Old Icelandic Tales 4: Original Texts, Translations, and Word Lists

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 rich tradition of Icelandic storytelling survived by oral tradition over several centuries before being written down in the 13th Century. The meaning of the word 'saga' (plural: 'sogur' or 'sögur') translates as 'that which is said', or more widely: a 'saying', 'statement', 'story', 'tale', or 'narrative'. As well as the 'saga', there is also the short story called the 'þáttr' (plural: 'þættir'), meaning a strand of rope or a yarn, comparable to the word 'yarn' in English sometimes used to refer to a story.

This book contains:

- The Tale of Einarr Sokkason (Einars þáttr Sokkasonar)

- The Tale of Hreidar the Fool (Hreiðars þáttr heimska)

- The Tale of Star-Oddi's Dream (Stjörnu-Odda draumr)

The texts are presented in three columns side-by-side, first the original Old Icelandic or Old Norse, second a literal word-for-word line-by-line translation, and third a modern English translation. In this way it is possible to see, compare, and feel how the language worked and how it has evolved. Also included is a word list with 2,838 Norse words translated in to English, and 2,102 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.

Translated by Matthew Leigh Embleton

Matthew Leigh Embleton is a language and history enthusiast, musician, composer, and producer living in London.

www.matthewleighembleton.co.uk