Popular Romance in Iceland: The Women, Worldviews, and Manuscript Witnesses of Nitida saga (Crossing Boundaries: Turku Medieval and Early Modern Studies, #5)

by Sheryl McDonald Werronen

0 ratings • 0 reviews • 0 shelved
Book cover for Popular Romance in Iceland

Bookhype may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.

A late medieval Icelandic romance about the 'maiden-king' of France, Nitida saga generated interest in its day and grew in popularity in post-Reformation Iceland, yet until now it has not received the comprehensive scholarly analysis that it much deserves. Analysing this saga from a variety of perspectives, this book sheds light on the manner in which Nitida saga explores and negotiates the romance genre from an Icelandic perspective, showcasing this exciting saga's strong female characters, worldviews, and long manuscript tradition. Beginning with Nitida saga's manuscript context, including its reception and transformation in early modern Iceland, this study also discusses how Nitida saga was influenced by, and also later influenced, other Icelandic romances. Considering the text as literature, discussion of its unusual depiction of world geography, as well as the various characters and their relationships, provides insights into medieval Icelanders' ideas about themselves and the world they lived in, including questions about Icelandic identity, gender, female solidarity, and the literary genre of romance itself. The book also includes a newly revised reading edition and translation of Nitida saga.
  • ISBN13 9789089647955
  • Publish Date 22 November 2016 (first published 24 October 2016)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country NL
  • Imprint Amsterdam University Press