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Senkovski on the Icelandic sagas and their relation to
Russian history, which has been translated into Danish,
awakens the attention and sharpens the reader’s capacity
to recognize Nestor’s peculiarities and limitations.[1]
Senkovski compares, as an example point by point,
Eymundar Saga with the chapters (forty-eighth and
following) in Nestor. The worthy monk here falls far
behind. The saga was composed from the verbal
narrative of Icelanders who had been participants in the
events described, and have the trustworthiness of
eyewitnesses. Nestor, credulously, with many oratorical
embellishments and pious remarks, gives an account of
martial exploits, victories, and defeats, concerning which
he has only an indistinct and unintelligible tradition.
The Icelanders had political talent and ability, in
addition to the skill of the Vikings in tactics and war.
While the monk from the cave-cloister in Kief, without
considering the material difficulties of keeping forces in
the open field, makes the armies of Yaroslaf and Sviatopolk
stand full three months face to face in battle at
Liubetch; and while he, in biblical fashion, reports the
threatening speeches of the leaders of the armies to the
enemy, and the impatient expressions of the troops at
this derision, the saga shortens the time from three
months to four days, shows what lot and part Eymund,
the chief of the Varings, had in the battle, describes his
flank movement, his attack on them at once from front
and rear, and gives, without any fabrications, embellishments,
or pious reflections, an intelligible picture, even
if it seems as if the author of the saga had mixed up
the reports of two different battles.
The greatest difference between the cloister spirit and
saga style is felt in the account given by Nestor and in
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