001 - The Preface of Snorri Sturluson

Heimskringla, renowned as the most celebrated of the Old Norse kings sagas, was penned in Old Norse by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson around 1230 in Iceland. The title, meaning the circle of the world, emerged in the 17th century from the opening words of one of its manuscripts. This remarkable collection chronicles the tales of Norwegian monarchs, starting with the legendary Ynglings and unfolding through the historical reigns of figures like Harald Fairhair, all the way to the last of the pretenders, Eystein Meyla, in 1177. While the origins of Snorri’s narratives are debated, they draw from earlier sagas such as Morkinskinna and Fagrskinna, as well as oral traditions and skaldic poetry. Snorris travels to Norway and Sweden enriched his accounts, and he even cites the now-lost Hryggjarstykki for the mid-12th-century events. This recording encompasses Volumes 3-5 of The Saga Library, presenting all three volumes of Heimskringla, with Volume 6 reserved for notes and appendices that will not be recorded.