Anonymous, Þorsteins þáttur stangarhöggs [The Tale of Thorstein Staff-Struck]

Ármann Jakobsson (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), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1400

Places

Iceland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Non-fictional prose

Resources

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Þorsteins saga stangarhǫggs is among the shortest of the sagas of Icelanders. Often referred to as Þorsteins þáttr, it is in fact atypical of the þættir since these are mostly narratives from the kings’ sagas published in the twentieth century as independent narratives, whereas Þorsteins saga always 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 …

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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 28 September 2023.]

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