SAGA, an old Norse word, used to denote a tale which, originally dependent on. and gradually elaborated by, oral tradition. had at last acquired a definite form in written literature. Such sagas (Norse sogitr). Mono. with poetical and legislative writings. con stitute the chief part of the old Norwegian'icelandic literature. They have been divided into historical and legendary. The latter embrace partly stories universally current about heroes of the Teutonic race (e.g., the Volsunga-Saga), and partly stories peculiar to the Norse or Scandinav:an peoples (e.g., the Feithjofs-Saga); while the former handle the events and personages of Norwegian and Icelandic history from the 9th to the 13th c, in numerous biographies and family records. To Danish history belong the lingtliiga-Saga and Jomstiloiaga-Saga; to Swedish, the Ingrars-Saga; to Russian, the Byline ads-Saga. The Faroe islanders and the Orcadians have alSo their own sagas. After
the middle of the 14th c., when the motley literature of the church began to exercise en influence, tales were translated from foreign languages into Norse, e.g., the story of Baelaam and Josaphat (q.v.), which also received the name of sages. Bishop F. E. Miller, in his Sagabibliothelf (Copenh. 1817-20) was the first who subjected the whole subject of saga-literature to a critical treatment. Since his time collections both of the historical and legendary sagas, with critical apparatus more or less complete, have appeared in all the countries of the north. The German sage is the same word, and expresses fundamentally the same idea as the Norse saga The difference is this, that the Germans do not restrict its application to the legendary or traditional literature of their own country but extend it to that of others.