Perception of the Sagas Of Icelanders in Modern Icelandic Crime Novels
Abstract
Olga A.Markelova (Moscow, Russian Federation)
In modern Icelandic society the Old Icelandic literature is an important national topos, and using it as the material for crime stories is a well-chosen form for making this „great literary heritage“ closer to the reader. The origin of Icelandic crime stories has nothing in common with the Old Icelandic prose, but these genres have some „intersection points“.
This paper deals with three crime novels: „The Uncertain Time of Death“ (Dauðans óvissi tími, 2004) by Thráinn Bertelsson and the two novels by Thórunn Erlu-Valdimarsdóttir: “Cold Is the Other´s Blood” (Kalt er annars blóð, 2007) and “The Lion Has May Ears” (Mörg eru ljóns eyru, 2010).
„The Uncertain Time of Death“ uses the „Fóstrbræðra Saga“ (The Saga of the Sworn Brothers). The plot of the novel is based on the „viking“ concept; but what was considered valour in the Saga age, is regarded as a deviant behavour nowadays. The position of the saga heros in the modern soiety is miserable, and the main concepts of the viking age (e.g. feud) are subjected to criticism.
In the novel “Cold Is the Other´s Blood” many persons correspond to the persons of “Njal´s Saga”, but the plot of the saga is not wholly re-created in the novel, there are only revealed the main events. The style of the novel is quite the opposite to the saga style. There are episodes in the novel which demonstrate, that the sagas still are important for modern Icelanders, while some other national symbols may already cease to „work“.
“The Lion Has May Ears” reproduces the plot and the main persons of the „Laxdæla Saga“ and has some non-saga plot lines along with it. The fate of Guðrún Ósvifsdóttir receives an unexpected addition in the novel. (Normally, in modern Icelandic prose the fortune of persons of the saga origin does not change).
For the authors of the crime novels there is more important not to follow the ancient texts thoroughly, but to create a reminder of those texts, to manifestate their connection to the Old Icelandic literature. The symbol, important for the particular national culture, is made „alive“ and gets „closer“ to the reader without losing ist symbolic nature.
Key words: modern Icelandic literature, the sagas of Icelanders, Icelandic crime novel, perception, intertextuality.
DOI 10.23683/1995-0640-2019-1-156-166
References
Сага о названных братьях // Исландские саги / пер. с древнеисландского языка, общая редакция и комментарии А. В. Циммерлинга. Т. 1. М.: Языки славянской культуры, 2000. С. 118 – 201.
Сага о Ньяле. // Исландские саги: в 2 т. / под общ. pед. О.А.Смирницкой. Т. 2. СПб.: «Летний сад», 1999. С. 47 – 370.
Сага о людях из Лососьей долины // Исландские саги: в 2 т. / под общ. pед. О.А.Смирницкой. Т. 1. СПб.: «Летний сад», 1999. С. 217 – 410.
Ásdís Sigmundsdóttir. „Flutningur Laxdælu til nútímans“ // Spassía, vetur 2010 (1), bls. 12
Dagný Kristjánsdóttir. Öldin öfgafulla. Bókmenntasaga tuttugustu aldarinnar. Reykjavík, Bjartur 2011. 310 bls.
Erna Erlingsdóttir. „Bisness og blóðhefnd“ // Tímarit Máls og menningar 3/2005, bls. 97 – 102.
Heimir Pálsson. „Grein um sögu og glæp“ // Tímarit Máls og menningar 3/2008, bls. 128 – 134.
Íslensk bókmenntasaga. bd. V. Reykjavík, Mál og menning, 2006. 790 bls. Óttar Guðmundsson. Hetjur og hugarvíl. Geðsjúkdómar og persónuleikaraskanir í íslendingasögum. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa 2012. – 240 bls.
Þórunn Erlu-Valdimarsdóttir. Kalt er annars blóð. Skáldsagan um glæp. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa, 2007. 332 bls.
Þórunn Erlu-Valdimarsdóttir. Mörg eru ljónsins eyru. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa, 2010 324 bls.
Þráinn Bertelsson. Dauðans óvissi tími. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa, 2004 – 371 bls.
References
Saga o nazvannykh brat`yax. In: Islandskiye sagi. A.V. Cimmerling (ed.).
Moskow, «Yazyki slavyanskoy kul`tury», vol. 1, 2000, pp. 118-201. (In Russian).
Saga o N`yale. In: Islandskiye sagi. O.A.Smirniczkaya (ed), vol. 2. SPb, «Letniy sad», 1999, pp. 47-370. (In Russian).
Saga o lyudyax iz Losos`eyj doliny` In: Islandskiye sagi. O.A.Smirniczkaya (ed), vol. 1. SPb., «Letniy sad», 1999, pp. 217-410. (In Russian).
Ásdís Sigmundsdóttir. „Flutningur Laxdælu til nútímans“. Spassía, vetur 2010 (1), bls. 12.
Dagný Kristjánsdóttir. Öldin öfgafulla. Bókmenntasaga tuttugustu aldarinnar.
Reykjavík, Bjartur 2011. – 310 bls.
Erna Erlingsdóttir. „Bisness og blóðhefnd“. Tímarit Máls og menningar 3/2005, bls. 97-102.
Heimir Pálsson. „Grein um sögu og glæp“. Tímarit Máls og menningar 3/2008, bls. 128-134.
Íslensk bókmenntasaga. bd. V. Reykjavík, Mál og menning, 2006. 790 bls.
Óttar Guðmundsson. Hetjur og hugarvíl. Geðsjúkdómar og persónuleikaraskanir í íslendingasögum. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa 2012. 240 bls.
Þórunn Erlu-Valdimarsdóttir. Kalt er annars blóð. Skáldsagan um glæp. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa, 2007 – 332 bls.
Þórunn Erlu-Valdimarsdóttir. Mörg eru ljónsins eyru. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa, 2010 – 324 bls.
Þráinn Bertelsson. Dauðans óvissi tími. Reykjavík, JPV útgáfa, 2004 – 371 bls.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
