A love story told with the spare, fierce beauty of the Icelandic sagas, The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue follows the brilliant and sharp-tongued poet Gunnlaug, who wins the hand of Helga the Fair on a promise: return in three years or lose her. When his wanderings through the courts of Norway, England, and Sweden keep him away too long, Helga is given to another man, and the two rivals are drawn toward a duel that can end only in tragedy. Written in the thirteenth century by an unknown Icelandic storyteller, this classic of world literature is a meditation on pride, honor, and the weight of a spoken word. This edition renders the saga in clear, present-day English while remaining faithful to its meaning, its poetry, and its spirit. Part of The World Scriptures Library.