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Iceland Saga
Magnus Magnusson relates the world-famous Icelandic sagas to the spectacular living landscapes of today, taking the reader on a literary tour of the mountains, valleys, and fjords where the heroes and heroines of the sagas lived out their eventful lives. He also tells the story of the first Viking settler, Ingolfur Anarson.
246 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1969
16 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Magnus Magnusson
101 books29 followersMagnus Magnusson, KBE, was an Icelandic television presenter, journalist, translator and writer. He was born in Iceland but lived in Scotland for almost all of his life, although he never took British citizenship. He came to prominence as a BBC television journalist, and was best known as the presenter of the BBC television quiz programme Mastermind, which he hosted for 25 years.
Under Icelandic naming conventions, his name would have been Magnús Sigursteinsson (Magnús, son of Sigursteinn), but his family adopted British naming conventions and he took his father's surname. Although born in Reykjavík, Magnusson grew up in Edinburgh, where his father, Sigursteinn Magnússon, was the Icelandic consul.
Under Icelandic naming conventions, his name would have been Magnús Sigursteinsson (Magnús, son of Sigursteinn), but his family adopted British naming conventions and he took his father's surname. Although born in Reykjavík, Magnusson grew up in Edinburgh, where his father, Sigursteinn Magnússon, was the Icelandic consul.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 4, 2018
Your name? Magnus Magnusson.
Profession? TV quiz presenter.
You have two minutes on your specialist subject, the Icelandic sagas, starting… now.
I have read some of Magnus Magnusson's translations of Icelandic sagas and found them likeable enough. This was an entertaining summary of some of the saga material and of its main protagonists and their biographers/creators, all set against the drama of the Icelandic landscape. I particularly enjoyed referring to the retro-styled map at the front of the book. The guide to pronunciation of Old Icelandic was also useful with all of those daunting-looking character and place names. Magnusson places heavy emphasis on the coming of Christianity to the island but much of the book comprises outlandish tales of evil-doing and revenge. The dark hearts of men are laid bare in the terrible events narrated. You certainly don’t come away from this account of blood-feuds, greed and ambition with your view of humanity enhanced.
A few caveats:
Magnusson is too much in thrall to wealth and nobility for my tastes.
On no less than two occasions, we are told about old Vikings who had “the last laugh” by burying secrets then killing the slaves who’ve helped them so that they cannot tell the tale. I realise that the subject matter here is a violent society in another age, but Magnusson’s seeming indifference is extraordinary. Call me an old curmudgeon, but I’m struggling to find the joke in slavery and murder. To excuse the old quiz-master, we’ll have to say that he was channelling the spirit of his inner-Viking…
The book itself was poorly edited. I understand that in such complex narratives containing so many difficult names, some recapitulation is required. But there were too many repetitions which an editor ought to have spotted and purged. And there was repetitious use of phrases that really should have been attended to also.
Nevertheless, I’d recommend it overall as an introduction to the sagas and their provenance. Giving up on it before the end was out of the question - I started so I had to finish…
Profession? TV quiz presenter.
You have two minutes on your specialist subject, the Icelandic sagas, starting… now.
I have read some of Magnus Magnusson's translations of Icelandic sagas and found them likeable enough. This was an entertaining summary of some of the saga material and of its main protagonists and their biographers/creators, all set against the drama of the Icelandic landscape. I particularly enjoyed referring to the retro-styled map at the front of the book. The guide to pronunciation of Old Icelandic was also useful with all of those daunting-looking character and place names. Magnusson places heavy emphasis on the coming of Christianity to the island but much of the book comprises outlandish tales of evil-doing and revenge. The dark hearts of men are laid bare in the terrible events narrated. You certainly don’t come away from this account of blood-feuds, greed and ambition with your view of humanity enhanced.
A few caveats:
Magnusson is too much in thrall to wealth and nobility for my tastes.
On no less than two occasions, we are told about old Vikings who had “the last laugh” by burying secrets then killing the slaves who’ve helped them so that they cannot tell the tale. I realise that the subject matter here is a violent society in another age, but Magnusson’s seeming indifference is extraordinary. Call me an old curmudgeon, but I’m struggling to find the joke in slavery and murder. To excuse the old quiz-master, we’ll have to say that he was channelling the spirit of his inner-Viking…
The book itself was poorly edited. I understand that in such complex narratives containing so many difficult names, some recapitulation is required. But there were too many repetitions which an editor ought to have spotted and purged. And there was repetitious use of phrases that really should have been attended to also.
Nevertheless, I’d recommend it overall as an introduction to the sagas and their provenance. Giving up on it before the end was out of the question - I started so I had to finish…
October 6, 2025
10/10.
Read before you go to Iceland if you have any interest in Icelandic history. Magnus Magnusson tells the truly remarkable story of the birth of Iceland from early settlement through to the end of the commonwealth, with the clever integration of the stories of the sagas into this history of Early Iceland.
Read before you go to Iceland if you have any interest in Icelandic history. Magnus Magnusson tells the truly remarkable story of the birth of Iceland from early settlement through to the end of the commonwealth, with the clever integration of the stories of the sagas into this history of Early Iceland.
July 25, 2024
I liked the format of this, with Magnusson weaving together history and the sagas, but the problem was that he didn't actually include enough of either- it felt like a sampler, rather than a full book. I was surprised because I loved his history of Scotland, and expected something a little more like that here.
December 16, 2024
A well written and informative book.
A guide through Icelandic early history.
Does not excite, however. The important sagas are described (summarised) and translations of snippets given. Any richness is not gained by reading here.
Borrowed from the library in anticipation of a holiday in Iceland.
A guide through Icelandic early history.
Does not excite, however. The important sagas are described (summarised) and translations of snippets given. Any richness is not gained by reading here.
Borrowed from the library in anticipation of a holiday in Iceland.
June 23, 2017
Saga history and geography
Magnus Magnusson retells the Icelandic sagas, and the stories behind them, relating it all to the stunning landscapes in which they occurred.
Magnus Magnusson retells the Icelandic sagas, and the stories behind them, relating it all to the stunning landscapes in which they occurred.
March 14, 2022
A fascinating combination of history and saga-stories.
July 17, 2009
History and literature and geography all rolled into one. I thought this was going to be about the Icelandic Commonwealth, but its scope is much broader. Modern Iceland is very much present and modern Icelandic national identity shines through very strongly. I learned a lot of little bits of Icelandic history and folklore that I didn't know before. I especially enjoyed the revelation that the people of Húsavík celebrated 'Íslands þúsund og hundruð ár' in 1970 in honour of Náttfari, as opposed to the rest of Iceland who waited until the more conventional 1974.
January 1, 2015
A very interesting and enjoyable telling of Iceland's history through the medium of the great Icelandic Sagas. While this approach means some aspects of Iceland's history are downplayed - for instance, I'd love to have read more about how volcanic eruptions and climatic change have affected Iceland since its settlement - I still found this book fascinating - and as a bonus, Icelandic place names now make a whole lot more sense to me.
September 4, 2022
A lovely collection of stories from Iceland originally featured on Jackanory.I love these Jackanory books as they remind me of my childhood....a) because I used to always love watching Jackanory and b) because I used to hire these books out from my Library as a child and read them avidly.They are fascinating stories which I'm sure will appeal to children and adults like with superb illustrations to accompany them.
April 6, 2012
A lovely blend of history, geography & literature, all related in a highly readable, almost conversational, style. A good introduction to Iceland and excellent background preparation for our trip in the summer.
Want to read
May 23, 2011Rec'd by VeganMedusa. Looks pretty cool.
April 29, 2017
I gave this two stars the first time I read it. After more than twenty years I gave it another try. I was a little more interested in Iceland this time, but the book is not a thriller and still only rates two stars.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews