The Völsung Ballads from the Faroe Islands

Overview & Synopsis

This volume presents a collection of the Faroese ballads about the Völsung hero Sjúrður, the pre-eminent dragon-slaying hero of the Germanic Middle Ages, in English translation accompanied by the Faroese original. The ballads show that far from being culturally isolated, the Faroe Islands were an integral part of the Germanic storytelling tradition in the Middle Ages and later. The in-depth introduction explores the Faroese storytelling tradition as preserved in the ballads, which are still danced and performed today, and highlights the vibrancy of the tradition in contemporary culture. The publication and research history of the Faroese ballads is outlined, and summaries of each ballad are provided. These translations are an essential resource for anybody interested in medieval heroic literature.