The Sagas of the Icelanders shed light on Golden Age

The Sagas of the Icelanders have long been preserved as the most comprehensive specimen of the literary culture of the 13^th and 14^th centuries of Iceland.  In writing these sagas, many attributes of the 10^th and 11^th centuries were conserved, particularly individual biographies, the history of family feuds, and the overall evolution of the one of the greatest settlements of the Vikings. 

Unlike the mythical tales of the Greeks, the Icelandic sagas depict real men and women—real great families—struggling with and overcoming extraordinary circumstances and adventures to forge a new land.  Though the sagas' author is unknown, the writings have been considered the height of Icelandic literature throughout the centuries, and remain the written epitome of Viking ideals, values, and beliefs.