Edited by Anthony Faulkes, 2011, ISBN 978 0 903521 83 3
Fifth edition
This fifth edition of the Reader has the same twenty-seven texts as the fourth edition, representing at least one extract from each of the main genres of Old Norse literature. Versions of the skaldic verses in prose word order have been added after the notes to each text that contains any. Background notes to Text I (Hrólfs saga kraka) have been added. Some additions to the bibliographies and minor corrections have been made by contributing editors. The ‘Note on normalisation’ in the Introduction has been extended and clarified.
Because the texts edited in the volume are essentially unchanged, it should be possible to use the fifth edition alongside the fourth in the classroom.
The Reader is designed to be used, alongside the Glossary (NION III), for individual or classroom use. The aim is to present examples of all the main genres of Old Norse literature, in extracts of varying difficulty, for readers at undergraduate level and beyond. The first text is accompanied by a comprehensive grammatical commentary as an introduction for the beginning reader. Each text is accompanied by annotations and bibliographical references. The texts are preceded by an Introduction to the study of Old Icelandic. In addition the Reader contains facsimiles of two pages of the manuscript of the extract from Kormaks saga, with transcription and commentary, and an illustrated selection of runic inscriptions.
Extracts from the following texts are included:
I Hrólfs saga kraka
II Snorri Sturluson: Edda (Skáldskaparmál)
III Sturla Þórðarson: Íslendinga saga
IV Kormaks saga
V Bjarnar saga Hítdoelakappa
VI Fagrskinna
VII Snorri Sturluson: Heimskringla (including ‘The art and craft of the skaldic stanza’)
VIII Ari Þorgilsson: Íslendingabók
IX Þrymskviða
X Volundarkviða
XI Þiðreks saga
XII Saga af Tristram ok Ísond
XIII Maríu saga
XIV Jóns saga helga
XV Laxdoela saga
XVI Auðunar þáttr
XVII Runic inscriptions
XVIII Möðruvallabók
XIX Landnámabók
XX East Norse texts
XXI Eiríks saga rauða
XXII Óláfs ríma Haraldssonar
XXIII Physiognomy
XXIV Konungs skuggsjá
XXV Hamðismál
XXVI Njáls saga
XXVII Grágás
Price (Members): £6.00
Price (Non-Members): £12.00
Where available, this publication can be purchased or downloaded via the following links: