The Orkneyinga Saga

This translation of the saga of the earls of Orkney, with an introduction and explanatory notes, was published in 1873.

Joseph Anderson (Edited by), Jon A. Hjaltalin (Translated by), Gilbert Goudie (Translated by)

9781108082242, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 27 June 2019

392 pages, 3 b/w illus. 3 maps
21.5 x 14 x 2.5 cm, 0.45 kg

Joseph Anderson (1832–1916), curator of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, edited this version of the saga of the earls of Orkney, translated by Jon Hjaltalin and Gilbert Goudie, and published in 1873. Anderson (whose works on the archaeology of Scotland from the Stone Age to the early Christian era are also reissued in this series) provides a lengthy introduction to the saga, discussing the geography of the islands, and using literary and archaeological material to put the work, which is written in Icelandic and dates from between 1170 and 1220, in context. The first Viking incursions into the islands began in the late eighth century, and the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair gave Orkney to the first earl, Rognvald Eysteinsson, in compensation for the death of his son, in about 870. Anderson also provides notes to the translation, and an appendix with further material from the Icelandic Flateyjarbók.

Preface
Part I. Introduction: 1. Earliest historical notices of the Orkneys
2. Early Christianity of the islands
3. Arrival of the Northmen and establishment of the earldom of Orkney and Caithness
4. The earldom in the Norse line, 872–1231
5. The earldom in the Angus line, 1231–1312
6. The earldom in the Stratherne line, 1321–1379
7. The earldom in the line of St Clair, 1379–1469
8. The bishopric of Orkney, 1102–1469
9. The bishopric of Caithness, 1150–1469
10. Ancient churches of Orkney
11. Maeshow and the stones of Stennis
12. Mousa and the Pictish towns
13. Remains of the Northmen
Chronological tables
Genealogical tables
Part II. Orkneyinga Saga
Appendix
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]