Njal's Saga

We make it to a cluster of Old Norse tales.

Written in the late 13th century Njal's Saga may be the most popular and powerful. The tale chronicles a generational blood-feud, dreams, prophesies, sexual slander, and violence through memorable characters, both heroic and deeply human.

There is a modern translation available in Penguin Classics by Robert Cook that I'm going to work from this but if you find other worthy translations please share in the meeting comments.

https://a.co/d/3Y498ps

This is a longer one - so giving us summer vacation and some extra time to read.

Some items Susan M. helped pull together:

Why it matters: Widely regarded as the greatest of the sagas. A sweeping legal, familial, and moral epic dealing with blood feuds, law, and the Christianization of Iceland.

Themes: Law vs. vengeance, honor, forgiveness, prophecy.
Influence: Central text for understanding medieval Icelandic culture, law, and narrative sophistication.