Anonymous, Vopnfirðinga Saga

Yoav Tirosh (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Kjerstin Moody (Gustavus Adolphus College), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1420 - 1450

Places

Iceland (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Prose Fiction Narrative

Resources

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Vápnfirðinga saga

is a medieval Icelandic prose narrative, counted as one of the

Íslendingasögur

. The story revolves around the two brothers-in-law Brodd-Helgi Þorgilsson and Geitir Lýtingarson, whose relationship is strained by treasure that they obtained together through murder and trickery. After the two men die in the ensuing violence, their son Þorkell Geitisson tries to get revenge on his cousin Bjarni Brodd-Helgason, with them eventually achieving a long-lasting reconciliation.

Vápnfirðinga saga’s narrative – which centers around Vápnafjǫrðr in Northeast Iceland – is split to two main parts, the first concerning the two friends turned rivals, while the second part relates the story of their sons. The saga has only one extant medieval text witness, AM 162 c fol,

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1380 words

Citation: Tirosh, Yoav. "Vopnfirðinga Saga". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 June 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40704, accessed 27 July 2024.]

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