The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-23
ICELANDIo LITERATURE IN ENGLAND.
New Editions OF Importnnt sneas-The Coming
Iceinudic Reader.

The Sturlunga Saga, which DR.. vigfusson
~ editing from the mutilated and scarcely
legibe MSS. preserved in Denmark and Swc-
don. ID soon to be- issued from the Clarendon
Press Tho Saga was written by tho nephew Of
SNORT Sturluson thorn 1914. died 1884. and is n
most important document for the history uf
Iceland. Or. Vgfusson's book. which viii an.
pear ut Christmas in two volumes. il u monu-
ment OF abor. rs IT comprises exhaustive in
GoNes, Obituaries. lists OF bishops. pcdRrecs a
catalogue Ut volcanic erurtions, aud the like.
As the index Of proper names ~ the Sturlunga
i ',v ~ Voii''.lns hpoth Vnn'ries' anu the
lhu,N OF local numcs about LOO. i is no Wun-
der that the two volumes consist Of something
Ike goo closely printed pages. pr. yigfusson
has further appended tho annals Of Iceland
during the twelfth andthri 'cnth ccnturi from
diilrult but Interesting Ms in which the long
and short vowcls are marked with accents and
which Is now correctly printed for the first time.
rms work VIII form u Hitting companion to
another which ne has completed Tor the Master
OF the Rolls. and which cons sis OF two volumes
the first containing the Oikneynga Saga and
the second the saga OF King liakon. ngw
text. giving an account Of the battle Of I.ares
VIII Tor the irst time be printed from Ms. at
stockholm IN tue OrkneyInga saga. aud curl
Gus llie OF n Dunstan coWp led from at least
died 1880. will be- added to the volume. The
life OF this bishop ia the last written Icnndic
biography, and his sons history OF St Dunstan
VIII, therefore. be very appropriately included
in u volume which will also contain another
unique tcxt-the last historical work composed
IN lcelanl helore tho modern revival oi hlera-
ture. rms work embntlcs the annals OF the
country from TOO 20 1880
The period ~ one peculiarly interesting to
Euglishmcn, siner IL was the epoch of English
trade with Iceland. Intercourse with Norway
came to an end toward the close oi the four
teenth century. through the decline Of tbe
mother country and was replaced Ivy int r.
course with England. which commenced With
the wreck of an English ship in 14l3 Tho
English trade was finally diverted to America
whore q more plentiful supply OF fish Was 10 be
ohtained-niter lasting about hundred years
and lceandic literature and learning began
once more to revive. The hundred years OF
English trade and literary darkness constitute.
however. a valuable period to the compArati W.
mythologist. a. II lots Us know the average time
required for the growth of a myth. Us well as
| the forms il is likely to assume
The Icelandic Reader which DR. Nigfusson
Is preparing for the University Press. with ,hc
! helpof Mr.. Yorke Powell. will not be ready for
| little while yet. Passages have been selected
| from every one Of the classic Sagas aud though
This part ~ the work il finished. the introduce
tons TO each selection. rs well a. "a short gram
mar and history Of lcelandic literature have
still to BE- written. There will also be foot notes
and a glossary and the volume will be sort Of
miniature library of the Sagns. Mr.. COMFY
beare's little book on Iceland" which DIR. Wig
fusson considers Of high merit. shows that
some. at least of tue younger mrmhers OF the
university have tax n up the study OF l,cauIio
in kOod earnest DR.. Nigfusson himself WAS
one Of the illustrous scholars VINO received the
degree Of Doctor At Upsala IN the summer.