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 Northrlandahave hitherto been translated into English. TheVölsungasaga is of course well known, but with thisexception the 'Stories of Icelanders,' and the 'Storiesof the Kings of Norway' are probably the only sagasfamiliar to the majority of English readers. Ofthe four sagas contained in this volume only one—theTháttr of Sörli—has appeared in English before,though the poetry which they contain has frequentlybeen translated, from the time of Hickes's Thesaurus(1705). So far as I am aware no version of any of theFaroese ballads has appeared in English. Out of thegreat number which were collected during the 18thand 19th centuries I have chosen a few which dealwith the same stories as the sagas translated here;and for purposes of comparison I have added a shortextract from one of the Icelandic Rímur, as well as aDanish ballad and part of the Shetland Hildina.

In accordance with general custom in works ofthis kind I have discarded the use of accents, unfamiliarsymbols, etc., except in a few Norse wordswhich can hardly be anglicised.

My thanks are due to the Syndics of the CambridgeUniversity Press for undertaking the publicationof this book, and to the staff for their unfailingcourtesy.

To Professor Thuren of Christiania I am indebtedfor kindly allowing me to print the melodies fromhis son's Folkesangen paa Færøerne. I have also tothank many friends in St Andrews and Cambridgefor help which they have kindly given to me invarious ways, including Professor Lawson, Dr MaitlandAnderson and the staffs of the two UniversityLibraries, and Mr B. Dickins. Especially I wish tothank Professor Chadwick to whom I am indebtedfor constant help and advice throughout the book.

N. K.

2 November, 1920.

Table of Contents

PART I

SAGAS