The Saga of Bjorn

One of the earliest and most substantial of the Icelandic sagas, The Saga of Bjorn (Bjarnar saga hitdaelakappa) is an epic tale of a love rivalry  between two poets, Bjorn and Thord, that results in Bjorn’s ultimate betrayal and death.

Dating from the period between 1000 and 1025 and located in the Snæfellsnes region of Iceland, the saga describes how Thord (Þórðr skáld Kolbeinsson) reneges on his promise to deliver Bjorn’s marriage proposal to Oddny (Oddný Þorkelsdóttir), then persuades her that Bjorn is dead and marries Oddny himself. A furious and distraught Bjorn seeks retribution against his former friend but is killed in a heroic battle against Thord and twenty-four of his warriors.

Finlay’s acclaimed translation of 14th and 17th century manuscripts, comprehensive introduction and extensive notes of this much neglected text also surveys the saga genre and investigates its relationship with other European literature.