Discovered around the year 870, Iceland soon became home to a distinctive civilization. In this honors seminar, we explore the history, society, and culture of medieval Icelanders through their own literary record. By reading various sagas composed and recorded from the 12th through 14th centuries, we examine Iceland's notion of heroism and villainy, justice, family and society, and glimpse its gradual assimilation into the wider civilization of medieval Europe. We relate Icelandic trends to the culture of mainland Scandinavia and the British Isles. Students gain experience in researching and writing term papers.