At snúa - at setja saman. The authorial status of the medieval translator in the composition of Old Norse Saints’ sagas

This paper discusses the hybrid nature of the scribe in the process of translation of Latin hagiographies (Heilagramanna sǫgur) within the culture of the Norse Middle Ages. A series of case-studies unveils the translational policy employed by Norse scribes from source to target culture at different stages of the genre’s tradition. By employing the methodology of Descriptive Translation Studies, Norse hagiographies can be interpreted as products of specific historical contexts and their producers as active agents in the construction of their culture’s literary system. Far from their stereotypical passivity, it is thus possible to evaluate the scribes’ translational policy as a set of authorial decisions that responds to the needs of a historically-set community of readers.