Legendary saga

[3] In terms of form, fornaldarsögur are similar to various other saga-genres, but tend towards fairly linear, episodic narratives.

[4] The setting is primarily Scandinavia in the time prior to the settlement of Iceland and the conversion of Scandinavia, but occasionally it moves temporarily to more distant and exotic locations or has its characters encounter Christian cultures (one example of both being Örvar-Odds saga).

Other sagas deal with heroes such as Ragnar Lodbrok, Hrólf Kraki and Orvar-Odd.

They are also of great value for scholars studying medieval Scandinavian ballads, particularly the Faroese kvæði, which are often based on the same matters.

The content is often less realistic, the characters more two-dimensional, and the sagas often borrow themes from each other, and from folk tales.