Alternate Cover Edition ISBN 0140442383

All seven stories in this volume date from the thirteenth century, and exemplify the outstanding qualities of realistic fiction in medieval Ireland. Falling into two distinct groups, three of the stories. Hrafnkel's Saga, Thorstein the Staff-Struck, and Ale Hood are set in the pastoral society of native Iceland, the homely touch and stark realism giving the incidents a strong feeling of immediacy. The remaining four - Hreidar the Fool, Halldor Sorrason, Audun´s Story, and Ivar´s Story - were written without first-hand knowledge of Scandinavia, and describe the adventures of Icelandic poets and peasants at the royal courts of Norway and Denmark. Pagan elements tightly woven into the pattern of Christian ethics give these stories their distinctive character and cohesion.