Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #157396 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Book Information
Composed in medieval Iceland, Hrolf's Saga recalls ancient Scandinavia of the Migration Period, when the warrior chieftain King Hrolf ruled in Denmark.

In the old Norse world, King Hrolf served as a symbol of courage. Sharing rich oral traditions with the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Hrolf's Saga recounts the tragedy of strife within Denmark's royal hall. It tells of powerful women and the exploits of Hrolf's famous champions--including Bodvar Bjarki, the "bear-warrior", who strikingly resembles Beowulf. Combining heroic legend, myth and magic, Hrolf's Saga is full of wizards, sorceresses, and "berserker" fighters, originally members of a cult of Odin. Most startling is the central love triangle: Hrolf's father, a man of insatiable appetites, unknowingly abducts his daughter, who later marries the despised sorcerer, King Adils of Sweden.

A powerful human drama with deep historical roots, extraordinary events and fierce battle scenes, Hrolf's Saga ranks among the masterworks of the Middle Ages.

Synopsis
Composed in medieval Iceland, Hrolf's Saga is one of the greatest of all mythic-legendary sagas, relating half-fantastical events that were said to have occurred in fifth-century Denmark. It tells of the exploits of King Hrolf and of his famous champions, including Bodvar Bjarki, the bear-warrior': a powerful figure whose might and bear-like nature are inspired by the same legendary heritage as Beowulf. Depicting a world of wizards, sorceresses and berserker' fighters originally members of a cult of Odin this is a compelling tale of ancient magic. A work of timeless power and beauty, it offers both a treasury of Icelandic prose and a masterful gathering of epic, cultic memory, traditional folk tale and myths from the Viking age and far earlier.

Customer Reviews

One of the best sagas
I've read a number of Icelandic sagas but this is one of the best and also most accessible I've come across. Part of the story resembles Beowulf but there's also a tragic tale of incest, a blood feud, sorcery, a warrior queen and a guest appearance by Odin - all in the space of 78 pages! The translation, by Jesse Byock (who also did Volsung Saga), is outstanding. Don't miss it!