[New Edition] Icelandic Saga

This is the pinnacle of medieval Norse literature—a legendary masterpiece finally reprinted in a new edition!

"Saga" means a story, an event, or a tale. This book contains six of the most impressive sagas from a grand historical prose work that vividly depicts the history of people's migration from Norway to Iceland during the Viking Age around the 13th century, the heroes who played active roles, revenge between blood relatives, and the magic and curses of the pagan era. Includes illustrations, genealogies, maps, and bibliographies based on the latest research.

Recommended by Makoto Yukimura: "This book was the most important reference material and source material for drawing the manga 'Vinland Saga'!"

Contents: Egil's Saga: The turbulent life of the giant Egil, who, with his Viking spirit and unparalleled poetic talent, confronts kings and formidable enemies. Grettir's Saga: The numerous tales of Grettir's heroic deeds over nineteen years, after he was banished for murder.

The Saga of the People of Laxár Valley: The tragic story of Gudrun, a beautiful, proud woman with hidden passion.

The Saga of the People of Eir: The politics and religious rituals of Chief Snorri, and the life and customs of the people.

The Vólsunga Saga: An unusual tale that served as the basis for Wagner's operas and Tolkien's *The Lord of the Rings*.

The Saga of Njár: The longest saga. The life of the sea warrior Gunnar, the death of the Njár family, and their revenge.

Sagas can be considered a great work in the history of world literature, as they vividly depict the lives of the Nordic peasant class who lived through the turbulent period known as the Viking Age, spanning from the pagan era to the conversion to Christianity. (Translator: Yukio Taniguchi)

Reading sagas reveals that names we casually encounter in games actually have their roots in Icelandic literature written over 700 years ago. (Supervised by Ryo Matsumoto)

Translator: Yukio Taniguchi Born in Tokyo in 1929. Graduated from the Department of German Literature, Faculty of Letters, University of Tokyo. Professor Emeritus at Hiroshima University. Specializes in German linguistics and literature, Nordic literature, and Germanic cultural history. He systematically translated and introduced medieval Nordic literature, mainly from Iceland, and led the study of ancient Nordic literature in Japan, serving as the first president of the Japan Iceland Studies Association (now the Japan Iceland Society). He received the Japan Translation Culture Award for "Edda - Ancient Nordic Songs" (Shinchosha) and the Fujimura Memorial Rekitei Prize for the first edition of this book, "Icelandic Sagas" (Shinchosha). In 1990, he received the Order of the Falcon from the Icelandic government, and in 2012, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon. Died in 2021.

Supervised by: Sayaka Matsumoto Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1982. Completed graduate studies at Kyoto University. Associate Professor at the Center for Academic and Liberal Arts, Fukui Prefectural University. Specializes in medieval Icelandic history. Researches the nature of power exercise and the lives of people in medieval Icelandic society. Co-authored works include "65 Chapters to Understand Iceland, Greenland, and the Arctic" (edited by Minoru Ozawa, Yoshiko Nakamaru, and Minori Takahashi / Akashi Shoten).