Eddas, Sagas, and Victorians
Abstract The British reading public discovered the rich corpus of medieval Icelandic literature for the first time during the ‘long nineteenth century’. This chapter describes the ways in which British readers became aware of Old Norse-Icelandic literature through translations into English and throu...
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| Format: | Book Part |
| Language: | unknown |
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Oxford University Press
2020
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199669509.013.17 https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34281/chapter/290626410 |
| Summary: | Abstract The British reading public discovered the rich corpus of medieval Icelandic literature for the first time during the ‘long nineteenth century’. This chapter describes the ways in which British readers became aware of Old Norse-Icelandic literature through translations into English and through English-language editions of texts in the original language. Beginning with pioneering work of the pre-Victorian period, the chapter focuses on Victorian translators of medieval Icelandic literature (especially G. W. Dasent, William Morris, Sabine Baring-Gould, and W. G. Collingwood), as well as the collaborative editions and translations of Guðbrandur Vigfússon with Dasent or F. York Powell. The chapter shows that the dissemination of Icelandic sources was often linked with the discovery of Iceland as a travel destination or involved collaborating with Icelandic scholars resident in Britain. The conclusion briefly considers the legacy and influence of Victorian translators. |
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