Krappe, Alexander H.. The Valkyrie Episode in the Njals Saga

• Author: Krappe, Alexander Haggerty
• Title: The Valkyrie Episode in the Njals Saga
• Published in: Modern Language Notes 43.7
• Year: 1928
• Pages: 471-4
• E-text: jstor.org
• Reference: Krappe, Alexander H.. "The Valkyrie Episode in the Njals Saga." Modern Language Notes 43.7 (1928): 471-4.

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Annotation

Krappe analyzes two excerpts from Icelandic sagas, which some Scandinavian scholars have taken as references to visions of the Valkyrie. The first excerpt is from Njáls saga and the second is from Sturlunga Saga. This work cautions the interpretation of these excerpts as purely Nordic by comparing them with two excerpts describing similar visions from Irish documents, the first takes place before the Battle of Moylena (in the second century) and the second before the Battle of Doolin (1317). Krappe also takes into account an excerpt from a later period, describing devils flying to the scene of the destruction of Malines in Belgium (1546). He argues the visions from Njáls saga and the Sturlunga Saga are essentially of Celtic origin (most likely Irish). He explains the vision from Njáls saga as a mixture of influence between the Irish Morrigan and her sisters, the Scandinavian concept of the Norns, and the Germanic (or perhaps Christian) idea of devils rushing to the scene of disaster. He concludes neither vision from the Icelandic sagas can be safely used for inquiry into the Nordic belief of the Valkyrie.

Lýsing

Texta vantar

References

Chapter 157: aðrar sex í norður: "The vision of the Njáls Saga, embodying, no doubt, eleventh century material, has skilfully fused the Irish vision tale of the Morrigan and her weird sisters with features of Scandinavian belief in the Norns and added the Teutonic, perhaps even christian, conception of the demons rushing to a scene of disaster and overheard by a mortal." (p. 474)

Links

• Written by: Jesse Barber
• Icelandic/English translation: