The saga of St. Jón of Hólar

Publication/Creation:

Tempe, Arizona : Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2021

Resource Type:

Book

More Details

Additional/Related Title Information

Full Title:

The saga of St. Jón of Hólar / translated by Margaret Cormack ; with an introduction by Peter Foote

Series Titles:

Medieval and Renaissance texts and studies ; Volume 579
Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies (Series) ; v. 579.

Related Names

Additional Author/Creators:

Foote, Peter, 1924-2009, writer of introduction
Cormack, Margaret (Margaret Jean), translator

Subjects/Genre

Genre:

Translations

Subjects:

Jón Ögmundsson,helgi,1052-1121
Sagas--Translations into English
Sagas--Translations into English--History and criticism

Description/Summary

Summary:

This volume contains a translation of the version of the Saga of St. Jon of Holar that is probably closest to the first Latin vita. It is only the second saga of an Icelandic episcopal saint to appear in a modern translation in the present century. The volume consists of two parts, the first comprising a general introduction and a translation by Margaret Cormack. The second part provides a detailed scholarly analysis of the manuscripts, contents, style, and literary connections of the saga by the late Peter Foote, one of the foremost scholars of Old Norse and Icelandic literature. The Jons saga was written in the early thirteenth century, nearly a century after the death of its protagonist, the first bishop of the diocese of Holar in Northern Iceland. The author of the saga combined Latin learning with native folklore to produce a readable narrative that is contemporary with the earliest family and contemporary sagas. This text provides valuable insight into the religious life of ordinary Icelanders in the thirteenth century, and the introduction corrects common misconceptions about ecclesiastical history and the cult of saints in Iceland. It will be of value to scholars of medieval Icelandic literature, hagiography, and history.- back cover

Language:

English

Physical Type/Description:

x, 218 pages ; 23 cm.

General Note:

Translated from the Old Norse.

Additional Identifiers

Catalog ID (MMSID):

9937388997602486

ISBN:

9780866986373
0866986375

OCLC Number:

1263782765

Barcode:

010003166348