Dating Elements in Icelandic Family Sagas

Abstract

As part of the problem of identifying (and delimiting) various chronological layers in the texts of Icelandic family sagas that have come down to us, we considered the possibility of using descriptions of everyday details and references to Icelandic flora and fauna as chronomarkers. Based on the saga descriptions, it is not possible to determine to what time the mentioned clothing belongs, 9th—10th or 13th—14th centuries. It is also completely impossible to use references to ships and various weapons that would seem convenient for dating (first of all, swords in view of the variety of their types and the short duration of the popularity of each of them), since the terminology found in family sagas in this area is extremely general and vague. Mentions of fishing, horses, sheep, and dogs are of no help either, since these animals (and related activities) have been active on the farm throughout Icelandic history. However, the descriptions in the family sagas of forests and arable lands, as well as pigs, goats and cows, are the reflections of the realities of the 10th century, which allows us to take a different look at the dating of various layers of sagas. At the same time, it should be taken into account that most of these references refer not so much to everyday details as to plot-forming details; therefore, they could have been preserved from the 10th century unchanged even when passed down through oral tradition.