Yngvars saga víðförla

Yngvars saga víðförla is a legendary saga said to have been written in the twelfth century by Oddr Snorrason. Scholars have been skeptical towards this claim but in recent years it has gained more acceptance.

It describes what was the last Viking campaign in the Caspian in 1041, adding much legend to the historical facts. This expedition was launched from Sweden by Ingvar the Far-Travelled (Ingvar Vittfarne), who went into the land of the Saracens (Serkland). There, they apparently took part in the Georgian-Byzantine Battle of Sasireti.

There are many Ingvar Runestones raised in commemoration warriors who died in the raid, mostly in the Lake Mälaren region of Uppland in Sweden. A stone to Ingvar’s brother indicates that he went east for gold but that he died in Saracen land.

References

• Logan, Donald F. (1992). The Vikings in History 2nd ed., p. 202. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-08396-6
• Oddr Snorrason (translated by Theodore M. Andersson) (2003). The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-4149-8
• Ross, Margaret Clunies (2000). Old Icelandic Literature and Society. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-63112-2

External links

• The Saga of Yngvar the Traveller, in English translation by Peter Tunstall
• The Saga of Yngvar the Traveller, in English translation by Peter Tunstall (another link)
• The story in Old Norse at «Norrøne Tekster og Kvad».
• The story in Old Norse at Snerpa.