The Unusual Protagonist of the Grettir SagaThe decision to make Grettir the protagonist of the Grettir Saga is an interesting, if not unusual, choice on the part of the author(s) . Examining this atypical choice says a lot about Icelandic society in the 13th century, when the saga is believed to have been written, as well as Icelandic society in the 10th century, when the majority of the saga takes place. action of the saga.Before You Begin After analyzing and reviewing Grettir, however, it is important to understand what a saga is and the purpose it serves. The author of the Saga of Grettir is unknown. In fact, there is more than one author. The sagas were not written until the 13th century at the earliest, but they cover events that occurred even before the founding of Iceland between 830 and 950 (Hastrup 150-51). The reason for this discrepancy is that the sagas began as oral histories. The sagas were passed down orally from generation to generation until they were written down in the 13th century. This is why the saga actually has several authors. Each time the saga has been told, it hasn't been told in exactly the same way. As the storytellers have changed, so have certain events in the saga. Although the changes made to the saga by the storytellers have not been significant in changing its overall meaning, they have the capacity to enhance some of Grettir's exploits, attacking the credibility of the story if pressed. However, even if some events are not entirely true, the message Grettir conveys and the issues it represents are true and accurate. It is important to remember that the saga was considered history, but should not be used as a primary source of information. It served best when viewed as a conveyance of traditional wisdom based on historical knowledge (Hastrup 143). Grettir was an unusual choice as a protagonist because he was an outlaw. He did not possess many heroic qualities and was not the typical protagonist enjoyed by many characters in the novel or saga. Grettir was actually hated by many and was constantly in trouble with the law. Grettir's exploits were sometimes human and bordered on the heroic, but his misdeeds weighed heavily against him. The author(s) of the saga tried their luck using Grettir as the protagonist.