History Literature / TheIcelandicSagas

This fuzziness is not surprising as, in its basic meaning, the term ''saga'' can encompass almost all narrative prose of medieval Norse-speaking Europe.[[note]]Which, besides UsefulNotes/{{Norway}}, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}}, UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}, also included the UsefulNotes/FaroeIslands, UsefulNotes/{{Greenland}}, and Shetland and Orkney (which although part of Scotland today and thoroughly Scottish now were ruled by Norway until the 15th century and maintained the Norn tongue--a Norse-derived language similar to Faroese--well into the 18th or even 19th) and some bilingual places -- like UsefulNotes/{{Dublin}}, the UsefulNotes/IsleOfMan, the Hebrides, and Caithness in UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}.[[/note]] Medieval Iceland, however, was exceptionally productive in literary output, the place where writers most consequently used their native Norse (as opposed to Latin), and where most manuscripts of Old Norse literature were preserved.

This fuzziness is not surprising as, in its basic meaning, the term ''saga'' can encompass almost all narrative prose of medieval Norse-speaking Europe.[[note]]Which, besides UsefulNotes/{{Norway}}, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}}, UsefulNotes/{{Denmark}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Iceland}}, also included Shetland, Orkney, the UsefulNotes/FaroeIslands, UsefulNotes/{{Greenland}}, and some bilingual places -- like UsefulNotes/{{Dublin}}, the UsefulNotes/IsleOfMan, the Hebrides, and Caithness in UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}.[[/note]] Medieval Iceland, however, was exceptionally productive in literary output, the place where writers most consequently used their native Norse (as opposed to Latin), and where most manuscripts of Old Norse literature were preserved.

* BloodBrothers: Along with relationship by marriage and fosterage, a third possibilty to seal a lasting relationship between men that were not blood-related. The literal term is 'sworn brotherhood' (''fóstbræðralag'').

* TheClan: Much of this is centered around clans.

* [[ShapeShifting Shapeshifters]]: Although "shape-changers" are sometimes referenced, they do not actually shift shape -- the name seems to go back on the belief that the soul of certain people can leave the body and roam around in animal shape, though this is not clearly expressed in the Icelanders' Sagas. There, "shape-changers" are people who involuntarily experience phases when their mind (not their body) gets "beast-like"; the concept seems to be virtually the same as berserkerism, as "fits of shape-strength" are synonyms for the berserk-fury.

* ArmyofLawyers: [[InvertedTrope Inverted:]] nearly everyone is a lawyer, but to be successful you not only need a deep knowledge of the (unwritten) Icelandic law code, but in the absence of any kind of executive, also an army of followers to back you up.

* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: A rare example where the injury comes before the quip: In ''NjalsSaga'', a band of Vikings aim to kill folk hero Gunnar Hámundarson, who killed one of their kinsmen. While scouting out his homestead, one of the men encounters him and is mortally wounded. When the posse assembles again, his companions ask if the afflicted man has seen their prey. His answer: "I'm not sure whether he's home, but his ''[[BladeOnAStick atgeir]]'' certainly is," and then dies.

* MagicalWeapon: Gunnar in ''Literature/NjalsSaga'' has a magic ''[[BladeOnAStick atgeir]]'' that makes its wielder invincible. He took it from a pirate who was invincible until the ''atgeir'' got [[LeftStuckAfterAttack stuck in the boom of the ship.]]

* UseTheirOwnWeaponsAgainstThem: In ''The Saga of Gisli Sursson'' the two young sons of Vestein, seeking revenge for their father, approach Thorkel Sursson (who has never seen them) at an assembly in the guise of vagrants and entangle him in a conversation by flattering him. Berg Vesteinsson then pretends to admire Thorkel's sword and asks him if he may look at it, and Thorkel allows it. Once Berg has the sword in his hands, he draws it and lops off Thorkel's head.