Book prose theory

The book prose theory is within Old Norse research an explanatory model for the transmission of Old West Norse texts. It stands in opposition to the free prosecution theory . Followers of the book prose theory were mostly attributed to the "Icelandic School", as some of their representatives such as BM Ólsen , Sigurður Nordal , Einar Ó. Sveinsson were also the editors of the Íslenzk-Fornrit series.

central message

Although the book prose theory is a research area with different interpretive approaches, a common core thesis can be summarized as follows: The old Icelandic sagas are not understood as the product of an unbroken oral tradition. Their oral origin is not denied, but the changes in content and form in the sagas are particularly emphasized. Thus, a saga can only be viewed as an independent work once it has been set down in writing. Based on this writing, a product is created that makes literary work with a saga possible in the first place. This fixed text is contextualized with linguistic, literary and cultural conditions at the time of its writing.

literature

• Else Mundal . Saga debate. Universitetsforlaget, Oslo 1977.
• Carol J. Clover : Icelandic Family Sagas (Íslendingasögur). In: Carol J. Clover and John Lindow (Eds.): Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Critical Guide. Cornell, Ithaca 1985.
• Rudolf Simek , Hermann Pálsson : Lexicon of old Norse literature. The medieval literature of Norway and Iceland (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 490). 2nd, significantly increased and revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-520-49002-5 .
• Klaus Böldl . Eigi Einhamr: Contributions to the worldview of the Eyrbyggja and other Icelandic sagas. de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 978-3-11-092632-3 , pp. 37-69 (supplementary volumes to the Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 48)