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72
INTEODTJCTION.
the Strong, an oft-mentioned Skald of the eleventh
century, who somewhat resembles Egil in wild reck-
lessness, but is less gifted as a poet.
Many more Sagas of the thirteenth century
may be passed by here, as they, with few excep-
tions, are of secondary importance; and there is
quite a large number from the fourteenth, and even
some from the fifteenth century ; but the later we
come, the less interest they have for us, and the less
reliable they are. Many of them are wholly sup-
posititious, being not mere fictions, but forgeries.
They seem to move upon historical ground^ while
they are in reality nothing but silly inventions and
fables, which it would be a misnomer to call histori-
cal.
The Historical Sagas relating to the other Scan-
dinavian countries, are generally more finished
works than the preceding, being complete histories
of a whole age or period. The Icelanders felt a
strong attachment to their Mother Country, which
they often visited, and they naturally were familiar
with its traditions and passing events. They there-
fore labored as diligently upon its history as at their
own, and as they had to collect and compare tradi-
tions and occurrences which were not living in the
mouths of the people* around them, they found it
necessary to generalize and arrange the material
a work requiring superior learning and talents.
Hence they wrote more general Histories and fewer
local Sagas bearing upon those countries.
On the history of Denmark there are two large
Sagas, which are master-pieces of Icelandic histo-
riography, viz.
:
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