Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Qupperneq 21

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the new court literature that had grown up during the second half of the
12th century, and it is quite possible that the higher clergy as well had
become interested in the new literary developments in Western Europe,
and desired to have it translated into their native tongue. But the main
impetus came from the King and his court.
The question has often been asked: Why was there no original, purely
Norwegian literature written in Norway, no sagas like those written in
Iceland? The usual answer is that no “national” literature could grow up
because of the civil wars, and that afterwards, the King had so effectively
curbed the independent nobles that they were no longer able to assert
themselves, and meekly followed where the King lead them, that is to say,
they abandoned their old “Germanic” heritage for the sake of the super-
ficial charm of the foreign translations24. The explanation overlooks the
faet that some of the best Icelandic family sagas were written during the
turbulent Sturlung wars, and some of them even after the Icelanders had
submitted to the Norwegian Crown. But the real objection to the question
is that it does not approach the problem from the right angle. The amazing
thing is that sagas were written in Iceland, not that they were not com-
posed in Norway. There were old traditions in Norway, as there were in
other countries in Western Europe, but family traditions alone cannot
create a saga literature. Throughout the 12th century Norway had been
under a strong and continuous influence from Europe. The material cul-
ture of England and France was being successfully imitated, as is clearly
shown by the cathedrals built in that century.
The technical skiil of a foreign culture is more easily learnt and imi-
tated than literary standards. The centre of literary activity in Europe
in the 12th and 13th centuries was France; writers of other countries
admired and tried to imitate the work of French authors. The develop-
ment of courtly literature usually proceeded from translation to imitations,
and thence, if talented poets were at hånd, to original works. In Germany,
the Creative period in the field of court literature began in the twelfth
century, England had to wait for Chaucer, while Norway never really got
beyond the stage of translation and imitation. Iceland never had an ori-
ginal court literature; the family sagas, although by no means uninflu-
enced by European developments, are an independent genre.
M For a general statement of this view, with references, vide Finnur Jonsson: Den
oldnorske og oldislandske litteraturs historie, 2nd ed. vol. II pp. 3-4.