[Bards] writing a saga

[Ulf Gunnarsson]

Madalina wrote:
> I am attempting to write my first saga, and would like
> some pointers.  Does anyone here have a favorite
> website or book that gives good examples?  What, if
> any, is the basic meter one would expect to hear? 
> >From what I can tell, rhyming is pretty much
> non-existant, but alliteration seems to be a plus.  I
> understand some of the sagas are VERY long, but what
> would be the shortest acceptable length?


Excellent!  Your best bet is to simple read a few first, to get the feel
and the focus.  Try:
http://www.northvegr.org/siteindex.php
...and scroll down to the "SAGAS" section.  My favorite is the Laxdaela
Saga, as it reads like a chatty Western.  Make a genealogy chart as you
read it.  It helps.

As for meter... You find that in poetry.  True, the sagas frequently
give a verse or two of meter when a hero or villain does something
incredible or prophetic, but a saga is a story.  No meter necessary.

Ulf Gunnarsson