The riddarasögur, also called "chivalric sagas" or "knights' sagas," are Norse stories written in prose that belong to the romance genre. These sagas began in the thirteenth century with Norse translations of French chansons de geste and Latin romances and histories. Over time, Iceland created its own stories in a similar style.

For many centuries, the riddarasögur were widely read in Iceland. However, they were often seen as less artistic than other Icelandic sagas and stories. Scholars of Old Norse literature paid little attention to them, and many of these sagas remain untranslated.

The creation of chivalric sagas in Scandinavia focused on Norway in the thirteenth century and then shifted to Iceland in the fourteenth. Later, vernacular Danish and Swedish romances became more prominent, but these were mostly written in verse. The most famous example is the Eufemiavisorna, which are mainly translations of Norwegian versions of European romances.

Terminology

The term "riddarasögur" (singular: "riddarasaga") appears in Mágus saga jarls. It refers to stories such as "Þiðreks saga," "Flóvenz saga," or other knights' sagas. Another term sometimes used is "lygisögur" (singular: "lygisaga"), which means "lie sagas." This term is used to describe fictional stories about knights and legendary events.

Translations

The first known translations of European romantic stories into Old Norse were made with the support of King Hákon Hákonarson of Norway. These translations were part of an effort to adopt European culture. The earliest known work from 1226 is a translation by Brother Robert of a story called Tristan, originally written by Thomas of Britain. The Old Norse version, Tristrams saga ok Ísöndar, is especially valuable because the original Old French poem only survives in pieces. Another work, Elis saga ok Rósamundu, which translates Elie de Saint Gille, is also credited to an Abbot Robert, likely the same person who later advanced in his religious order. King Hákon also commissioned Möttuls saga, an adaptation of Le mantel mautaillé, Ívens saga, a version of Chrétien de Troyes's Yvain, and Strengleikar, a collection of ballads mainly from Marie de France.

Other works in a similar style, possibly also commissioned by King Hákon, include Parcevals saga, Valvens þáttr, and Erex saga, all based on stories by Chrétien de Troyes. Karlamagnús saga combines different sources, focusing on Charlemagne and his twelve knights, and draws from historical writings and epic songs. Other works believed to come from French originals include Bevers saga, Flóres saga ok Blankiflúr, Flóvents saga, and Partalopa saga.

Works based on Latin translations include Alexanders saga (a version of Alexandreis), Amícus saga ok Amilíus (based on Vincent of Beauvais's Speculum historiale), Breta sögur (a translation of Historia Regum Britanniae), and Trójumanna saga (a version of De excidio Troiae). Another pseudo-historical work, Þiðreks saga af Bern, is unique because it was translated from German.

These Old Norse translations have been described by Margaret Clunies Ross in this way:

Original compositions

In the late 1200s, Icelanders began writing their own romantic sagas, influenced by stories from Europe. This type of writing became popular in the 1300s. The growth of this genre is linked to Iceland being ruled by Norway in the 1260s, which led religious and non-religious leaders in Iceland to explore how Icelanders saw themselves as subjects of a king. These changes in power affected how elite Icelanders married, making issues related to gender roles a key topic in many romances. One important work, which influenced many later sagas, was Klári saga. Its introduction says it was translated from a Latin poem that Jón Halldórsson, the Bishop of Skálholt, found in France. However, it is now believed that Jón created the poem himself. Jón’s work inspired the North Icelandic Benedictine School in the 1300s, which is best known for religious writing but also produced romantic stories.

Post-medieval reception

Chivalric sagas were widely copied and shared in Iceland until the 20th century. These stories were often changed into rímur, and new sagas similar to old ones were written until the 19th century.

In the 18th century, some sagas were used as important sources to learn about Sweden and Denmark's history, helping their goals of expanding their empires. These stories were printed in those countries. One example is Erik Julius Biörner's book, Nordiska kämpa dater, from 1737.

The most complete list of these sagas' manuscripts, editions, translations, and other writings is Kalinke and Mitchell's 1985 book, Bibliography of Old Norse-Icelandic Romances.

A detailed study of this genre was done in Margaret Schlauch's 1934 book, Romance in Iceland. Since then, other important books about the genre include Astrid van Nahl's Originale Riddarasögur als Teil altnordischer Sagaliteratur, Jürg Glauser's Isländische Märchensagas, Marianne Kalinke's Bridal-Quest Romance in Medieval Iceland, and Geraldine Barnes's The Bookish Riddarasögur.

List of chivalric sagas

Kalinke and Mitchell's Bibliography of Old Norse-Icelandic Romances lists the following translated chivalric sagas:

• Alexanders saga (Alexandreis)
• Amícus saga ok Amilíus (Speculum historiale by Vincent of Beauvais)
• Bevis saga (Boeve de Haumtone)
• Breta sögur (Historia Regum Britanniae)
• Elis saga ok Rósamundu (Elie de Saint-Gille)
• Erex saga (Érec et Énide)
• Flóres saga ok Blankiflúr (Floire et Blanchiflor)
• Flóvents saga (Floovant)
• Ívens saga (Yvain, le Chevalier au Lion)
• Karlamagnús saga
• Möttuls saga (La mantel mautaillé)
• Pamphilus ok Galathea (Pamphilus de amore)
• Parcevals saga and Valvens þáttr (Perceval, le Conte du Graal)
• Partalopa saga (Partonopeus de Blois)
• Strengleikar Forræða 'prologue' Bisclaretz ljóð (Bisclavret), Chetovel (Chaitivel), Desire (Desiré), Douns ljóð (Doon), Eskja (Le Fresne), Equitan (Equitan), Geitarlauf (Chevrefoil), Grelent (Graelent), Guiamars ljóð (Guigemar), Guruns ljóð (source unknown), Januals ljóð (Lanval), Jonet (Yonec), Laustik (Laüstic), Leikara ljóð (Lecheor), Milun (Milun), Naboreis (Nabaret), Ricar hinn gamli (source unknown), Strandar ljóð (source unknown), Tidorel (Tydorel), Tveggja elskanda ljóð (Les Deux Amants), Tveggia elskanda strengleikr (source unknown)
• Tiódels saga (Bisclavret, via Bisclaretz ljóð)
• Tristrams saga ok Ísöndar (Tristan by Thomas of Britain)
• Trójumanna saga (De excidio Troiae)

The following is a likely complete list of original medieval Icelandic chivalric sagas:

• Adonias saga
• Ála flekks saga
• Blómstrvallasaga
• Bærings saga
• Dámusta saga
• Dínus saga drambláta
• Drauma-Jóns saga
• Ectors saga
• Flóres saga konungs ok sona hans
• Gibbons saga
• Grega saga
• Hrings saga ok Tryggva
• Jarlmanns saga ok Hermanns
• Jóns saga leikara
• Kirialax saga
• Klári saga
• Konráðs saga keisarasonar
• Mágus saga jarls
• Melkólfs saga ok Solomons konungs
• Mírmans saga
• Nítíða saga
• Nikulás saga leikara
• Reinalds saga (now lost, known only from Reinalds rímur og Rósu)
• Rémundar saga keisarasonar
• Samsons saga fagra
• Saulus saga ok Nikanors
• Sigrgarðs saga frœkna
• Sigrgarðs saga ok Valbrands
• Sigurðar saga fóts
• Sigurðar saga turnara
• Sigurðar saga þögla
• Tristrams saga ok Ísoddar
• Valdimars saga
• Viktors saga ok Blávus
• Vilhjálms saga sjóðs
• Vilmundar saga viðutan
• Þjalar-Jóns saga

Romance sagas continued to be written in Iceland after the Middle Ages, following the style of medieval texts. Ten are thought to have been written, for example, by the priest Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín (1749–1835). There are thought to be around 150 post-medieval examples. The following is an incomplete list:

• Ambales saga
• Fimmbræðra saga (by Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín)
• Jasonar saga bjarta
• Sagan af Bernótus Borneyjarkappa (by Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín)
• Sagan af Hinriki heilráða (by Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín)
• Sagan af Ketlerus keisaraefni (by Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín)
• Sagan af Mána fróða (by Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín)
• Sagan af Marroni sterka (by Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín)
• Sagan af Natoni persíska (by Jón Oddsson Hjaltalín)
• *Sagan af Reimari keisara og Fal hinum sterka