New and old interpretations of Njáls saga

Abstract

In this article, a revised version of a lecture presented at the University of Iceland in May 2016, I discuss a number of recent books and articles about Njals saga, setting their interpretations against those of earlier works by Einar Olafur Sveinsson and myself. My conclusion is that although Einar Olafur Sveinsson’s views need to be revised in some respects, they still are very much valid and his scholarly results are, to a large extent, likely to stand.