[Bards] writing a saga
Ulf Gunnarsson
ulfie at cox.net
Thu Aug 21 22:05:23 PDT 2003
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
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