Þáttr Explained

The þættir (Old Norse singular þáttr, literally meaning a "strand" of rope or yarn)^[1] ^[2] are short stories written mostly in Iceland during the 13th and 14th centuries.

The majority of þættir occur in two compendious manuscripts, Morkinskinna and Flateyjarbók, and within them most are found as digressions within kings' sagas. Sverrir Tómasson regards those in Morkinskinna, at least, as exempla or illustrations inseparable from the narratives that contain them, filling out the picture of the kings' qualities, good and bad, as well as adding comic relief.^[3]

Íslendinga þættir

The short tales of Icelanders or Íslendinga þættir focus on Icelanders, often relating the story of their travels abroad to the court of a Norwegian king.

List of short tales:

Albani þáttr ok Sunnifu
Arnórs þáttr jarlaskálds
Auðunar þáttr vestfirzka
Bergbúa þáttr
Bolla þáttr Bollasonar
Brandkrossa þáttr
Brands þáttr örva
Draumr Þorsteins Síðu-Hallssonar
Egils þáttr Síðu-Hallssonar
Einars þáttr Skúlasonar
Eiríks þáttr rauða
Geirmundar þáttr
Gísls þáttr Illugasonar
Grœnlendinga þáttr (I)
Grœnlendinga þáttr (II)/Einars þáttr Sokkasonar
Gull-Ásu-Þórðar þáttr
Gunnars þáttr Þiðrandabana
Halldórs þáttr Snorrasonar inn fyrri
Halldórs þáttr Snorrasonar inn síðari
Hallfreðar þáttr vandræðaskálds
Hauks þáttr hábrókar
Hrafns þáttr Guðrúnarsonar
Hreiðars þáttr
Hrómundar þáttr halta
Íslendings þáttr sögufróða
Ívars þáttr Ingimundarsonar
Jökuls þáttr Búasonar
Kjartans þáttr Ólafssonar
Kristni þáttr
Kumlbúa þáttr
Mána þáttr skálds
Odds þáttr Ófeigssonar
Orms þáttr Stórólfssonar
Óttars þáttr svarta
Rauðs þáttr hins ramma
Rauðúlfs þáttr
Rögnvalds þáttr ok Rauðs
Sneglu-Halla þáttr
Steins þáttr Skaptasonar
Stefnis þáttr Þorgilssonar
Stjörnu-Odda draumr
Stúfs þáttr inn meiri
Stúfs þáttr inn skemmri
Svaða þáttr ok Arnórs kerlingarnefs
Sveins þáttr ok Finns
Þiðranda þáttr ok Þórhalls
Þorgríms þáttr Hallasonar
Þorleifs þáttr jarlaskálds
Þormóðar þáttr
Þorsteins þáttr Austfirðings
Þorsteins þáttr forvitna
Þorsteins þáttr Síðu-Hallssonar
Þorsteins þáttr skelks
Þorsteins þáttr stangarhöggs
Þorsteins þáttr sögufróða
Þorsteins þáttr tjaldstœðings
Þorsteins þáttr uxafóts
Þorvalds þáttr tasalda
Þorvalds þáttr víðförla
Þorvarðar þáttr krákunefs
Þórarins þáttr Nefjólfssonar
Þórarins þáttr ofsa
Þórarins þáttr stuttfeldar
Þórhalls þáttr knapps
Ævi Snorra goða
Ögmundar þáttr dytts (also known as Gunnars þáttr helmings)
Ölkofra þáttr

Legendary þættir

Other þættir

Brenna Adams byskups
Eindriða þáttr ok Erlings
Eymundar þáttr hrings
Eymundar þáttr af Skörum
Hálfdanar þáttr svarta
Haralds þáttr grenska
Haralds þáttr hárfagra
(two versions)
Hróa þáttr heimska
Ísleifs þáttr byskups
Knúts þáttr hins ríka
Orkneyinga þáttr
Otto þáttr keisara
Ólafs þáttr Geirstaðaálfs
Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa

Translations

Book: Waggoner, Ben. Sagas of Giants and Heroes. 2010. Troth Publications. New Haven, CT. 978-0578059334. (Tale of Halfdan the Black, 1-11; Tale of Hauk High-Breeches, pp. 11–20; Tale of Jokul Buason, pp. 53–64; Tale of Brindle-Cross, pp. 65–72)

References

Ármann Jakobsson (2013). 'The life and death of the medieval Icelandic short story'. JEGP, Journal of English and Germanic Philology. 112. pp. 257–291
Ashman Rowe, Elizabeth & Harris, Joseph (2007). 'Short Prose Narrative (þáttr)', in Rory McTurk (ed.) A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 462–478
Old Icelandic þáttr: Early usage and semantic history. Lindow. John. 1978. Scripta Islandica. 29. 3–44.
Book: Lindow, John. Medieval Scandinavia: An encyclopedia. Garland. 1993. 0824047877. New York. 661–662. Pulsiano. Phillip. Wolf. Kirsten. Þáttr.
O'Donoghue, Heather (2004). Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Short Introduction. Blackwell Publishing.
Sverrir Tómasson (2006). "Old Icelandic Prose," tr. Gunnþórunn Guðmundsdóttir, in Daisy Neijmann, ed. A History of Icelandic Literature. Lincoln: University of Nebraska.

Notes and References

O'Donoghue (2004:226).
Sverrir Tómasson (2006:112).
Sverrir Tómasson (2006:111-13).