Medieval Icelandic literature enthusiasts have a reason to celebrate—a saga, previously inaccessible to English readers, has been translated for the first time. Even better, it’s available to read for free.
The Saga of Jón the Player (Jóns saga leiksveins) is a riddarasaga or chivalric saga that dates from the later Middle Ages. Borrowing from the European romance genre, it is a story dealing with knights, kings and monsters. It starts off by introducing the hero of the story:
This is the beginning of a little tale: there was a powerful and noble burgess who ruled over a splendid castle in France. He married a woman who came from the best lineage in the land besides that of the queen of King Löðvir, who then ruled in France with much might and courtesy. These people had a son between them, whom they raised with all honor and much worldly splendor. This young man is named Jón. He grew up with his father and mother, and all of his kinsmen loved him, and no less was he praised by all those who were near him. From an early age, he was practiced in archery and fencing and all types of feats that ennobled a person and that befitted a fine knight. And when he had turned fifteen years old, he was so fair in countenance and fully grown into manhood that no one of the same age was so fair or mature or courteous, nor anyone in all France, though they might be older.
The story continues with Jón facing off against an evil serpent before arriving at a king’s court, where his host has two one-eyed boys bring forward a severed human head on a cloth. This provokes the queen to tears. Jón will soon realize the meaning of this macabre display.
The Saga of Jón the Player has been translated by a team from the University of Cambridge: Jonathan Y.H. Hui, Brynja þorgeirsdóttir, Francesco Colombo, Caitlin Ellis, Eric A. Haley-Halinski, and James McIntosh. Their article, “Jóns saga leiksveins: A Text and Translation” contains the Icelandic text, English translation, plus an in-depth introduction to the work. This is the first time that this saga has been edited or translated in a published work.
It can be found in From Rus’ to Rímur: Norse History, Culture, and Literature East and West, edited by Shaun F.D. Hughes and Allyn K. Pearson, and published by Cornell University Press. The digital version is open access, but currently it is only available through Amazon for their Kindle platform. You can purchase it for free at:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in | Amaon.com.au
It should also soon be available on Project Muse. You can also buy the print edition from Cornell University Press.
Medieval Icelandic literature enthusiasts have a reason to celebrate—a saga, previously inaccessible to English readers, has been translated for the first time. Even better, it’s available to read for free.
The Saga of Jón the Player (Jóns saga leiksveins) is a riddarasaga or chivalric saga that dates from the later Middle Ages. Borrowing from the European romance genre, it is a story dealing with knights, kings and monsters. It starts off by introducing the hero of the story:
This is the beginning of a little tale: there was a powerful and noble burgess who ruled over a splendid castle in France. He married a woman who came from the best lineage in the land besides that of the queen of King Löðvir, who then ruled in France with much might and courtesy. These people had a son between them, whom they raised with all honor and much worldly splendor. This young man is named Jón. He grew up with his father and mother, and all of his kinsmen loved him, and no less was he praised by all those who were near him. From an early age, he was practiced in archery and fencing and all types of feats that ennobled a person and that befitted a fine knight. And when he had turned fifteen years old, he was so fair in countenance and fully grown into manhood that no one of the same age was so fair or mature or courteous, nor anyone in all France, though they might be older.
The story continues with Jón facing off against an evil serpent before arriving at a king’s court, where his host has two one-eyed boys bring forward a severed human head on a cloth. This provokes the queen to tears. Jón will soon realize the meaning of this macabre display.
The Saga of Jón the Player has been translated by a team from the University of Cambridge: Jonathan Y.H. Hui, Brynja þorgeirsdóttir, Francesco Colombo, Caitlin Ellis, Eric A. Haley-Halinski, and James McIntosh. Their article, “Jóns saga leiksveins: A Text and Translation” contains the Icelandic text, English translation, plus an in-depth introduction to the work. This is the first time that this saga has been edited or translated in a published work.
It can be found in From Rus’ to Rímur: Norse History, Culture, and Literature East and West, edited by Shaun F.D. Hughes and Allyn K. Pearson, and published by Cornell University Press. The digital version is open access, but currently it is only available through Amazon for their Kindle platform. You can purchase it for free at:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.in | Amaon.com.au
It should also soon be available on Project Muse. You can also buy the print edition from Cornell University Press.
Related Posts
Subscribe to Medievalverse