‘During the 13th and 14th centuries on a sparsely populated, volcanic and inhospitable island at the edge of the Arctic Circle there was an outpouring of literary creativity unparalleled in the medieval world... How a tiny population of Viking settlers came to produce so many fascinating stories is one of the great riddles of literary history. What was it about the experience, culture and attitude of these Icelandic authors that enabled them to create what has been described as ‘the most remarkable vernacular literature in medieval Europe’?’ (Janina Ramirez, ‘The Sagas of Iceland’, History Today, May 2011).

The sagas were copied in manuscripts in Iceland from the medieval period until the early 20th century. The stories were passed down from generation to generation and continue to have an extraordinary hold on local people’s imaginations.

A Cambridge academic has now sought to solve some of the mysteries surrounding the Sagas of Icelanders (Íslendingasögur). Dr Emily Lethbridge embarked, in January 2011, on a year-long research trip to Iceland to visit the actual settings in which each of the sagas is based in order to explain their deep-rooted significance to Icelanders today. By the time her research trip ends in December, she hopes to have visited the majority of the Íslendingasögur sites – over thirty individual sites.

This week Cambridge University released a fascinating and beautifully filmed new documentary, which explores the history and geographical context of Gísla saga, one of the most famous of the Íslendingasögur. The saga tells the story of Gísli, a family man who is driven to murder to avenge the death of his brother-in-law and close friend. Produced and directed by Patrick Chadwick as part of the Cambridge Ideas series, the film shows the landscape in which Gísla saga takes place and Emily Lethbridge talks to some of the people who still live in places named in the sagas.

One of the Icelanders interviewed explained how:

‘If you go there [the valley where the saga is set] with the book in your hand, you can turn directly to the places which the saga describes. It’s as though the earth is talking to you and telling you the story. Gísla saga is part of our inheritance.’

According to Emily Lethbridge:

‘The sagas occupy a central place in local and national consciousness. The past can feel extraordinarily close to the present. The sagas live on, beyond the printed page, in the Icelandic landscapes and in the imaginations of the people who live there.’

From the History Today archive

The Sagas of Iceland: Janina Ramirez explores the significance and legacy of the Icelandic sagas and what they tell us about the history and culture of the Arctic Island and its people.