Earth Circle

The Circle of the Earth is a unique collection of its own, telling about the life of Northern Europe during the Viking era, the formation of the Scandinavian states. It contains some information about other European states of that time - from Byzantium and Ancient Russia to England . The name comes from two words - “Kringla (circle) heimsins (earthly)”, with which the first saga of the set “ Ingling Saga ” begins, and was invented by later publishers.

Conventionally, the circle of sources can be divided into three types: a) verses of skalds; b) written works; c) oral tradition.

Skald's Poetry

Scientists believe that skaldic poetry is the most reliable source used by the author of the "Circle of the Earth." Snorri Sturluson himself writes about this in the Prologue: "What we say in these songs performed before the rulers themselves or their sons, we recognize as completely reliable evidence." According to M. I. Steblin-Kamensky, the verses of Skalds "were always the product of conscious creativity, but it was creativity aimed only at form and not at content, as a result of which fiction was impossible in them." Snorri cites many skalds, including such well-known as Thiodolv of Hvinir , Eyvind the Skald the Slayer, Thorbjorn Hornklovi and others. It should be noted that at the same time, Snorri very freely retells the events that are mentioned in these verses, sometimes, composing what seemed to him plausible.

Written sources

Apparently, the author of the "Circle of the Earth" was aware of a fairly wide range of written sources, which by that time had already been born. The existence of some of them is being questioned, others are fully confirmed:

• A brief history of the Norwegian kings Sammund the Wise (probably written in Latin); the work is not preserved
• The story of the Norwegian kings Ari Torgilsson (written in Old Icelandic); not preserved
• Hryggjarstykki , the oldest “royal saga” of Kings Sigurda and Inga , authorship attributed to Eirik Oddson ; not preserved
• The oldest saga about St. Olav (preserved in seven passages)
• The legendary saga about St. Olav (written in Iceland, preserved only in the Norwegian manuscript)
• Biography of Olav Sturmir the Wise (not fully preserved)
• Sverrier saga by Carl Jonsson , dictated by Sverriere himself
• Saga about Olav Tryggvason Odd Snorrasona (written in Latin, preserved in Old Icelandic)
• Saga about Olav Tryggvason Gunnlaug Leivsson (written in Latin, not completely preserved)
• Review of sagas about the Norwegian kings
• The story of the ancient Norwegian kings of the monk Theodrick
• History of Norway by an unknown author
• Rotten skin
• Beautiful skin
• Yomswick Saga
• The Orkney Saga
• The Faroese Saga
• Skjöldung saga

Oral tradition

The most complex and controversial source is the oral tradition. Undoubtedly, Snorri used the oral traditions that still existed in his era in Iceland. According to M.I. Steblin-Kamensky, this, as a rule, is expressed not in any specific works, but in genres characteristic of a particular story. In particular, the “Circle of the Earth” traces the motives of former fairy tales, fairy tales and even heroic tales. However, oral sources always remain mere speculation.

Six medieval manuscripts of the "Circle of the Earth" are known:

• Kringla ("Circle")
• AM 39
• Codex Frisianus
• Jöfraskinna
• Eirspennil ("Copper Clasp")
• Gullinskinna

None of these manuscripts are original. The oldest is Kringla. This is a list made by some Icelander around 1260. AM 39 is an incomplete manuscript and dates from around 1300 at the beginning of the fourteenth century. Codex Frisianus, Eirspennil, and Gullinskinna manuscripts dating to the first quarter of the fourteenth century are dated. - Jöfraskinna. As a result of a fire in 1728 in the Copenhagen Library , where manuscripts were stored, Kringla, Jöfraskinna and Gullinskinna burned down. The last two are lists. In addition, separate sheets of ancient manuscripts, translations of unsaved manuscripts and excerpts from them were preserved.

The “Circle of the Earth” is a vivid and dramatic, but at the same time extremely true story about the fate of hundreds of people who really existed once, but have been dead for centuries, a rich gallery of human images drawn with brilliant simplicity. Despite the abundance of reported information, and in contrast to what usually takes place in historiographical works, in the immortal creation of the great Icelander the person remains the main object of the image.

• The Yngling Saga
• The Halvdan Black Saga
• Saga of Harald the Fair-haired
• The Hakon Saga Good
• The Harald Saga Gray Hide
• Saga about Olav son of Tryggvi
• The Saga of St. Olav
• The Saga of Magnus the Good
• Saga of Harald the Cruel
• The Saga of Olav Tikhi
• The Saga of Magnus the Greatfoot
• Saga of the Sons of Magnus the Legless
• The Saga of Magnus the Blind and Harald Gilly
• Saga of the Sons of Harald Gilly
• Hakon the Broad-shouldered Saga
• Saga of Magnus the son of Erling

• Snorri Sturluson . Earth Circle = Heimskringla / Editor-in-Chief: M. Steblin-Kamensky . The publication was prepared by: A. Gurevich , Yu. Kuzmenko, O. Smirnitskaya, M. Steblin-Kamensky .. - M .: Publishing House "Nauka", 1980. - 687 p. - (Literary monuments). - 25,000 copies.

• M.I. Steblin-Kamensky . "Circle of the Earth" as a literary monument
• O.A.Smirnitskaya. About Skald's poetry in the "Circle of the Earth" and its translation into Russian
• AND I. Gurevich . Earth Circle and the history of Norway
• Genealogical table of kungs of the Harald Beloved Haired clan

• Earth Circle on Norrœn Dýrð
• Circle of the Earth on the site of Ulvdalir
• Hryggjarstykki
• The Yngling Saga