Sagas of Icelanders The Sagas of Icelanders —many of which are
also known as family sagas—are prose histories mostly describing events that took place in
Iceland in the 10th and early 11th centuries, during the so-called Saga Age.
They are the best-known specimens of Icelandic literature.
The Icelanders' sagas are a literary phenomenon of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
They are focused on history, especially genealogical and family history.
They reflect the struggle and conflict that arose within the societies of the second and
third generations of Icelandic settlers.
The authors of these sagas are unknown.
One, Egils saga, is believed by scholars to have been written by Snorri Sturluson, a descendant
of the saga's hero, but this remains uncertain.
The standard modern edition of Icelandic sagas is known as Íslenzk fornrit.
List of Icelanders' sagas Bandamanna saga
Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss Bjarnar saga Hítdœlakappa
Brennu-Njáls saga - considered by some the greatest of Icelandic prose sagas
Droplaugarsona saga Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar
Eiríks saga rauða Eyrbyggja saga
Færeyinga saga Finnboga saga ramma
Fljótsdæla saga Flóamanna saga
Fóstbrœðra saga (two versions) Gísla saga Súrssonar, (two versions) of
an outlaw poet.
Grettis saga Grœnlendinga saga
Gull-Þóris saga Gunnars saga Keldugnúpsfífls
Gunnlaugs saga ormstungu Hallfreðar saga (two versions)
Harðar saga ok Hólmverja Hávarðar saga Ísfirðings
Heiðarvíga saga Hrafnkels saga
Hrana saga hrings (post-medieval) Hænsna-Þóris saga
Kjalnesinga saga Kormáks saga
Króka-Refs saga Laurentius Saga
Laxdæla saga Ljósvetninga saga (three versions)
Njáls saga Reykdœla saga ok Víga-Skútu
Svarfdœla saga Valla-Ljóts saga
Vatnsdœla saga Víga-Glúms saga
Víglundar saga Vápnfirðinga saga
Þorsteins saga hvíta Þorsteins saga Síðu-Hallssonar
Þórðar saga hreðu Ölkofra saga
Gaukur's Saga - The Lost Saga The Saga of Gaukur á Stöng is believed to
have existed but is now considered lost.
The saga - set in the anthology of sagas known as Möðruvallabók between Njáls saga and
Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar - tells of a man named Gaukur Trandilsson who lived in
the 10th century.
Gaukur is mentioned in chapter 26 of Njáls saga.
Icelandic professor and poet Jón Helgason (poet) managed to decipher a line that read
"Let Trandilsson's story be written here.
I am told that Grim knows it."
However, the story was never put to paper.
The Grim mentioned in the manuscript is believed to have been Grímur Þorsteinsson, knight
and governor (ca.
1350).
Gaukur is reported to have been an exceptionally brave and gentle man.
He was the foster brother of Ásgrimur.
However, it is said he had a falling out with his foster brother whom he was ultimately
killed by.
Gaukur must have been a well known figure in Icelandic folklore as he is mentioned in
not only Njáls Saga but also the Íslendigadrápa, a poem about the Icelandic heroes.
He is also mentioned on a tomb in the Orkney Islands where a runic inscription that translates
to "These runes were carved by the man who was the most knowledgable of runes in the
west of the sea, using the axe that belonged to Gaukur Trandilsson in the south of the
land".
The south of the land refers to Iceland.