Orkneyinga Saga
The History of the Earls of Orkney
Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · July 30, 1981
Written around AD 1200 by an unnamed Icelandic author, the Orkneyinga Saga is an intriguing fusion of myth, legend and history.
We earn from qualifying purchases.
- Who it’s for
- A brisk entry into medieval Orkney, with history and story braided together.
- Genres
- Medieval History, Scandinavian History, Scandinavian Literary Collections
- Published
- Penguin Publishing Group, July 30, 1981
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved.
The Dawn of the Warrior AgeRoyall Tyler42% match
The Norman ConquestTeresa Cole44% match
Chronicles of the CrusadesJean de Joinville, Geoffroy de Villehardouin42% matchShares Medieval History
Growth of the SoilKnut Hamsun44% matchShares Scandinavian Literary Collections
NorthmenJohn Haywood61% matchShares Medieval History and Scandinavian History
How the Scots Invented the Modern WorldArthur Herman46% match
Seven Viking RomancesVarious60% match
For younger readers: Myths of the Norsemen, Vikings, The Dragon and the Raven
Start with three books, and this one can be the first.
Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.
Start with this bookAbout this book
Written around AD 1200 by an unnamed Icelandic author, the Orkneyinga Saga is an intriguing fusion of myth, legend and history. The only medieval chronicle to have Orkney as the central place of action, it tells of an era when the islands were still part of the Viking world, beginning with their conquest by the kings of Norway in the ninth century.
Continue reading
The saga describes the subsequent history of the Earldom of Orkney and the adventures of great Norsemen such as Sigurd the Powerful, St Magnus the Martyr and Hrolf, the conqueror of Normandy. Savagely powerful and poetic, this is a fascinating depiction of an age of brutal battles, murder, sorcery and bitter family feuds. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Saga and Chronicle
A brisk entry into medieval Orkney, with history and story braided together.
Come here for
- medieval North Atlantic power and kinship
- a saga shaped for cultural literacy and close reading
Expect
- compressed episodes
- old-world politics, without the dust
Where it sits
| Scandinavian History | 42% |
|---|---|
| Scandinavian Literary Collections | 39% |
| Medieval History | 33% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Medieval History
- Scandinavian History
- Scandinavian Literary Collections
- Authors
- Anonymous, Hermann Pálsson, Paul Edwards
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Published
- July 30, 1981
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Medieval History