''Hungrvaka'' ("Hunger-waker") is an
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was 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 ...
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 1 ...
(acknowledged 1198),
Jón Ögmundsson
Jón Ögmundsson or Ögmundarson (; 1052–23 April 1121), also known as John of Hólar and St. Jón Ögmundarson or Ögmundsson (), was an Icelandic Catholic bishop. In 1106, the second Icelandic diocese, Hólar, was created in the north of Ice ...
(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'' 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