Abstract
The Icelandic sagas can be read and interpreted in many ways. This article examines the sagas both as literary expressions of a longstanding oral tradition and as part of a collective and cultural memory. The focus in the first part is on people and places in the sagas as ‘realms of memory’: things that help construct a common past and a common identity. The second part of the article explores the role of the sagas in medieval Iceland as ‘key myths’ that explain the origin and uniqueness of a society, and as moral and legal role models legitimizing the current social order.
| Bidragets oversatte titel | At konstruere historien: Brugen af fortiden som forbillede for samtiden i de islandske sagaer |
|---|---|
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
| Tidsskrift | Collegium Medievale |
| Vol/bind | 23 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 5-32 |
| Antal sider | 28 |
| ISSN | 0801-9282 |
| Status | Udgivet - 2010 |