Saga

A saga is a Scandinavian term originally denoting a narrative, sometimes one that develops into a complex story. The word is saga in Icelandic, Faroese, and Norwegian, säga in Swedish and Estonian, and säga in Latvian. In Hebrew, it is סאגה (saga). The modern understanding of "saga" as a term denoting a particular style of storytelling is a development based on the body of texts preserved in the Old Norse language, which were written down in the High and Late Middle Ages. These texts, referred to as the sagas, are primarily known from Icelandic manuscripts. They are the best-known pieces of Icelandic medieval literature. The sagas are the main source for the history of the Scandinavian people in the 8th to 11th centuries, and especially for the history of the Viking Age. They are a rich source of information about the history, beliefs, customs, and way of life of the early Scandinavian people.