''Hungrvaka'' ("Hunger-waker") is an
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
history of the first five
bishops of Skálholt.
The text covers the period from the
formation of the Icelandic church to 1178.
As the text refers to
Saint Thorlak
Thorlak Thorhallsson ( Icelandic: ''Þorlákur Þórhallsson''; 1133 – 23 December 1193) is the patron saint of Iceland. He was bishop of Skálholt from 1178 until his death. Thorlak's relics were translated to the cathedral of Skalholt in 11 ...
(acknowledged 1198),
Jón Ögmundsson
Jón Ögmundsson or Ogmundarson ( la, Ioannes Ögmundi filius; 1052–23 April 1121), also known as John of Holar and Jon Helgi Ogmundarson, was an Icelandic bishop and local Icelandic saint. In 1106, the second Icelandic diocese, Hólar, was cre ...
(acknowledged as a local Icelandic saint in 1200), and Gizzur Hallsson (died 1206), it was probably written in the first half of the thirteenth century.
However, the manuscripts witnesses of the saga are all post-medieval, the earliest dating from 1601.
Because of similarities in style it is assumed that the author of ''Hungrvaka'' wrote ''
Páls saga biskups
''Páls saga biskups'' (The Saga of bishop Páll) is an Old Norse account of the life of Páll Jónsson, bishop of the Icelandic episcopal see Skálholt.
The saga is recorded in three seventeenth century manuscripts and subsequent copies: Stock. ...
'' and may also have written passages of ''
Þorláks saga helga.''
The reason for the book's title is given by the author in the introduction:
Bibliography
Manuscripts
A comprehensive treatment of the manuscripts can be found in Ásdís Egilsdóttir's introduction to ''Hungrvaka'' in the most recent edition of the text, and summarised by Basset.
The main manuscripts represent three versions of the text:
* AM 380 4to, AM 379 4to (B)
* AM 205 fol., AM 375 4to, AM 378 4to (C)
* AM 110 8vo (D)
Editions
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Translations
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References
{{Bishops' sagas
Medieval literature
Icelandic literature
Bishops' sagas