The Saga of Bjorn - Champion of the Men of Hitardale

978-1-86057-162-6
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“The Saga of Bjorn, Champion of the Hitardale Men, is not as well known as it should be and this new English translation deserves a warm welcome.”

Professor Peter Foote,
Dept of Scandinavian Studies, University College London

“This translation, with a full accounting for the literary-historical background of the saga, will set the standard for the next round of English translations.”

Professor Theodore Andersson
Dept of Germanic Studies, Indiana University

“It is a very great pleasure to welcome Bjorn to the pantheon of the saga champions of medieval Iceland. He has been sadly neglected in the past. In this elegant and lively translation by Alison Finlay he springs to life for English-speaking readers: a champion in all but love, a poet, a doughty warrior whose finest moment is his heroic last stand against his enemies.”

Magnus Magnusson KBE

Acknowledgements iv

Note on the Translation v

Maps vi

Introduction viii

The Saga of Bjorn,

Champion of the Men of Hitardale 1

Appendix 1:

From the Separate Saga of Saint Olaf 85

Appendix 2:

The Court Verses of Thord Kolbeinsson 86

Bibliography 93

Index of Names 104

One of the earliest and most substantial of the Icelandic sagas, The Saga of Bjorn (Bjarnar saga hitdaelakappa) is an epic tale of a love rivalry between two poets, Bjorn and Thord, that results in Bjorn’s ultimate betrayal and death.

Dating from the period between 1000 and 1025 and located in the Snæfellsnes region of Iceland, the saga describes how Thord (Þórðr skáld Kolbeinsson) reneges on his promise to deliver Bjorn’s marriage proposal to Oddny (Oddný Þorkelsdóttir), then persuades her that Bjorn is dead and marries Oddny himself. A furious and distraught Bjorn seeks retribution against his former friend but is killed in a heroic battle against Thord and twenty-four of his warriors.

Finlay’s acclaimed translation of 14th and 17th century manuscripts, comprehensive introduction and extensive notes of this much neglected text also surveys the saga genre and investigates its relationship with other European literature.

Alison Finlay, is a retired Professor of Medieval English and Icelandic Literature at Birkbeck College, University of London.

[First published in 2000 by Hisarlik Press 978-1874312265 (hb)]