The saga is a Scandinavian literary prose work

In its main interpretation, this term means a tale or a legend. The saga is a concept that generalizes literary works-narrations that were written in ancient Icelandic language in the 13th and 14th centuries. They tell of the Scandinavian peoples of Iceland of that period, their history and life. These works were born approximately in the period from 930 to 1030 years, in the scholarly milieu called the "age of the saga".

What does the saga mean in literary criticism and literary history?

In principle, this word could mean both a written and an oral work, designed accordingly. It came from the Icelandic verb "to speak" and initially could determine almost any narrative in prose. However, today the term in the history and theory of literature understands a quite definite list of literary monuments related to the relevant period.

Principles of the construction of a work

The saga is a narrative that clearly corresponds to certain canons accepted for this work. Almost always it begins with a presentation to the reader of the main actors. This describes their pedigree in many tribes. Sometimes the story of the protagonist begins even several generations before his birth and appearance (right up to the time of settling the Scandinavian lands).

What is more characteristic

The saga is always a large number of characters (up to a hundred or more). Gradually, the narrative passes to the main events described, in fact, which constitute the subject of the story: strife (tribal saga) or government (royal). Here, too, any event (up to the receipt of a wound in combat) is described in great detail and scrupulously. The saga is a well-timed chronology. Still quite often in such works there is an application of magic - a fantastic element. And the protagonist often defeats the evil berserker warrior.

Varieties

1. The saga of ancient events tells of the myths and legends of Scandinavia: for example, "The Saga of the Velsungs."
2. Saga of the kings tell of the Norwegian and Danish kings: for example, "The Saga of Olav."
3. Generic sagas - about the life and history of the Icelandic people: for example, "The Saga of Egil."
4. There are also translation sagas, which are retellings of legends of other nations: for example, "The Trojan Trojan". And false sagas, and sagas about bishops, and sagas about recent events. Some of them, according to the researchers, contain a narrative of events based on very real facts (for example, works on the activities of the bishops of Iceland since 1000).

The meaning of the word saga in fiction

In literature, this word, often used in a metaphorical and sometimes ironic context, refers to works of more recent epochs, made in such canons of biography. What makes the narrative related to the Icelandic sagas: epic and the narrative of several generations at once. And some authors even include this word in the title: for example, "Gagaworthy's Forsyte Saga" or other equally epic works of foreign and domestic writers.