A Sense of Belonging: ‘Morkinskinna’ and Icelandic Identity, c. 1220 by Jakobsson, Ármann (review)

In 2011, Ármann Jakobsson and Þórður Ingi Guðjónsson presented the academic world with their work on Morkinskinna, the thirteenth-century manuscript containing an Icelandic saga depicting the history of Norwegian kings from Magnus I to Sigurdr II. Jakobsson has now extended access to his research on the Morkinskinna manuscript to an international audience through the assistance of translator Frederik Heinemann. The result is A Sense of Belonging: Morkinskinna and Icelandic Identity, c. 1220, in which Jakobsson successfully meets his goal to explore the saga.

Throughout the book, Jakobsson asserts that scholars of Icelandic sagas have paid little attention to Morkinskinna, and he uses it to present his most recent attempt to explore the saga as a whole. He shows that scholars should consider the saga within a historical framework as much as within a literary one, and that the main purpose of the saga is to present the relationships between the early medieval Icelandic people and the kings of Norway. Rather than comparing the saga to others, he concentrates on using the manuscript as the main source material, analysing what little information is known about its origins and its place within medieval narrative structures. How the saga author presents portraits of Icelanders, Norwegian kings and their societies within its pages, and how the saga demonstrates methods of Icelandic storytelling are all addressed, with Jakobsson covering such matters in detail. Jakobsson demonstrates that Morkinskinna is not simply a collection of stories about the past. Rather, it is an exploration of Icelandic identity at the time of its commitment to manuscript. Ideas such as how Icelanders viewed themselves outside Iceland are discussed. Jakobsson also considers how the author makes it clear to the audience that the saga within Morkinskinna is historical and based on reliable sources. He asserts that simultaneously, the saga author was aware of the importance of the art of narrative in delivering the stories found within it.

Commendably, Jakobsson has ensured that his primary references are accessible to readers with little or no knowledge of the Icelandic language, or for those readers who do not have easy access to a translation of Morkinskinna. All passages from the manuscript have been translated into English within the text. Footnotes are provided where necessary and have not been overdone, as can sometimes be the case in discussions of the sagas. The extensive bibliography demonstrates Jakobsson’s exceptional knowledge of previous research on the Morkinskinna manuscript, as well as other sagas.

Jakobsson is certainly passionate about Morkinskinna, having dedicated over twenty years of research to the manuscript, and it shows in his latest book. His ideas certainly give a fresh view of the saga. This book should inspire others to consider Morkinskinna worth a new look. Any reader with an interest in the Icelandic sagas, medieval courtly narratives, or early Norwegian history will find his insights into this under-appreciated manuscript appealing.