"The Saga of Gisli" was written in the early thirteenth century, and offers an imaginative reconstruction of a story of a man and his family who came to Iceland from Norway about 950 A.D. Gisli is outlawed for killing his brother-in-law, spends a decade hiding in remote northwest Iceland, and is caught and killed. The heart of the saga, however, is the examination of the intricate emotional bonds and the laws that attempt to regulate them, as existing in a world governed finally by inevitable fate. This ancient example of a type of literature sprung from a type of community readers can barely imagine, is one of the most memorable of all the Icelandic sagas.

This classic Icelandic saga tells the story of Gisli, a tragic outlaw hero who must avenge the death of his brother-in-law or face a lifetime of shame. Full of action and drama, this tale is a must-read for lovers of medieval literature. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

A story of cyclic blood-revenge, set off by a casual overheard remark, leading to the protagonist, Gisli, becoming a fugitive from society, and eventually dying in single combat against a dozen foes. Set during the introduction of Christianity to Iceland, there are numerous details about pagan practices which are dotted through the narrative. The Gisli saga is notable for its deep psychological treatment of its lead character, who is tormented during his exile by vivid foreshadowing dreams of two wives, one good and one evil.