Gaelic Influence in Iceland: Historical and Literary Contacts - A Survey of Research
- Book Review,
by Gisli Sigurdsson
Book Description
Scholars of Old Icelandic generally agree that Icelandic literature was influenced by the Gaelic world where oral literature was highly developed and written prose sagas were produced in the vernacular. Ireland and Iceland are the only countries in North Western Europe where sagas of this kind were written down. The problem arises, however, when the importance of that influence on Icelandic culture has to be assessed. In this book, the author looks at the possible channels by which Gaelic influence could have reached Iceland and looks at the nature of the numerous parallels in different genres of Old Icelandic literature with Gaelic literature, in particular Old Irish. The intention is twofold: first, to provide a comprehensive bibliography of the subject, and second, to assess what these parallels can tell us about the importance of Gaelic influence for Icelandic literary tradition. 2nd revised edition, with a new preface and a new general introduction.
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