Signum Collaboratory

“Völsungs rímur: A New English Translation”

Galen Miller-Atkins

Rímur are long, narrative poems developed in the late medieval period in Iceland. While they form an important link between early medieval Icelandic poetry and modern day, they remain critically understudied for their linguistic and literary value. Völsungs rímur is one of the earliest written rímur, likely originating between 1350 and 1400, and is a poetic retelling of the early portion of the more famous Völsunga saga. Völsungs rímur represents an important text for understanding not only the transition between Old and Modern Icelandic but also for understanding how Icelanders reformulated old legendary figures for a new age. This thesis presents a new English translation of Völsungs rímur, as well as provides a brief overview of its literary and linguistic contexts.

created 5 months ago
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