Eireks saga víðförla

The Eirik's saga viðförla (the " Saga of Eirík, the well-traveled ") is a short saga from the 14th century on the fantastic journey Eirik to paradise.

Content

It is a compilation of stories of adventure, Ridderasögur, scientific and visionary texts.

The history

Eirík, a Norwegian wants in the Ódáinsakr, the "land without death " travel. You identify this with the " paradisus terrestris ". To this end, he travels to Constantinople first Opel, where he inquired about the Far East and the paradise. From there he go over Jordan to India in the Far East until he gets to the paradise river. About this river there is a bridge to paradise, but which is guarded by a dragon. He jumps in his throat and thus enters Paradise. He wanders through the paradise and has a meaningful dream. Later, he returns to his homeland.

Origin of the motifs

The unknown author, who is attributed to the clergy, has scooped his motives from different books available to him. He drew from the " Elucidarium " of Honorius Augustodunensis and his "De imagine mundi ". The Elucidarium although since about 1200 was already in the Icelandic translation before, but the textual differences between the passages in the saga and the corresponding passages of the Icelandic translation are so large that it can be assumed that the author had only the Latin version in front of him. The information on the circumference of the Earth and other such information are not taken from the Hauksbók, but directly from the Latin version of " De Imagine Mundi ". The bridge to the afterlife can be found in various works: " Konrad saga keisarasonar " where some literal similarities are to be found, " Hervarar saga", " Þorsteins þáttr bæjarmagns ", but also in the Danish history of Saxo Grammaticus. The description of Paradise, wanders through the Eiríkur be found in the " Visio Tnugdali ", which was translated into Iceland the mid 13th century under the name " Duggals leizla ". Here follows the text comparison that the author has used a Latin version, if not also can determine which.

In the mentioned similarities with the Icelandic sagas, however, can not be said with certainty whether the influence of the sagas in the Eirik's saga or acted vice versa.

Manuscripts and editions

There are over 50 manuscripts, of which four are as the main manuscripts: The Gammel kongelige Samling of the Royal Library in Copenhagen 1005, AM ( Arnamagnaeanische manuscript collection ) 657 c ( 4to ), AM 179 and AM 346 I, ( 4to ). As editions are to name CC Rafn, Fornaldarsögur Norðrlanda. Vol 3 1830 Copenhagen; Valdimar Ásmundarson: Fornaldarsögur Norðrlanda Vol 3 Reykjavík 1944; H. Jensen: Eireks saga viðförla. Editiones Arnamagnasanes, Series B Volume 25, Copenhagen 1984.

Effects

The large number of manuscripts indicates that it was entertaining for the medieval reader and a popular reading. The combination of epic and radically Aryan elements met the taste of the time. Theological and scientific content also influence the design of the saga. Knowledge and curiosity are available, but always respect the limits of the medieval world view.

The value of the announcement today is that it provides an important insight into the Icelandic scholarship. While in the Invent arias of the monasteries usually only the number of books is specified without naming her, can use the Eirik's saga viðförla some works that were available to the author to be identified.