Grettir the Outlaw

Synopsis

Grettir the Outlaw is a story of Iceland for young readers written by English antiquarian and novelist Sabine Baring-Gould who is remembered for his work "The Lives of the Saints" which went on for a whopping sixteen volume. Among more than 30 plus writings notable one include Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, Red Spider, The Tragedy of the Caesars, A Book of Dartmoor, and A Book of Ghosts.

Author's Preface:

It is now just thirty years since I first began to read the "Saga of Grettir the Strong" in Icelandic. At that time I had only a Danish grammar of Icelandic and an Icelandic-Danish dictionary, and I did not know a word of Danish. So I had to learn Danish in order to learn Icelandic. It was laborious work making out the Saga, and every line when I began took me some time to understand. Moreover, I had not much time at my disposal, for then I was a master in a school.

Now my boy readers must understand that I have told them the story in my own words and in my own way. I went to Iceland in 1861, and went over nearly every bit of the ground made famous by the adventures of Grettir. Consequently, I am able to help out and illustrate the tale by what I actually saw. In the original book there is a great deal more than I have attempted to retell, but much has to do with the ancestors of Grettir, and there are other incidents introduced of no great importance and very confusing to the memory. So I have taken the leading points in the story, and given them.

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