📖Epic and Saga Unit 14 – Modern Retellings of Epics and Sagas

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Epic a long narrative poem that tells the story of a hero's journey and deeds, often involving supernatural elements and reflecting cultural values
• Saga a prose narrative, often based on historical events or legendary figures, that chronicles the lives and conflicts of a family or group over multiple generations
• Retelling a new version of an existing story that reinterprets, adapts, or reimagines the original narrative, characters, or themes
• Intertextuality the relationship between texts, often involving allusions, references, or borrowings from one text to another
• Adaptation the process of transforming a story from one medium (epic poem, saga) to another (novel, film, play)
  • Can involve changes to setting, characters, plot, or themes while maintaining core elements of the original
• Modernization updating the language, cultural references, or social issues of a classic story to make it more accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences
• Mythopoeia the creation of fictional mythologies or legendary stories that mimic the style and themes of traditional epics or sagas

Historical Context of Original Epics and Sagas

• Oral tradition many epics and sagas originated as stories passed down through generations by storytellers or bards before being recorded in writing
• Cultural significance epics and sagas often served as foundational texts that shaped the identity, values, and worldview of ancient societies (Mesopotamia, Greece, Iceland)
• Homeric epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, are two of the oldest and most influential epic poems in Western literature
  • Iliad focuses on the Trojan War and the hero Achilles, exploring themes of honor, glory, and the human condition
  • Odyssey follows the hero Odysseus's ten-year journey home after the Trojan War, featuring encounters with mythical creatures and themes of identity and perseverance
• Norse sagas a body of Old Norse prose narratives, including the Volsunga saga and the Poetic Edda, that recount the legends of Viking heroes, gods, and mythical beings
• Beowulf an Old English epic poem that tells the story of the hero Beowulf's battles against monsters and dragons, embodying Anglo-Saxon values of courage and loyalty
• Cultural exchange the spread of epics and sagas across different regions and time periods through trade, migration, and conquest, leading to cross-cultural influences and adaptations

Modern Adaptation Techniques

• Updating language and style modern retellings often use contemporary vocabulary, syntax, and narrative techniques to make the story more accessible to modern readers
• Shifting perspective some adaptations focus on minor characters or untold stories from the original epic or saga, providing new insights and interpretations
  • Example Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad retells the Odyssey from the perspective of Odysseus's wife Penelope
• Blending genres modern retellings may combine elements of the original epic or saga with other genres, such as fantasy, science fiction, or historical fiction, to create unique hybrid works
• Subverting expectations some adaptations challenge or subvert the heroic ideals, gender roles, or cultural assumptions of the original story to offer a critical or revisionist perspective
• Multimedia adaptations epics and sagas have been adapted into various media, including films, television series, graphic novels, and video games, each offering unique storytelling possibilities
  • Example the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? loosely adapts Homer's Odyssey in a 1930s American South setting
• Intertextual references modern retellings often include allusions, parallels, or direct references to the original epic or saga, as well as other literary or cultural texts, creating a rich web of intertextuality
• Localizing and culturally adapting some retellings transpose the story and characters into a specific cultural context, exploring how the themes and conflicts of the original resonate in a different setting

Notable Modern Retellings

• Ulysses (1922) by James Joyce a modernist novel that parallels Homer's Odyssey, following the adventures of Leopold Bloom in Dublin over the course of a single day
• The Aeneid of Virgil (1981) by Seamus Heaney a translation of Virgil's Roman epic that employs modern poetic language and highlights themes of exile, identity, and the founding of Rome
• Grendel (1971) by John Gardner a retelling of Beowulf from the perspective of the monster Grendel, exploring themes of existentialism, alienation, and the nature of evil
• The Firebrand (1987) by Marion Zimmer Bradley a feminist retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of the prophetess Kassandra, critiquing the patriarchal values of the Homeric epics
• The Saga of the Greenlanders (2000) by Jane Smiley a historical novel that adapts the Icelandic sagas of Erik the Red and Leif Erikson, focusing on the Norse settlement of Greenland and North America
• The Mere Wife (2018) by Maria Dahvana Headley a modern retelling of Beowulf set in suburban America, exploring themes of motherhood, class, and the monstrous Other
• The Silence of the Girls (2018) by Pat Barker a retelling of the Iliad from the perspective of Briseis, a captured Trojan woman, highlighting the experiences of women in wartime

Themes and Motifs in Modern Versions

• Subverting heroic ideals many modern retellings question or deconstruct the traditional heroic values of the original epics and sagas, such as glory, honor, and martial prowess
  • Example in Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, the hero Achilles is portrayed as a complex, flawed character struggling with his destiny and sexuality
• Feminist perspectives some adaptations foreground the experiences and agency of female characters who were often marginalized or objectified in the original stories
• Postcolonial critique modern retellings may use the framework of the epic or saga to explore themes of colonialism, cultural imperialism, and the legacies of conquest and oppression
• Environmental themes some adaptations highlight the relationship between humans and the natural world, drawing on the landscapes and creatures of the original stories to address contemporary ecological concerns
• Psychological depth many modern versions delve into the inner lives and motivations of the characters, using techniques of stream of consciousness, interior monologue, or psychological realism
• Metafictional elements some retellings self-consciously reflect on the process of storytelling, adaptation, and myth-making, blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality
• Existential questions modern adaptations often grapple with timeless existential themes, such as the search for meaning, the nature of identity, and the confrontation with mortality, that resonate across cultures and eras

Character Evolution and Representation

• Humanizing heroes modern retellings often portray epic heroes as more complex, flawed, and relatable figures, emphasizing their psychological struggles and moral ambiguities
  • Example in Madeline Miller's Circe, the titular goddess is depicted as a multifaceted character with human-like desires, fears, and growth
• Giving voice to the marginalized some adaptations focus on the perspectives of characters who were silenced, stereotyped, or villainized in the original stories, such as women, monsters, or cultural Others
• Exploring gender and sexuality many modern versions challenge the binary gender roles and heteronormative assumptions of the original epics and sagas, representing a wider spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations
• Antiheroes and villains some retellings offer sympathetic or nuanced portrayals of characters who were traditionally depicted as antagonists or foils to the hero, inviting readers to reconsider their assumptions
• Ensemble casts rather than focusing solely on the singular hero, some modern adaptations develop the relationships and conflicts among a diverse cast of characters, creating a more complex and interconnected narrative
• Psychological realism many modern versions employ techniques of psychological characterization, such as interior monologue, flashbacks, or dream sequences, to explore the inner lives and motivations of the characters
• Archetypes and subversions some retellings play with archetypal characters and roles from the original stories, such as the hero, the mentor, or the trickster, while others subvert or deconstruct these archetypes to create new meanings

Cultural Impact and Reception

• Popularizing classics modern retellings can introduce classic epics and sagas to new generations of readers, making them more accessible and engaging through contemporary language, themes, and media
• Scholarly debates adaptations often spark scholarly discussions and debates about the interpretation, value, and cultural significance of the original stories and their modern versions
  • Example the publication of Derek Walcott's Omeros, a Caribbean epic that draws on Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, led to critical conversations about postcolonial literature, cultural appropriation, and the canon
• Fandom and participatory culture some modern retellings inspire active fan communities who create their own fan fiction, fan art, or fan theories, extending and reimagining the stories in new ways
• Educational resources modern adaptations are often used in educational settings, such as high school or college courses, to teach about the original epics and sagas, as well as to explore themes of adaptation, intertextuality, and cultural transmission
• Cultural critique modern versions can serve as vehicles for cultural critique, using the framework of the epic or saga to comment on contemporary social, political, or ethical issues
  • Example Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses uses elements of Islamic mythology and the epic form to explore themes of migration, identity, and religious fundamentalism
• Adaptation as interpretation the process of adapting an epic or saga into a modern retelling involves interpretive choices and creative decisions that reflect the adapter's cultural context, artistic vision, and ideological perspective
• Reception and canonicity the critical and popular reception of modern retellings can shape their place in the literary canon, as well as influence future adaptations and scholarly discussions of the original stories

Analysis and Interpretation Strategies

• Close reading analyzing the language, style, and narrative techniques of modern retellings to understand how they adapt, interpret, or subvert the original stories
• Comparative analysis comparing and contrasting modern versions with the original epics and sagas, as well as with other adaptations, to identify similarities, differences, and intertextual relationships
• Historical and cultural contextualization situating modern retellings within their specific historical, cultural, and literary contexts to understand how they reflect and respond to contemporary issues and concerns
• Thematic analysis examining the central themes, motifs, and symbols of modern adaptations and how they relate to or depart from those of the original stories
• Character analysis exploring the development, relationships, and psychological complexity of characters in modern retellings, and how they are reimagined or reinterpreted from the original versions
• Gender and feminist criticism applying feminist and gender theories to analyze how modern adaptations represent and critique gender roles, power dynamics, and identity in the original stories and their cultural contexts
• Postcolonial and cultural studies approaches using postcolonial and cultural studies frameworks to examine how modern retellings engage with issues of colonialism, cultural identity, and power relations in adapting epics and sagas from different cultural traditions
  • Example analyzing how Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions, a retelling of the Indian epic Mahabharata from the perspective of the heroine Draupadi, subverts patriarchal and Orientalist assumptions about Indian culture and mythology