is among the shortest of the sagas of Icelanders. Often referred to as
Þorsteins þáttr, it is in fact atypical of the
þættirsince these are mostly narratives from the kings’ sagas published in the twentieth century as independent narratives, whereas
Þorsteins sagaalways stood alone, although it is closely linked to other sagas from Eastfjords of Iceland and preserved along with them in manuscripts.
Þorsteins saga stangarhöggs exists in only a single vellum manuscript, AM 162 C fol. dating from the fifteenth century. Only one page of the episode is extant there, but this preserves over half the episode. The episode’s main manuscripts are two paper manuscripts from the seventeenth century, AM 156 fol. and AM 496 4to. Þorsteins saga can be dated
1020 words
Citation: Jakobsson, Ármann. "Þorsteins þáttur stangarhöggs". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 April 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40995, accessed 12 October 2024.]