The Study of Old Norse Grammatical Literature c. 2000-2024

Abstract

This article offers a critical survey of scholarship on Old Norse grammatical literature from approximately 2000 to 2024, proposing a broader and more integrative conception of grammatica than prior reviews. Extending beyond the four canonical grammatical treatises, it includes works such as Snorri Sturluson’s Edda, Litla Skálda, and the Icelandic Rune Poem, thereby recontextualizing the intellectual landscape of medieval Icelandic philology. Particular attention is given to recent methodological shifts emphasizing empirical scrutiny, source analysis, and cross-disciplinary testing of hypotheses. Case studies illustrate how Latin grammatical models were selectively appropriated and transformed within a vernacular framework, challenging conventional narratives of cultural dependence. This re-evaluation not only enriches our understanding of the transmission and function of grammatical knowledge in the North but also underscores the originality and analytical depth of Icelandic scholarly production in the high and late Middle Ages

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17098093
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17098093