A COMPANION TO OLD ~Norse-IcELANDIC STTERATURE AND CULTURE EDITED BY RORY McTURK OD rsgest Publishing(© 2005 by Blackwell Pu exept for edits material and oxpanzai Printed and bound i ee United Kingdom ‘by TY lacerational Le, Paizow, Conall ‘The publishes policy i to wse permanent paper fom mls hat opens «sutinalefresey policy, and which is been menafcrted fiom pap proesed wing acide and elementary | |9 Historiography and Pseudo-History Stefanie Wiirth Historiography in General Alchough bistoriograpby and history were highly esteemed in the Middle Ages, which were organized according to che seme principles as universal encyclo compilers selected the sources they used and added them in abridged form to theit natratives I was nevertheless open to the compilers to intervene in aumber of ways, ranging from critical selection co the global adoption of complete works. In general, there was no limit co the combination of traditions thac could be made. Te was always possible to update already existing cexts. Sometimes the resule was = thorough136 Stefanie Waireh Hisortgraply and Pseudo-History 17 models of Nore historiography are to be found not only in clasical Literature bur also in che medieval literature of the continent, and especially in Anglo-Saxon bistoriography. marked by the settlement of Iceland and ics conversion, The Icelanders cefested to ‘writeen authorities and eyewieneses in ord this descent was quice functioned asa sys Norse Historiography of liquidation by saphy a strongly potgmatic stance is noticeable, ‘on contemporary history. Norse historiography iscoriography ip Iceland, Latin was of only minor import- ian king Oléfe Tryggvason have been preserved Otife sages are preserved, ‘continued into che period of historiography in ie narcower sens, chat is, the ewelfeh ‘century. But interest in historiography also produced genealogies and poetry in the 5 use of historical sources, such es geneal- copies, and in ies reports of historical events characterized in Hungrvaba as ‘orvitra ok ltr allea mann bezt™ ofall discerning men’). Although none of his elandie bstriograpley is characterized by two distinctive features: che sbeence Bede's Historisexlesastiea,ehe works of Sallust and Lucan, Dares Phiygius the Trojan War, and Geoffrey of Monmaueh's Histor repum Brisanniae. 10 Icelandic annals, which also contain information about Scandinavia and England, best in foreign events. otiography is probably co be explained by, among celandere were well aware of the hittorical casura other things, the fact that158 Stefanie Wars élfsson and Ketill Porsteinsson and to his contemporary Semunds fri, ion Ati probably omiteed kings. After the prologue lending sats with King, Harald Finebair's geneslogy and a table ich an international tiene frame he succeeds in ineegrating Icelandic history Histrograply and Pande History It is quite unclear how « ‘retropective calculation made ‘Ais account of the eatly histo Norwugian historiography Historiography in Norway began in Let use of their summary character che ear archdiocese. Historia Norwegiae refes ts which the auchor may have known ‘quotations. In addition co them, the ing to Se Olifr Haale td Snorson’s Oli sage Trggvaonr.160 Sigfnie Wirth ‘The Historia de amtiguitae regu Norvai nly Norwegian synoptic whose author is known. In the prologue he “Theodoricus monachus" seems to be Norwegian, deciled pessages dealing with Olife Tryggvason and Se Oléfe Haraldssoa. Very often te account of Norwegian history is incerrupted by digresions for which models can bbe found in Paulus Diaconus’ Hsia Langobardoras. Alvhough most ofthe digces- sions cefer to quite die by a Brie euthciastaceme pesoaa opinion and refer Sopa ltt, Theodore evalaces his emotions. Although he sives after «Fixed chronology, he only meations chee absolute dere Avi of Nr bameng gi (Someary of he History of he Kings of i the one syopti writen in the vrata nad is preserved oly ina mansstipe fom ith Norwegian history from King Hilféan che Black's death (880) to the acession of King Ingi the Hunchback (1136). Since the beginning and end of the ‘route, which ace mainly related co the sagas of Ielandess. However, the son suggests that in the Middle Ages they were chought of as celted to the kings’ sagas. “Taken asa group, these five sagas are good examples of che problematic categor- ination of medieval texts into genres. On the one hand they contain a good deel of historical information. On the ocher, many ofthe events reported are clearly fictional snd have been shaped according to literary models, and with the use of motifs from Sly my er canned er Al of te een peed i ee compilations from the fourceenth end fifteenth centuries wich a focus on raphy, with the resule chat the hiscorical speces are sessed in all existing the texts.162 Sige Wirt Among the ‘politcal sagas’ Jémuings saga is che one whose historicicy hes been 2 Like Orkneyinge saga Orkneyinga sage rsty deals with events on the Otkneys and beeween the Orcadian jacls and Norwegian kings. Nevertheless ‘ees Tiyggmoner aod Of Onknyinge ope 2 cot This seg, whic coves eh ime from the legendary ancestors of the Ono based on written sources about Norwegian King Haraldr Sigurdsson in 1066 the author used Icelandic traditions supplemented by skaldic poeery, but the last part ofthe sega ‘of North America. Alchough these sages are ‘mostly counced among the sigas of Icelanders hey havea special position within saga i 4 tm Hissriograpy and Prendo-Hisery 163 ney probably contzin etails piven have to be rb In cis manuscript ewo passages of the saga have been integrated tage Teyggasoner and a ehied passage follows on from Oldf sag. ‘Translated Historiography \ddle Agee veroncalar cra in original according, the cont ht the tation adh then of sion, In telatively massive historiogrephical compenci ‘compilers combined mazeral from antiquity and mocifs ftom theit own past. ThusIcelandic eanslaror used a consiseent style for Sallust’s prose as well as for Lucan’s verses, Réverja sags has co be cegarded aa excual unity ad not as a com tdree independent translations. On the whole, Rémerja sega is « very competent and independent translation, Quite often the translator cried to avoid linguistic problems by skirting round or simplifying complicated expressions. Some mistakes ‘areata. In almost all cses the additions can be interpreted as supplemet lated by particular contexts. Since Réauwyja saga cannot be considered a wot Hiswiagaphy a Pr icary 165 tcanslation, ic was probably intended less as a leaning sid than as a literacy wotk ‘radicion of tracing the ancestry of « nation back to the story of the Trojan War were Dictys Cretenis's Dares Phrygius’ De excita belli Troi’, Since Dares be deduced from Veraldar saga and Snarra ada, a bbeen known in Iceland, and probably in Norway considerations tend to support the argument that linguistic charececstes suggese 2 dating of the translation to the beginning of the thireench century (Benedikrsson 1980: 23) leval manuscripts containing the younger and interpolated version of saga also contain Breve s0‘The revised Breta fon. Both manuscripes ved only in Hawksbs, The ‘may have been stimulated by the information given in the original about ‘Scandinavian prehistory: Geoffrey reports thae the king of Thule side and thae the Orkneys, Norway, Gotland and Denmark were made subject to King Archut ‘aly one of many Beeah kings. Tis pat co readily then other passages. ‘The andlor siucured peragrphs around each individual king in «ma similar co what is found in Agi, Hitia Nerpiae andthe wotk of Theodod The Nomvegiansyoptis were probably the models forthe presenta ki mn of Brera roger means thar a dating ‘Shjpldanga copa slzo knew Get ‘must have been known ia Ieeland by atleast the end ofthe 1963: 184-5). Gling soga is & compilation of several cexts. These exes are not strung cogether after the manner of Rémverja saga but are interwoven. GySings aga deals with Jewish history, covering the time spen from the death of Alexander che Great co thac of fom 333 2c to ab 30. Towards its end Gyiinga cage overlaps exe is very dificuls. storia, the Lacie text eh century (GuBason udo-hiscoies, Gytings saga is preserved in ewo versions, The older, longer version is preserved oaly ia wo fragments covering different parts of the AM 226 fo, containing the complete text of the th, is mainly based on che frst of the ewo Apoctyphal Books of the Maccabees, supplemented by insertions from the Historia sbulatce of Peter ‘Comestor. For the second pare, Historia tbolastice was the main soutce, The reference to the Roman emperor Tyhesius sending Pontius Pilate ro Judaes leads over into the lage pact, whichis éold froma the perspective of Pilar, into whose biography the story Histringraphy and Prnde-Hinory 167 of Judas Iscaroe is ioserted. Both legends are based on a certain Historia aperypbo, used by Jacobus de Voragine for his Legenda anres (written of che Roman emperor Gaius ‘Although Gyiinge saga is based msi Clerical edification than as conly in the background. At ‘combined the biblical text wi legends. In the Bible the ewo Books of che Maccabees do not provide f the events with which they de168 Stfanie Win Teland dusing the thireenth century. and orders are obeyed. Against che Icelandic Norwegian crown, Alexanders saga can be read not jus asa work of edification for the Norwegian king, but also asa warning to the Icelandic people. A shecial case: Veraldar sage Ic was long supposed that Voraldar rage could well be « cxenslation of an unknown Latin text.* Today, howeves, ic is generally acknowledged chat the sage is an individual Jeelandic compilation whose com rsd in conterpor- ‘ tsnsletion of one of moze foreign source, bur eaher ‘compilation of diffetent texts which could have been either vernaculat accounts oF atin originale, Voraldar saga is preserved in 11 complete manuscripts and fragments, on the basis ‘of which owo redactions can be distinguished. The main mecuscri ‘A(AM 625 4to) may be dated tothe eaely fourteenth century ‘time span ftom the Creation ofthe world to he rule of the German empetor Frederick Barbarossa, divided into the six ages. Asa history of the ‘world ic also refers to che events reported in the peeudo-histocies, Prom che summary ‘of the Tojan War itis difficult co decide whether the compiler used the Latin cext ora ‘yeenacular translation, ‘A number of parallel passages also point to a connection between Viraldar sage and for word from che othet. Compared to Rimerja saga, Vealdar sega ataches less tance to narrative elaboration. Ie consists rather of x dry and linear fon the actions. Adjectives, adverbs or other epithets are used only if they contain information necessary for understanding che narration, The only checaical device in ‘Veraldar sga is alliteration, used co a very modest extent. gs esanoniinie Histvograpey end Poado Mistry 169 Veraldar sage rouse have historiography. The traced backc to the beginning of the rwelt tock part in cis literary development an: ‘very quicly reached ehe countries in the not of ¢ vernacular wo antiquity and thet precisely the short summaries of historical events of ani in furcher information aboue these events, thus initiating the relaively full transla- ‘oes of Latin texts. ‘The Transmission of Historiography In che ealy and final stages of compared alffece the plo; cy also leave a anna fact, of the events reported, Since it opedias almost always focus on hi ded coffee the selection and redaction of geographical and red texts. The incorporation of che peeudo-hiseores in such encyclopedias ical subjeces were regueded a5 information worthy of historiograph- iginal uanslacors may have beea, works of historiography. On the continent, too, the romances of antiquity written in che ewelfth century were later170 Stsfanie Wie Historiography and Pando History m ‘ee ire tranaons. 13 All Nowe eneyopeic mana cniin could be combined if chey complemented work thar wat projeced. On the o ‘material conditions must have forced ehe Icelandic compilers to their exemplars and co eansform them into new literary works own knowledge. Se ls Coma Boots, Pam Saas; Grostaney any Teas; Haron Bacscrow, Las soe; Ona xo Liza, Pacts Mv so Riu Pact oF Cima Laven one ‘no Sra; Roxascr; Rov. Bloor, Saas of Conmotronany Histon, Sao oF lero: Prats ‘ow, Shoes Prost Nessa Seas Pore esata scat Noms ctlionship of che syopeice 4 On Faring spe in the coment ofthe ng? ). Relavely new but at eae Gece, ner Wee (569) DisGexhice" im “Winer Se Mite Goel ia Ramo! Scale, Pekin md Fe 1 Minitab Gaia Mit et 3 OnOrbupinge ape in the comer ofthe kgs sage ef alo Wises (1991: 67.! | wm Silane Wire Vienna, Colpat and Gras, Simek, Rado (1990) Almudiche Keropraie BF (1946) Sapna om Vion ise ia che “Pail Scum, Gustey (6) (1880) Mernnente Hiawice angi: ine hoi Ne Bs ur nordisheaPillgie 26. Ba and Fook ter 1960-1992, Masih, pp. 210-5. fu