Critics have proposed two theories regarding the composition of Norse sagas. The debate centers on the question of who gave artistic shape to stories that date back to the saga age in Iceland—roughly A.D. 930 to 1050. The "free prose" theory holds that sagas took shape gradually through a process of oral composition. The "book prose" theory holds that the sagas were crafted during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries by authors who pieced together scattered tales and traditions.

Free prose scholars tend to accept the historical accuracy of the sagas, whereas book prose scholars accept as historical only those elements that can be checked against other sources.

Iceland was settled during the eighth and ninth centuries by fiercely independent individuals and families who refused to accept domination by Norwegian earls. Once transplanted to new soil, these emigrants did not lose the pride that...