Wisdom of the North: Proverbial Allusion and Patterning in the Icelandic Saga

by Richard L. Harris

Overview

Wisdom of the North studies how and for what purposes proverbs were used by the composers of the sagas, thereby demonstrating how awareness of proverbial occurrences in these narratives can enable us to engage in more penetrating literary criticism of these works. The methods offered here have already been applied to the reading of other medieval texts, particularly those originating in societies marked by the presence or persistent influence of preliterate culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780935995299
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	04/15/2023
Series:	Islandica , #64
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.12(d)

About the Author

Richard L. Harris is Professor in the Department of English at the University of Saskatchewan. He is the editor of A Chorus of Grammars.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Introductory: Reading the Sagas Against a Paroemial Background
2. Paroemial Patterns of the Mythic and the Legendary Backgrounds
3. Paroemial Strategies, Apophthegmatic Scenes, and the Heroic Ideal in Gísla saga
4. Paroemial Thematic Signaling in Njáls saga
5. Grettis saga and the Paroemial Delineation of Character
6. Various Uses and Variant Forms of Proverbs in the Sagas: The Proverbial Foolishness of Hrafnkels saga Freysgda
7. Proverbial Echoes and the Point of Hoensa-Póris saga: "Ek ætla par vándum manni at duga sem pú ert"
8. Fóstbroedra saga, Sverris saga, and Narratives of the Will: "Jafnan segir inn ríkri rád"
9. Concluding Discussions and Directions of Research
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources