The Sacred and the Profane in Premodern Icelandic Literature, Ca. 1500-1800

This edited volume examines literary production and reception during a rich but neglected chapter of Iceland’s history. It questions the usefulness of the binary division of premodern texts into religious and secular, advocating for a more holistic approach in which one can glimpse the sacred in the profane and the profane in the sacred. The volume brings together contributions by twelve scholars that cover topics ranging from þulur and rímur poetry to the lives of premodern Icelandic poets and hymnists. The book includes a concise introduction to literary and cultural developments in Iceland after 1500, while also providing fresh insight into the premodern Icelandic literary environment and how it has been perceived and portrayed.