Based on oral tales that originated from historical events in tenth-century Iceland, these two sagas follow the fate of a powerful Viking family across two generations, from its early Norwegian ancestry to fierce battles to defend its honor. Gisli Sursson’s Saga is a story of forbidden love and divided loyalties, in which the heroic Gisli vows to avenge the murder of his “sworn brother” and sets in motion a chain of events that culminate in tragedy. The Saga of the People of Eyri continues the story with Snorri, a cunning leader of the next generation, who uses his intellect to restore social order. Blending gripping narrative, humor, the supernatural, and shrewd observation, these tales reveal the richness of the saga tradition and present a vivid record of a society moving from ruthless individualism to a Christian ethic of reconciliation and order.

• First time in Penguin Classics
• Includes a new Introduction, suggestions for further reading, explanatory notes, and plot summaries
• Contains a reference section with maps, chronology, glossary, and an index of characters, as well as notes on the historical, social, and political makeup of Viking-controlled Iceland