Njal's Saga (Penguin Classics)
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Product Description
Product Description
Written in the thirteenth century, Njal's Saga is a story that explores perennial human problems-from failed marriages to divided loyalties, from the law's inability to curb human passions to the terrible consequences when decent men and women are swept up in a tide of violence beyond their control. It is populated by memorable and complex characters like Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a powerful warrior with an aversion to killing, and the not-so-villainous Mord Valgardsson. Full of dreams, strange prophecies, violent power struggles, and fragile peace agreements, Njal's Saga tells the compelling story of a fifty-year blood feud that, despite its distance from us in time and place, is driven by passions familiar to us all. This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction, chronology, index of characters, plot summary, explanatory notes, maps, and suggestions for further reading.
About the Author
Robert Cook is Professor of English at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.
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First Sentence
There was a man named Mord whose nickname was Gigja. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
There was a man named Mord whose nickname was Gigja. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Njal's Saga is as good as the best that people say about it, and better. A major classic of world literature, and easily readable.
I originally read the Magnus Magnusson translation, and it made a big impression on me at the time. As I remember, the Lee Hollander translation was also good. I don't have either to hand, but I do feel they were better than Cook's. You make up your own mind. On the web, I can only find George Webbe Dassent's 19th-century translation into Scots. Compare him however, with Cook:
Several men plot the death of the hero Gunnar:
COOK: Mord said that they would not take Gunnar by surprise unless they seized a farmer named Thorkel from the neighbouring farm, and forced him to come along with them and go up to Gunnar's farm, alone, to take the dog Sam.
DASSENT: Mord said that they could not come on Gunnar unawares, unless they seized the farmer who dwelt at the next homestead, whose name was Thorkell, and made him go against his will with them to lay hands on the hound Sam, and unless he went before them to the homestead to do this.
The conspirators launch the attack:
COOK: Thorgrim the Norwegian went to the hall while the others sat down on the ground. Gunnar saw a red tunic at the window and made a thrust with his halberd and hit Thorgrim in the waist. The Norwegian lost his grip on his shield, his feet slipped and he fell off the roof and then walked to where Gizur and the others were sitting on the ground.
Gizur looked at him and spoke: "Well, is Gunnar at home?"
Thorgrim answered, "Find that out for yourselves, but I've found out one thing - that his halberd's at home."
Then he fell down dead.
DASSENT: Thorgrim the Easterling went and began to climb up on the hall; Gunnar sees that a red kirtle passed before the windowslit, and thrusts out the bill, and smote him on the middle. Thorgrim's feet slipped from under him, and he dropped his shield, and down he toppled from the roof.
Then he goes to Gizur and his band as they sat on the ground.
Gizur looked at him and said--
"Well, is Gunnar at home?"
"Find that out for yourselves," said Thorgrim; "but this I am sure of, that his bill is at home," and with that he fell down dead.
Compare also this: later, as the attack progresses, Gunnar asks his wife to cut off a lock of her renowned long fair hair and twist it into a bowstring, as his life depends on it.
COOK: "Then I'll recall," she said, "the slap you gave me, and I don't care whether you hold out a for long or a short time."
"Everyone has some mark of distinction," said Gunnar, "and I won't ask you again."
DASSENT: "Well!" she says, "now I will call to thy mind that slap on the face which thou gavest me; and I care never a whit whether thou holdest out a long while or a short."
"Every one has something to boast of," says Gunnar, "and I will ask thee no more for this."
As I remember, Magnusson rendered this as, "Everyone seeks their own reason for fame. You won't be asked again." But my memory could fail me. This is one of the most famous lines of the saga.
I originally read the Magnus Magnusson translation, and it made a big impression on me at the time. As I remember, the Lee Hollander translation was also good. I don't have either to hand, but I do feel they were better than Cook's. You make up your own mind. On the web, I can only find George Webbe Dassent's 19th-century translation into Scots. Compare him however, with Cook:
Several men plot the death of the hero Gunnar:
COOK: Mord said that they would not take Gunnar by surprise unless they seized a farmer named Thorkel from the neighbouring farm, and forced him to come along with them and go up to Gunnar's farm, alone, to take the dog Sam.
DASSENT: Mord said that they could not come on Gunnar unawares, unless they seized the farmer who dwelt at the next homestead, whose name was Thorkell, and made him go against his will with them to lay hands on the hound Sam, and unless he went before them to the homestead to do this.
The conspirators launch the attack:
COOK: Thorgrim the Norwegian went to the hall while the others sat down on the ground. Gunnar saw a red tunic at the window and made a thrust with his halberd and hit Thorgrim in the waist. The Norwegian lost his grip on his shield, his feet slipped and he fell off the roof and then walked to where Gizur and the others were sitting on the ground.
Gizur looked at him and spoke: "Well, is Gunnar at home?"
Thorgrim answered, "Find that out for yourselves, but I've found out one thing - that his halberd's at home."
Then he fell down dead.
DASSENT: Thorgrim the Easterling went and began to climb up on the hall; Gunnar sees that a red kirtle passed before the windowslit, and thrusts out the bill, and smote him on the middle. Thorgrim's feet slipped from under him, and he dropped his shield, and down he toppled from the roof.
Then he goes to Gizur and his band as they sat on the ground.
Gizur looked at him and said--
"Well, is Gunnar at home?"
"Find that out for yourselves," said Thorgrim; "but this I am sure of, that his bill is at home," and with that he fell down dead.
Compare also this: later, as the attack progresses, Gunnar asks his wife to cut off a lock of her renowned long fair hair and twist it into a bowstring, as his life depends on it.
COOK: "Then I'll recall," she said, "the slap you gave me, and I don't care whether you hold out a for long or a short time."
"Everyone has some mark of distinction," said Gunnar, "and I won't ask you again."
DASSENT: "Well!" she says, "now I will call to thy mind that slap on the face which thou gavest me; and I care never a whit whether thou holdest out a long while or a short."
"Every one has something to boast of," says Gunnar, "and I will ask thee no more for this."
As I remember, Magnusson rendered this as, "Everyone seeks their own reason for fame. You won't be asked again." But my memory could fail me. This is one of the most famous lines of the saga.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This very accesible, simply written narrative provides fascinating insights into Viking society, marriage, the position of women, the legal system, feuds, and more. Thanks to Penguin for making this literature available to the general reader.
15 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As an Asatru heathen I have read many tales and sagas from Icelandic literature but by far Burnt Njal's saga is the best. As with many sagas the tale begins before the main characters are born and ends after they are long dead.
Njal's life is a slice of Icelandic history for all to read embelished with the folklore, magic and monsters that the Icelanders believed in.
If you are going to read only one saga in your Life then this should be it.
Njal's life is a slice of Icelandic history for all to read embelished with the folklore, magic and monsters that the Icelanders believed in.
If you are going to read only one saga in your Life then this should be it.
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