ST.

ANTHONY’S COLLEGE
San Jose, Antique

Name: _Ryle Miguel H. Muescan___________________ Program and Year Level -_BSN 4-B_____________

Term and AY: 1st 2022-2023 GEC-114 Literatures of the World (W13)

ACTIVITY SHEET
Directions: On the attached file, identify the countries of Europe. Upon identification, choose 3 countries that
you want to know more. Look for ample sources and describe the characteristics of literature of your chosen
countries. Use the space below for your answer.

Iceland & Norway

Icelandic literature is best known for the richness of its classical period, which is equivalent in time to the early
and medieval periods in western European literature. The relative stability of the Icelandic language means
that Icelanders today can without difficulty still read Old Icelandic sagas. Because early Norwegian literature
is so closely intertwined with early Icelandic literature, both are discussed in this article.

Literature in Iceland and Norway

The roots of Icelandic literature and Norwegian literature, which reach back more than 1,000 years, are
inextricably intertwined. Although a large part of this early literature was composed either in Iceland or
elsewhere in Scandinavia by Icelanders, the Norwegian element in it is considerable and indisputable, even
though this cannot always be isolated and defined. In many instances, it is obvious that some of the literature
derives from a time before the Scandinavian settlement of Iceland in the 9th century. In other cases, it appears
that the composers of the works had resided for long periods in the mother country of Norway.

Hungary

Hungarian literature, the body of written works produced in the Hungarian language. No written evidence
remains of the earliest Hungarian literature, but, through Hungarian folktales and folk songs, elements have
survived that can be traced back to pagan times. Also extant, although only in Latin and dating from between
the 11th and 14th centuries, are shortened versions of some Hungarian legends relating the origins of the
Hungarian people and episodes from the conquest of Hungary and from the Hungarian campaigns of the 10th
century.

Earliest writings in Hungarian

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 The earliest known written traces of the Hungarian language are mostly proper names embedded in the Latin
text of legal or ecclesiastical documents. The first continuous example of the Hungarian language is the Halotti
beszéd, a short funeral oration written in about 1200, moving in its simplicity. Many translations from Latin
were made in the 13th and 14th centuries, but the only one that has survived, and also the oldest extant poem
written in Hungarian, is a free version of a poem by Godefroy de Breteuil. It is known as Ómagyar Mária-
siralom (c. 1300; “Old Hungarian Lament of the Virgin Mary”). The 14th century also produced translations of
the legends of St. Margaret and St. Francis of Assisi. The Jókai codex, which contains the St. Francis legend,
was written in about 1440 and is the oldest extant Hungarian codex.

Reference:

Sinor, D. , Klaniczay, . Tibor and Gömöri, . George (2019, June 5). Hungarian literature. Encyclopedia
Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/Hungarian-literature

Jones, W. Glyn , Zuck, . Virpi and Benedikz, . Benedikt Sigurdur (2022, September 8). Icelandic literature.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/Icelandic-literature

1. Upon accomplishment of all the activities. Submit your output in a PDF format.

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Academic Excellence
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