Transcriber's Note: This Book contains extensive Notes on the various Sagas, Ballads, etc. Unobtrusive links have been provided throughout each Tháttr, Saga or Ballad to the relevant note, and another, unobtrusive, return link. Click on the ° to go to the Notes[°], and on the _° to return. The notes¹ throughout the 'Introduction' chapters are linked to the Footnotes, which are linked to return. The rest of the [Transcriber's Note] is at the end of the Book.

STORIES AND BALLADS
OF THE FAR PAST

TRANSLATED FROM THE NORSE
(ICELANDIC AND FAROESE)
WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES

BY

N. KERSHAW

CAMBRIDGE
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
1921

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

Preface

Very few of the Fornaldar Sögur Northrlanda have hitherto been translated into English. The Völsungasaga is of course well known, but with this exception the 'Stories of Icelanders,' and the 'Stories of the Kings of Norway' are probably the only sagas familiar to the majority of English readers. Of the four sagas contained in this volume only one—the Tháttr of Sörli—has appeared in English before, though the poetry which they contain has frequently been translated, from the time of Hickes's Thesaurus (1705). So far as I am aware no version of any of the Faroese ballads has appeared in English. Out of the great number which were collected during the 18th and 19th centuries I have chosen a few which deal with the same stories as the sagas translated here; and for purposes of comparison I have added a short extract from one of the Icelandic Rímur, as well as a Danish ballad and part of the Shetland Hildina.

In accordance with general custom in works of this kind I have discarded the use of accents, unfamiliar symbols, etc., except in a few Norse words which can hardly be anglicised.

STORIES AND BALLADSOF THE FAR PAST

TRANSLATED FROM THE NORSE(ICELANDIC AND FAROESE)WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES