Anonymous, Hungrvaka

Ásdís Egilsdóttir (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 c. 1250

Places

Iceland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Prose Fiction Narrative

Resources

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The medieval Icelandic chronicle

Hungrvaka

records the lives of the five bishops of Skálholt, Ísleifr Gizurarson (1006–1080), Gizurr Ísleifsson (1042–1118), Þorlákr Runólfsson (1086– 1133), Magnús Einarsson (1098–1148), and Klængr Þorsteinsson (1105–1176). In addition, the chronicle relates some of church history of the period. Based on references in the text to the recent death of Gizurr Hallsson (d. 1206), scholars have dated Hungrvaka to the early thirteenth century or shortly after Gizurr’s death. All the manuscripts, however, are post-medieval. The most recent editions of Hungrvaka are in Íslenzk fornrit 2002 and a translation from The Viking Society (Andersson 2021).

Together with Þorláks saga and Páls saga biskups, Hungrvaka forms a complete, chronological

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1159 words

Citation: Egilsdóttir, Ásdís. "Hungrvaka". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 June 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41251, accessed 04 May 2024.]

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