Schedule, syllabus and examination date

Course content

This course focuses on the development of Old Norse saga literature based on the reading of a selection of texts in the original language and translation, mainly from the kings` sagas, sagas of Icelanders and legendary sagas (fornaldars?gur). Structure, intertextual relationships and prosimetrum (the connection between poetry and prose) will be of central importance.

Other topics to be presented and discussed include: the relation between realism and fiction, textual criticism, oral tradition and authorship.

Learning outcome

After successfully concluding this course you will:

  • Be able to point to characteristic features in the development of saga literature
  • Know the most important stylistic features of realistic and fantastic saga literature
  • Possess some knowledge about the composition of saga literature
  • Have a critical and informed insight into saga scholarship, both contemporary and from a historical perspective

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.

Formal prerequisite knowledge

One should be able to read Old Norse literary texts in the original, and the course presupposes a good knowledge of Old Norse grammar on the level of NFI1101 – Norr?n grammatikk og eldre spr?khistorie or NFI4120 – Old Norse - Language and Texts

One should also have an overview of Old Norse litterature equivalent of NFI1320 – Norr?n litteratur 1 (Nordisk litteratur fram til 1500).

Overlapping courses