"He was a good farmer, he died in Greece." Activities of people of the Viking age and their appreciation in runic inscriptions and sagas

This thesis is an analysis of the activities of people of the Viking Age based on runic inscriptions and selected sagas of Icelanders and one kings' saga. The first chapter classifies the activities mentioned in the complete runic corpus as well as the appreciated qualities of the commemorated ones. The second part focuses on the frequency of particular activities in the Icelandic sagas. The sagas are divided into groups according to the emphasis laid on certain activities. Subsequently, the results of both analyses are set in contrast and the differences in their idealised view on the activities of the Viking Age are examined. While the runic inscriptions emphasize the Viking and trade voyages and the ability of householders, the sagas' focus is on the voyages as well as on the fights, legal disputes and feud. Although both sources par- tially correspond, they accent different aspects of reality and are mutually complementary. Keywords: Old Norse literature, Old Norse society, runic inscriptions, sagas of Icelanders, kings' saga