Overview
About Grettis saga
Strength and isolation
Grettir fights berserkers, trolls and revenants, but his encounter with the ghost Glámr becomes a turning point. Although he defeats the dead man, Glámr curses him, and fear of darkness shadows his later life. An accidental fire in Norway kills Icelanders and contributes to his outlawry. Back in Iceland, he moves between temporary refuges, dependent on help yet pursued by enemies. His final refuge is Drangey, where he lives with his younger brother Illugi before betrayal and sorcery bring his resistance to an end.
A widely transmitted story
The saga survives in more than fifty manuscripts and inspired five versions in rímur, narrative verse composed for performance. Research at the Árni Magnússon Institute compares small differences in its wording, including the proverbs associated with Grettir. This history of copying and adaptation helps explain why the outlaw belongs both to medieval literature and to later Icelandic storytelling traditions.
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