The Kings' sagas are Norse Sagas which tell of the lives of Scandinavian kings. They were composed in the 12th to 14th centuries. The Norse sagas or Viking sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A monarch (see sovereign) is a type of ruler or head of state. ...
The tales are usually realistic, except legendary sagas, sagas of saints, sagas of bishops and translated or recomposed romances.
Most of the manuscripts in which the sagas are preserved were taken to Denmark and Sweden in the 17th century, but later returned to Iceland.
The Mythology theory of saga origin maintains that the plots and characters were heavily influenced by mythological material associated with the local landscape.
When the practice of writing down the sagas arose, it was to be expected that all the information which had thus accumulated should receive attention, and as a matter of fact the saga-writers were as diligent in recording this foreign historical matter as in preserving the traditions of their own island.
King Hákon had sailed on that expedition to Scotland from which he never returned, but Sturla gained great favour with his son and successor Magnus, and was subsequently commissioned by him to write the late king's life (see p.
The saga, which is of great length, must have been written in Iceland about 1200, but the materials for it may have be gathered mainly in the Orkneys themselves, as Icelanders were frequent visitors to the Islands, and Icelandic poets attached themselves to several of the earls.
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