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What did the Future hold for them? Different Types of Foreshadowing in Various Saga Genres

  • Kristýna Králová EMAIL logo

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show that foreshadowing in various types of Old Norse saga differs in both content and form. In the individual chapters typical features of foreshadowing in family, king’s and legendary sagas are described. These features are shown through the following categories: the form in which the given foreshadowing occurs (a dream, premonition, curse, etc.), the content of the given foreshadowing, the time extent of the foreshadowing (how far into the future the given foreshadowing extends) and geographical range (to what places the given foreshadowing is bound). The subsequent comparison of foreshadowing in various saga genres reveals great differences between these four categories. In the article’s conclusion, possible causes of these differences are suggested.

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Published Online: 2017-9-14
Published in Print: 2017-4-25

© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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