The Project Gutenberg EBook of Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturlason

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Title: Heimskringla
The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway

Author: Snorri Sturlason

Release Date: July, 1996 [Etext #598]
Posting Date: November 27, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEIMSKRINGLA ***

Produced by Douglas B. Killings

HEIMSKRINGLA

OR

THE CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF NORWAY

By Snorri Sturlason

(c.1179-1241)

Originally written in Old Norse, app. 1225 A.D., by the poet and
historian Snorri Sturlason.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:

The "Heimskringla" of Snorri Sturlason is a collection of sagas
concerning the various rulers of Norway, from about A.D. 850 to the year
A.D. 1177.

The Sagas covered in this work are the following:

1. Halfdan the Black Saga
2. Harald Harfager's Saga
3. Hakon the Good's Saga
4. Saga of King Harald Grafeld and of Earl Hakon Son of Sigurd
5. King Olaf Trygvason's Saga
6. Saga of Olaf Haraldson (St. Olaf)
7. Saga of Magnus the Good
8. Saga of Harald Hardrade
9. Saga of Olaf Kyrre
10. Magnus Barefoot's Saga
11. Saga of Sigurd the Crusader and His Brothers Eystein and Olaf
12. Saga of Magnus the Blind and of Harald Gille
13. Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald
14. Saga of Hakon Herdebreid ("Hakon the Broad-Shouldered")
15. Magnus Erlingson's Saga

While scholars and historians continue to debate the historical accuracy
of Sturlason's work, the "Heimskringla" is still considered an important
original source for information on the Viking Age, a period which
Sturlason covers almost in its entirety.

PREFACE OF SNORRE STURLASON.

In this book I have had old stories written down, as I have heard
them told by intelligent people, concerning chiefs who have have held
dominion in the northern countries, and who spoke the Danish tongue;
and also concerning some of their family branches, according to what
has been told me. Some of this is found in ancient family registers,
in which the pedigrees of kings and other personages of high birth are
reckoned up, and part is written down after old songs and balla