Jesse Byock
University of California, Los Angeles, Scandinavian Section, Faculty Member
- University of California, Los Angeles, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, Faculty Memberadd
- Medieval Studies, Archaeology, Old Norse Literature, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Viking Archaeology, Old Norse Religion, and 36 moreMedieval Literature, Folklore, J. R. R. Tolkien, Sagas of Icelanders, Eddic Poetry, Medieval Scandinavia, Viking Age, Icelandic Sagas, Medieval Icelandic Literature, Archaeology of Iceland, Iceland, Grettir's Saga, Mosfell Archaeological Project, Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Medieval Church History, Viking Studies, Viking Age Archaeology, Viking Age Scandinavia, Vikings in the North Atlantic, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Old English, Middle English, and Old Norse Languages, Literature, and Culture, Vikings, Chiefdoms (Archaeology), Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Anglo-Saxon Studies (History), Anglo-Saxon literature and culture, Anglo Saxon Burial Studies (Archaeology), Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Norman history, Old Norse literature and culture, Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture, The reception of Old Norse Myth, Old Norse Language, and Old Norseedit
- Professor of Old Norse and Medieval Scandinavian Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and prof... moreProfessor of Old Norse and Medieval Scandinavian Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and professor at UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archaeology. Prof. Byock is head archaeologist and director of the Mosfell Archaeological Project in Iceland. He teaches Old Norse – Icelandic, Viking History and Archaeology. In Iceland he is professor at the University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands) affiliated with the Department of History and the Program in Viking and Medieval Icelandic Studies.
The author of Viking Age Iceland, Medieval Iceland, and Feud in the Icelandic Saga. His translations from Old Norse include The Prose Edda, The Saga of the Volsungs, The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, Sagas and Myths of the Northmen, and Grettir´s Saga.edit
Altnordisch 1: Die Sprache der Wikinger, Runen und isländischen Sagas gliedert sich in fünfzehn inhaltlich aufeinander aufbauende Lektionen bestehend aus altnordischen Textpassagen, Runen, Grammatikbaukästen, Übungen, Karten, (mit gratis... more
Altnordisch 1: Die Sprache der Wikinger, Runen und isländischen Sagas gliedert sich in fünfzehn inhaltlich aufeinander aufbauende Lektionen bestehend aus altnordischen Textpassagen, Runen, Grammatikbaukästen, Übungen, Karten, (mit gratis Online Lösungsschlüssel www. vikinglanguage.com). Das Buch enthält ein vollständiges Wörterverzeichnis, eine Kurzgrammatik sowie Hinweise zur (rekonstruierten) Aussprache. Hörbeispiele zur Aussprache sind als MP-3-Downloads erhältlich auf amazon.com (unter Viking Language 1 Audio Lessons 1–8, und 9–15 unter "Alle"), auf iTunes und cdbaby.com. Weitere Informationen unter vikinglanguage.com Ausführliche Texte zur nordischen Mythologie sowie vollständige Sagas, Götter- und Heldenlieder finden sich in Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader. www.vikinglanguage.com
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DIE ALTNORDISCH-REIHE bietet einen umfangreichen Überblick über die altnordische bzw. altisländische Sprache, die Runen, die isländischen Sagas und die Geschichte und Kultur der Wikinger. Altnordisch 1. Die Sprache der Wikinger, Runen... more
DIE ALTNORDISCH-REIHE bietet einen umfangreichen Überblick über die altnordische bzw. altisländische Sprache, die Runen, die isländischen Sagas und die Geschichte und Kultur der Wikinger. Altnordisch 1. Die Sprache der Wikinger, Runen und isländischen Sagas besteht aus fünfzehn inhaltlich aufeinander aufbauenden Lektionen, in denen sich neben altnordischen Textpassagen, Grammatikbaukästen und abwechslungsreich gestalteten Übungen eine umfangreiche Zusammenstellung an Karten, Bildern und Begleittexten finden lassen. Außerdem verfügt das Buch über ein vollständiges Wörterverzeichnis, eine ausführliche Kurzgrammatik sowie Hinweise zur (rekonstruierten) Aussprache der altnordischen Sprache. Da sich die Grammatik des Isländischen im Laufe der Jahrhunderte nur geringfügig verändert hat, erleichtern Altnordisch-kenntnisse auch den Zugang zum Neuisländischen.Um den kostenlosen Lösungsschlüssel für die in Altnordisch 1 behandelten Aufgaben zu herunterzuladen, besuch uns im Internet unter: http://www.vikingnorse.com/altnordisch-1; www.vikinglanguage.com
Research Interests: German Studies, German Literature, Medieval History, German History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, and 16 moreMedieval Studies, Germanic linguistics, Old Norse Literature, Anglo-Saxon Studies (History), German Language, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Old Germanic Languages, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Anglo-Saxon literature and culture, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Deutsche Sprache, Deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters, Altnordisch, and altisländische Literatur
Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader immerses the learner in the legends, folklore, and myths of the Vikings. The readings are drawn from sagas, runes and eddas. They take the student into the world of Old Norse heroes, gods, and... more
Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader immerses the learner in the legends, folklore, and myths of the Vikings. The readings are drawn from sagas, runes and eddas. They take the student into the world of Old Norse heroes, gods, and goddesses. There is a separate chapter on the ‘Creation of the World’ and another on ‘The Battle at the World’s End,’ where the gods meet their doom. Other readings and maps focus on Viking Age Iceland, Greenland, and Vínland. A series of chapters tackles eddic and skaldic verse with their ancient stories from the old Scandinavian past. Runic inscriptions and explanations of how to read runes form a major component of the book. Where there are exercises, the answers are given at the end of the chapter. Both Viking Language 1 and 2 are structured as workbooks. Students learns quickly and interactively. More information on our website: vikinglanguage.com
Research Interests: Languages, Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Language Education, Languages and Linguistics, and 34 moreMedieval Literature, Medieval History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Medieval Studies, Old English Literature, Old Norse Literature, Anglo-Saxon Studies (History), Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Scandinavia, Old Norse Language, Medieval Europe, Scandinavian languages, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Anglo Saxon Burial Studies (Archaeology), Scandinavian Studies, Medieval Art, Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon literature and culture, Old English Language, Old Norse, Viking Age Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Old Norse Religion, Scandinavian Archaeology, Icelandic Sagas, Old English Language and Literature, Archeologia medievale, Viking Age Scandinavia and the North Atlantic, Anglo-Saxons, Celtic Mythology, Anglo Saxon, Celtic, and Norse, and Old English, Middle English, and Old Norse Languages, Literature, and Culture
Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader is now available with a limited-time offer. The reader immerses the learner in the legends, folklore, and myths of the Vikings. The readings are drawn from sagas, runes and eddas. They take the... more
Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader is now available with a limited-time offer. The reader immerses the learner in the legends, folklore, and myths of the Vikings. The readings are drawn from sagas, runes and eddas. They take the student into the world of Old Norse heroes, gods, and goddesses. There is a separate chapter on the ‘Creation of the World’ and another on ‘The Battle at the World’s End,’ where the gods meet their doom. Other readings and maps focus on Viking Age Iceland, Greenland, and Vínland. A series of chapters tackles eddic and skaldic verse with their ancient stories from the old Scandinavian past. Runic inscriptions and explanations of how to read runes form a major component of the book. Where there are exercises, the answers are given at the end of the chapter. Both Viking Language 1 and 2 are structured as workbooks. Students learns quickly and interactively. More information on our website: vikinglanguage.com
Research Interests: Languages, Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Language Education, Languages and Linguistics, and 32 moreMedieval Literature, Medieval History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Old English Literature, Old Norse Literature, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Scandinavia, Viking Studies, Old Norse Language, Medieval Europe, Viking Age Archaeology, Scandinavian languages, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Scandinavian Studies, Medieval Art, Vikings in the North Atlantic, Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon literature and culture, Old English Language, Old Norse, Viking Age Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Old Norse Religion, Scandinavian Archaeology, Icelandic Sagas, Archeologia medievale, Viking Age Scandinavia and the North Atlantic, Celtic Mythology, Anglo Saxon, Celtic, and Norse, and Old English, Middle English, and Old Norse Languages, Literature, and Culture
Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas is an introduction to the language of the Vikings offering in one book graded lessons, vocabulary, grammar exercises, pronunciation, student guides, and maps. It explains Old... more
Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas is an introduction to the language of the Vikings offering in one book graded lessons, vocabulary, grammar exercises, pronunciation, student guides, and maps. It explains Old Icelandic literature, Viking history, and mythology. Readings include runestones, legends, and sagas. Viking Language 1 focuses on the most frequently occurring words in the sagas, an innovative method which speeds learning. Because the grammar has changed little from Old Norse, the learner is well on the way to mastering Modern Icelandic. It provides a wealth of information about Iceland, where the sagas were written and Old Scandinavian history and mythology were preserved. Viking Language 1 is accompanied by Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader. More Info: More information and audio samples on: http://www.vikingnorse.com
Research Interests: Media Studies, Language Education, Languages and Linguistics, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, and 27 moreAnglo-Saxon Studies, Medieval Studies, English language, Old English Literature, Old Norse Literature, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Scandinavia, Viking Studies, Old Norse Language, Viking Age Archaeology, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Vikings in the North Atlantic, Norse mythology, Old English Language, Old Norse, Medieval Icelandic Literature, Viking Age Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Iceland, Icelandic Sagas, Old English Language and Literature, Old Norse literature and culture, Vikings, Viking Age, and Religious and Magical Practices
Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas is an introduction to the language of the Vikings offering in one book graded lessons, vocabulary, grammar exercises, pronunciation, student guides, and maps. It explains Old... more
Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas is an introduction to the language of the Vikings offering in one book graded lessons, vocabulary, grammar exercises, pronunciation, student guides, and maps. It explains Old Icelandic literature, Viking history, and mythology. Readings include runestones, legends, and sagas. Viking Language 1 focuses on the most frequently occurring words in the sagas, an innovative method which speeds learning. Because the grammar has changed little from Old Norse, the learner is well on the way to mastering Modern Icelandic. It provides a wealth of information about Iceland, where the sagas were written and Old Scandinavian history and mythology were preserved. Viking Language 1 is accompanied by Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader.
Research Interests: Languages, Archaeology, English Literature, Historical Archaeology, Language Education, and 28 moreLanguages and Linguistics, Medieval History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Old English Literature, Old Norse Literature, Anglo-Saxon Studies (History), Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Scandinavia, Viking Studies, Old Norse Language, Medieval Europe, Old English Poetry, Viking Age Archaeology, Icelandic Family Sagas, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Vikings in the North Atlantic, Anglo-Saxon literature and culture, Old English Language, Medieval Icelandic Literature, Viking Age Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Icelandic Sagas, Old English Language and Literature, Old English, Viking Age, Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture, and Religious and Magical Practices
Yet, as Jesse Byock reveals in this deeply fascinating and important history, the society founded by Norsemen in Iceland was far from this picture. It was, in fact, an independent, almost republican Free State, without warlords or... more
Yet, as Jesse Byock reveals in this deeply fascinating and important history, the society
founded by Norsemen in Iceland was far from this picture. It was, in fact, an independent,
almost republican Free State, without warlords or kings. Honour was crucial in a world which sounds almost Utopian today. In Jesse Byock’s words, it was like ‘a great village’: a self governing community of settlers, who adapted to Iceland’s harsh climate and landscape, creating their own society.
Combining history and anthropology, this remarkable study explores in rich detail all aspects of Viking Age life: feasting, farming and battling with the elements, the power of chieftains and the church, marriage, the role of women and kinship. It shows us how law courts, which favoured compromise over violence, often prevented disputes over land, livestock or insults from becoming ‘blood feud’. In Iceland we can see a prototype democracy in action, which thrived for 300 years until it came under the control of the King of Norway in the 1260s.
This was a unique time in history, which has long perplexed historians and archaeologists, and which provides us today with fundamental insights into sometimes forgotten aspects of western society. By interweaving his own original and innovative research with masterly interpretations of the Old Icelandic Sagas, Jesse Byock brilliantly brings it to life.
Publisher: Penguin History, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140291155
founded by Norsemen in Iceland was far from this picture. It was, in fact, an independent,
almost republican Free State, without warlords or kings. Honour was crucial in a world which sounds almost Utopian today. In Jesse Byock’s words, it was like ‘a great village’: a self governing community of settlers, who adapted to Iceland’s harsh climate and landscape, creating their own society.
Combining history and anthropology, this remarkable study explores in rich detail all aspects of Viking Age life: feasting, farming and battling with the elements, the power of chieftains and the church, marriage, the role of women and kinship. It shows us how law courts, which favoured compromise over violence, often prevented disputes over land, livestock or insults from becoming ‘blood feud’. In Iceland we can see a prototype democracy in action, which thrived for 300 years until it came under the control of the King of Norway in the 1260s.
This was a unique time in history, which has long perplexed historians and archaeologists, and which provides us today with fundamental insights into sometimes forgotten aspects of western society. By interweaving his own original and innovative research with masterly interpretations of the Old Icelandic Sagas, Jesse Byock brilliantly brings it to life.
Publisher: Penguin History, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140291155
Research Interests:
‘You will be made an outlaw, forced always to live in the wilds and to live alone.’ A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir’s Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the... more
‘You will be made an outlaw, forced always to live in the wilds and to live alone.’
A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir’s Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the vengefulness of his enemies. Feared by many, Grettir is a warrior and also a poet and a lover who is afraid of the dark. Unable to resolve the dispute that has outlawed him, he lives outside the bounds of family life and he roams the countryside, ridding Iceland and Norway of berserker warriors, trolls, and the walking dead. The saga presents a poignant story of medieval Icelandic society, combining details of everyday legal disputes with folklore and legend. Written in the fourteenth century, but based on earlier oral and written sources, Grettir’s Saga, with its scathing humour, explicit verses, and fantastic monsters, is among the most famous and widely read of Iceland’s sagas.
This new translation features extensive maps and illustrative material.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford World’s Classics
ISBN: 9780192801524
A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir’s Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the vengefulness of his enemies. Feared by many, Grettir is a warrior and also a poet and a lover who is afraid of the dark. Unable to resolve the dispute that has outlawed him, he lives outside the bounds of family life and he roams the countryside, ridding Iceland and Norway of berserker warriors, trolls, and the walking dead. The saga presents a poignant story of medieval Icelandic society, combining details of everyday legal disputes with folklore and legend. Written in the fourteenth century, but based on earlier oral and written sources, Grettir’s Saga, with its scathing humour, explicit verses, and fantastic monsters, is among the most famous and widely read of Iceland’s sagas.
This new translation features extensive maps and illustrative material.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford World’s Classics
ISBN: 9780192801524
Research Interests:
An unforgettable tale of princely jealousy, unrequited love, greed and vengeance, the Saga of the Volsungs is one of the great books of world literature. Based on Viking Age poems, the Volsung (Völsunga) Saga combines mythology, legend... more
An unforgettable tale of princely jealousy, unrequited love, greed and vengeance, the Saga of the Volsungs is one of the great books of world literature.
Based on Viking Age poems, the Volsung (Völsunga) Saga combines mythology, legend and sheer human drama. At its heart are the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer who acquires runic knowledge from one of Odin’s Valkyries.Yet it is also set in a very human world, incorporating oral memories of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman empire. An illuminating Introduction links the historical Huns, Burgundians and Goths with the events of this Icelandic saga, whose author claimed that Sigurd’s name was ‘known in all tongues north of the Greek Ocean, and so it must remain while the world endures’.
With its ill-fated Rhinegold. the sword reforged and the magic ring of power, the saga resembles the Nibelungenlied. It has been a primary source for fantasy writers such as William Morris, and for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and for Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle.
Publisher: Penguin Classics, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140447385
Based on Viking Age poems, the Volsung (Völsunga) Saga combines mythology, legend and sheer human drama. At its heart are the heroic deeds of Sigurd the dragon slayer who acquires runic knowledge from one of Odin’s Valkyries.Yet it is also set in a very human world, incorporating oral memories of the fourth and fifth centuries, when Attila the Hun and other warriors fought on the northern frontiers of the Roman empire. An illuminating Introduction links the historical Huns, Burgundians and Goths with the events of this Icelandic saga, whose author claimed that Sigurd’s name was ‘known in all tongues north of the Greek Ocean, and so it must remain while the world endures’.
With its ill-fated Rhinegold. the sword reforged and the magic ring of power, the saga resembles the Nibelungenlied. It has been a primary source for fantasy writers such as William Morris, and for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and for Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle.
Publisher: Penguin Classics, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140447385
Research Interests:
‘What was the beginning, or how did things start? What was there before?’ The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after... more
‘What was the beginning, or how did things start? What was there before?’
The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens. In clear prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda provides unparalleled insight into the gods’ tragic realization that the future holds one final cataclysmic battle, Ragnarok, when the world will be destroyed.
These tales from the pagan era have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring modern works as diverse as Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
This new translation by Jesse Byock captures the strength and subtlety of the original, while his introduction sets the tales fully in the context of Norse mythology. This edition also includes detailed notes and appendices.
Publisher: Penguin Classics, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140447552
The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens. In clear prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda provides unparalleled insight into the gods’ tragic realization that the future holds one final cataclysmic battle, Ragnarok, when the world will be destroyed.
These tales from the pagan era have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring modern works as diverse as Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
This new translation by Jesse Byock captures the strength and subtlety of the original, while his introduction sets the tales fully in the context of Norse mythology. This edition also includes detailed notes and appendices.
Publisher: Penguin Classics, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140447552
Research Interests:
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/Viking world, King Hrolf was a symbol of courage. Sharing rich oral... more
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/Viking world, King Hrolf was 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 has 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, influencing writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien.
Publisher: Penguin Classics, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140435931
In the Old Norse/Viking world, King Hrolf was 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 has 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, influencing writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien.
Publisher: Penguin Classics, Penguin Books
ISBN: 9780140435931
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This chapter discusses the research approach and results of the Mosfell Archaeological Project (MAP). Our work in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley (Mosfellsdalur) is documenting human habitation and environmental change over the course of the Old... more
This chapter discusses the research approach and results of the Mosfell Archaeological Project (MAP). Our work in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley (Mosfellsdalur) is documenting human habitation and environmental change over the course of the Old Icelandic Free State from the ninth to the thirteenth century. During the first centuries of Iceland’s settlement, the glaciated and once wooded Mosfell Valley was home to an extended family of chieftains, the Mosfellsdælingar (the people or men of Mosfell Valley). Among their numbers, the Mosfellsdælingar counted settlers, chieftains, warriors, farmers, and legal experts. They worshipped the old gods and around the year 1000 became Christian. We have found the remains of pagan mortuary ritual and Christian mortuary ritual. In excavating in the Mosfell Valley, we seek data to provide an in-depth analysis of how this countryside or sveit evolved from the earliest Viking Age settlement during Iceland’s ninth-century landnám (landtaking) period. Our excavations and research are bringing into view a chiefly farm of the Viking Age that disappeared centuries ago. This powerful landscape was only remembered in Iceland’s medieval writings and in modern place-name memory.
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, and 15 moreMedieval Studies, J. R. R. Tolkien, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Europe, Viking Age Archaeology, Vikings in the North Atlantic, Medieval Icelandic Literature, Viking Age Scandinavia, Iceland, Icelandic Sagas, Vikings, Old Norse Language and Literature, and Mosfell Archaeological Project
The Saga of the Volsungs is an Icelandic prose epic whose anonymous thirteenth-century author based his story on the legends of Old Scandinavian folk culture. A trove of traditional lore, it tells of love, jealousy, vengeance, war, and... more
The Saga of the Volsungs is an Icelandic prose epic whose anonymous thirteenth-century author based his story on the legends of Old Scandinavian folk culture. A trove of traditional lore, it tells of love, jealousy, vengeance, war, and the mythic deeds of the dragonslayer, Sigurd the Volsung. The Saga is of special interest to admirers of Richard Wagner, who drew heavily upon this Norse source in writing his Ring Cycle. With its magical ring acquired by the hero, and the sword to be reforged, the saga has also been a primary source for writers of fantasy such as J. R. R. Tolkien and romantics such as William Morris.Byock's comprehensive introduction explores the history, legends, and myths contained in the saga and traces the development of a narrative that reaches back to the period of the great folk migrations in Europe when the Roman Empire collapsed
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'You will be made an outlaw, forced always to live in the wilds and to live alone.' A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir's Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck,... more
'You will be made an outlaw, forced always to live in the wilds and to live alone.' A sweeping epic of the Viking Age, Grettir's Saga follows the life of the outlaw Grettir the Strong as he battles against sorcery, bad luck, and the vengefulness of his enemies. Feared by many, Grettir is a warrior and also a poet and a lover, who is afraid of the dark. Unable to resolve the dispute that has outlawed him, he lives outside the bounds of family life and he roams the countryside, ridding Iceland and Norway of berserker warriors, trolls, and the walking dead. The saga presents a poignant story of medieval Icelandic society, combining details of everyday legal disputes with folklore and legend. Written in the fourteenth century, but based on earlier oral and written sources, Grettir's Saga, with its scathing humour, explicit verses, and fantastic monsters, is among the most famous and widely read of Iceland's sagas. This new translation features extensive illustrative material to elucidate the story. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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Research Interests: Geography and Archaeology
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Recent excavations at Hrísbrú in the Mosfell Valley of Iceland have revealed a church and cemetery as well as domestic and ceremonial structures spanning the pagan and early conversion periods in the 10th and 11th Centuries. The skeletal... more
Recent excavations at Hrísbrú in the Mosfell Valley of Iceland have revealed a church and cemetery as well as domestic and ceremonial structures spanning the pagan and early conversion periods in the 10th and 11th Centuries. The skeletal remains of thirteen people buried at Hrísbrú provide new evidence of the health status and living conditions of Iceland’s early inhabitants. The economic life of these people centered on sailing, fishing, and stock-raising in a challenging marginal environment. Traumatic injuries appear to have been common. One person buried in the cemetery is an apparent homicide victim with massive head injuries. Another has a healed leg fracture. In addition to traumatic injuries, skeletal lesions associated with heavy labor and infectious diseases are also common in this conversion period population. Several individuals, including an adolescent, show evidence of strenuous physical activity involving the hands and arms and osteoarthritis is prevalent. One young m...
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This chapter discusses the research approach and results of the Mosfell Archaeological Project (MAP). Our work in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley (Mosfellsdalur) is documenting human habitation and environmental change over the course of the Old... more
This chapter discusses the research approach and results of the Mosfell Archaeological Project (MAP). Our work in Iceland’s Mosfell Valley (Mosfellsdalur) is documenting human habitation and environmental change over the course of the Old Icelandic Free State from the ninth to the thirteenth century. During the first centuries of Iceland’s settlement, the glaciated and once wooded Mosfell Valley was home to an extended family of chieftains, the Mosfellsdælingar (the people or men of Mosfell Valley). Among their numbers, the Mosfellsdælingar counted settlers, chieftains, warriors, farmers, and legal experts. They worshipped the old gods and around the year 1000 became Christian. We have found the remains of pagan mortuary ritual and Christian mortuary ritual. In excavating in the Mosfell Valley, we seek data to provide an in-depth analysis of how this countryside or sveit evolved from the earliest Viking Age settlement during Iceland’s ninth-century landnám (landtaking) period. Our excavations and research are bringing into view a chiefly farm of the Viking Age that disappeared centuries ago. This powerful landscape was only remembered in Iceland’s medieval writings and in modern place-name memory.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, and 14 moreJ. R. R. Tolkien, Early Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Europe, Viking Age Archaeology, Vikings in the North Atlantic, Medieval Icelandic Literature, Viking Age Scandinavia, Iceland, Icelandic Sagas, Vikings, Old Norse Language and Literature, and Mosfell Archaeological Project
The authors show that the principal correlates of feasting in Viking Age Iceland were beef and barley, while feasting itself is here the primary instrument of social action. Documentary references, ethnographic analogies, archaeological... more
The authors show that the principal correlates of feasting in Viking Age Iceland were beef and barley, while feasting itself is here the primary instrument of social action. Documentary references, ethnographic analogies, archaeological excavation and biological analyses are woven together to present an exemplary procedure for the recognition of feasting more widely.
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The transition from a semiotic system of textual comprehension to a system of internal structural boundaries constitutes the basis for the generation of meaning. This condition, above all, intensifies the moment of play in the text: from... more
The transition from a semiotic system of textual comprehension to a system of internal structural boundaries constitutes the basis for the generation of meaning. This condition, above all, intensifies the moment of play in the text: from an alternative mode of codification the text acquires features of a more sophisticated conventionality. (Lotman 1994:380) The family and Sturlunga sagas are not only narratives of “sophisticated conventionality, ” but it is precisely the unclear combination of mundane and refined that has made these medieval texts so hard to classify.1 On the one hand the sagas are a sophisticated written phenomenon. On the other, they are stories filled with repetitions and other conventions of oral, ethnographic narration recounting the social past. Can we determine the elemental, generative structure of the Icelandic texts? The answer is yes, since the sagas themselves, despite their overlay of sophistication, retain this primary repetitive progression. With our ...
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An immigrant society resources and subsistence - life on a northern island curdled milk and calamities - an inward-looking farming society a devolving and evolving social order the founding of a new society and the historical sources... more
An immigrant society resources and subsistence - life on a northern island curdled milk and calamities - an inward-looking farming society a devolving and evolving social order the founding of a new society and the historical sources limitations on a chieftain's ambitions, and strategies chietfain-thingmen relationships and advocacy the family and Sturlunga sagas -mediaeval narratives the legislative and judicial system systems of power - advocates, friendship and family aspects of blood feud feud and vendetta in a "great village" community friendship, blood feud and power - "the saga of the people of weapon's fjord" the obvious sources of wealth lucrative sources of wealth for chieftains a peaceful conversion - the Viking age church "Gragas" - the "grey goose" law bishops and secular authority - the later church big chieftains, big farmers and their sagas at the end of the free state appendix 1 - the law-speakers appendix 2 - bishops ...
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In a land of ice, great warriors search for glory. When a dragon threatens the people of the north, only one man can destroy the fearsome beast. Elsewhere, a mighty leader gathers a court of champions, including a noble warrior under a... more
In a land of ice, great warriors search for glory. When a dragon threatens the people of the north, only one man can destroy the fearsome beast. Elsewhere, a mighty leader gathers a court of champions, including a noble warrior under a terrible curse. The Earth's creation is described; tales of the gods and evil Frost Giants are related; and the dark days of Ragnarok foretold. This is a journey into a realm of legend, where heroes from an ancient age do battle with savage monsters, and every man must live or die by the sword.
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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... more
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.
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Les etudes archeologiques des os du crâne d'Efil, heros des sagas islandaises, ainsi que les connaissances medicales modernes, demontrent que le guerrier fut probablement atteint par la maladie de Paget
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The family and Sturlunga sagas are not only narratives of "sophisticated conventionality," but it is precisely the unclear combination of mundane and refined that has made these medieval texts so hard to classify.1 On the one... more
The family and Sturlunga sagas are not only narratives of "sophisticated conventionality," but it is precisely the unclear combination of mundane and refined that has made these medieval texts so hard to classify.1 On the one hand the sagas are a sophisticated written phenomenon. On the other, they are stories filled with repetitions and other conventions of oral, ethnographic narration recounting the social past. Can we determine the elemental, generative structure of the Icelandic texts? The answer is yes, since the sagas themselves, despite their overlay of sophistication, retain this primary repetitive progression. With our question in mind, let us look at just such a progression.
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The fornaldarsogur (literally, “sagas of antiquity”) have long been relegated to the status of “poor cousins” within the family of Old Icelandic literature. To a large degree this downgrading has occurred because the fornaldarsogur are... more
The fornaldarsogur (literally, “sagas of antiquity”) have long been relegated to the status of “poor cousins” within the family of Old Icelandic literature. To a large degree this downgrading has occurred because the fornaldarsogur are often fantastic narrations that read very differently from the more sober and worldly islendingasogur [family sagas]. Written in the period from roughly the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, the fornaldarsogur, a mixture of tradition and invention, often recount legendary and mythic events from the recesses of Scandinavian folk memory. Sometimes a tale follows its hero or heroes into the supernatural world and also recounts quasi-historical memories of events that can be traced as far back as the migration period. In general, the fornaldarsogur focus on Scandinavia; southern Germanic matters and events are less evident and usually only enter the tales in connection with stories built on, or sharing motifs and traditions with, Eddic material, as the...
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The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation... more
The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens. In clear prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda provides unparalleled insight into the gods' tragic realization that the future holds one final cataclysmic battle, Ragnarok, when the world will be destroyed. These tales from the pagan era have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring modern works as diverse as Wagner's Ring Cycle and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Tom Shippey reviews Jesse Byock. Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas.
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Medieval History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Medieval Studies, and 25 moreOld English Literature, J. R. R. Tolkien, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval Ireland, Early Medieval Scotland, Medieval Scandinavia, Viking Studies, Old Norse Language, Viking Age Archaeology, Social History, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), History of Iceland, Medieval Italy, Scandinavian Studies, Anglo-Saxon literature and culture, Old English Language, Old Norse, Viking Age Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Scandinavian Archaeology, Icelandic Sagas, Norway, Anglo-Saxons, and Tolkien Studies
Learn & Teach Old Norse, Icelandic Sagas, and Runes of the Viking Age. An overview of THE VIKING LANGUAGE SERIES. A new full course for the beginner to advanced learner, teaching Old Norse language, runes, sagas, Viking Age and Icelandic... more
Learn & Teach Old Norse, Icelandic Sagas, and Runes of the Viking Age. An overview of THE VIKING LANGUAGE SERIES. A new full course for the beginner to advanced learner, teaching Old Norse language, runes, sagas, Viking Age and Icelandic history, eddas, and myth. A carefully designed modern series of integrated workbooks and ebook for class teaching and the self-learner. The graded lessons, exercises and audio pronunciation albums, and free answer key on www.oldnorse.org explain the grammar, teach sentence structure, and let you pronounce the language and culture of Old Scandinavia. The separate Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader offers a wide variety of sagas, myth, runic writing, and eddic verse. A series of books that have long been needed, offering everything necessary to learn and teach Old Norse. Presented by Jules William Press. www. oldnorse.org