The Volsung Saga and the Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok: Together with the Lay of Kraka Hardcover – March 3, 2025

The Volsung Saga (Old Norse: Völsunga saga) and The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok (Old Norse: Ragnars saga loðbrókar) are two Icelandic legendary sagas that date to the late 13th-century, originally written in Old Norse. They were first discovered together in the same manuscript, as they are presented in this volume. The Volsung Saga is largely based on the epic poetry of the historic Elder Edda and recounts the origin and decline of the Völsung clan. The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok tells of the exploits of the viking ruler Ragnar and his sons. It details how he got his epithet “Lodbrok” (meaning hairy breeches), the women he loved, and the sons he sired, as well as his death at the hands of king Ælla of Northumbria. The Lay of Kraka (Old Norse: Krákumál) is the ancient Norse poem written as a monologue by Ragnar as he lay dying in king Ælla's snake-pit. The English translation by Margaret Schlauch was first produced in 1930 for the American-Scandinavian Foundation. Read more