differences between the Greenland Saga and Eirik's Saga, both of which concern the same events.The sagas themselves are very interesting and the Skraelings encountered by the Greenlanders certainly sound like Native Americans. There are also some interesting supernatural encounters, outbreaks of disease and a lot of trading voyages, to Norway and Iceland as well as Vinland. The differences between the stories mostly concern who went on which voyage and which order things happened.
And finally, there is a very useful index of names in the back to help with all those confusing thornames.
Show Less
LibraryThing member fiverivers
A comprehensive introduction to the two Vinland Sagas: the Graenlenginga Saga and Erik's Saga, as well as updated archelogical information. Well organized. Well presented.
LibraryThing member stillatim
And then some stuff happened, and then some other stuff happened, and then some more stuff happened, and here's a list of names that you'll never remember, and then some stuff happened. Okay, it ain't a work of beauty. I daresay that if these chronicles related the discovery of Gersey nobody would
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bother translating it, let alone read it. But it is pretty cool that some random viking types found the North American continent. And these 'sagas' are short, so you can read them pretty quick, and get the earliest European literary mentions of what would become America. But entertaining? Only in random details, like a pregnant Freydis *slapping a sword with her bare breasts* to scare away attackers. Shit, I wouldn't have messed with her either. Show Less
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
While the rest of the world celebrated Columbus, these sagas mouldered away quietly in Iceland, but since the 1950's and the excavations at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, the Norse discovery of America has been given its due These are well worth the reading, and should be included in any
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course on the discovery of the Americas. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaPhenix
Fascinating and informative if not a little dry.
LibraryThing member macha
about the North American settlements. fabulous notes, maps, and intro.
LibraryThing member P_S_Patrick
Let's start with the good aspects of this volume. Firstly, it is a quite convincing document of the discovery of America by the Icelandic Norsemen over a thousand years ago. This is not that well known an event, and is interesting for historical and cultural reasons. Secondly, there is a good
What lets this volume down however is the two sagas themselves, which describe roughly the same events but with some differences. Both of these have interesting points, and some good stories within them, yet the majority of each of these just isn't gripping storytelling and contains a lot of similar and dull genealogical details. When we think of the idea of a Norse Saga, we perhaps imagine blood-thirsty tales of adventures and exploration told around the fire and fueled by mead. To some degree this is what they were – and these do contain a bit of bloodshed and some heroics, but the manner of telling them does not carry a lot of excitement with it. It lacks the literary quality associated with other ancient texts of comparable feats. Fortunately however neither of the two sagas is that long, and so they can still be quite easily read despite their shortcomings.
This is a volume that I would recommend to those interested in this period of history and this topic, however this recommendation comes with the warning that the texts are not as interesting as might be expected.
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introduction that sets the two sagas in their historical context and provides useful background information.What lets this volume down however is the two sagas themselves, which describe roughly the same events but with some differences. Both of these have interesting points, and some good stories within them, yet the majority of each of these just isn't gripping storytelling and contains a lot of similar and dull genealogical details. When we think of the idea of a Norse Saga, we perhaps imagine blood-thirsty tales of adventures and exploration told around the fire and fueled by mead. To some degree this is what they were – and these do contain a bit of bloodshed and some heroics, but the manner of telling them does not carry a lot of excitement with it. It lacks the literary quality associated with other ancient texts of comparable feats. Fortunately however neither of the two sagas is that long, and so they can still be quite easily read despite their shortcomings.
This is a volume that I would recommend to those interested in this period of history and this topic, however this recommendation comes with the warning that the texts are not as interesting as might be expected.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mkfs
A couple of ho-hum sagas. Some guys sail to Greenland in the fog, end up in Nova Scotia. They love the place, overwinter there, return home and talk it up. Some interesting bits where they trade and then fight with the natives: refusing to trade weapons (the locals have no steel, only stone), they
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will only trade milk and red-dyed cloth. When the fighting comes the travellers are greatly outnumbered, but again the advantages of steel come into play as their boats and buildings are constrcuted from timber, and therefore provide decent protection against arrows. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1965 (Magnusson/Pálsson translation)
ISBN
0140441549 / 9780140441543