ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why the four months William Morris spent in Iceland in 1871 and 1873 were so transformational for him. It focuses on the prose and poetry he wrote during and immediately after these journeys, particularly his Journals. The chapter situates his interests in Iceland and the sagas in the context of the Victorian-era enthusiasm for them. It examines his subsequent output of narrative poetry based on the sagas, the political impact on him of these visits, and the extent to which the latter provided inspiration for his fantasy writings, the “late romances.” William Morris travelled to Iceland twice, once in 1871 and again in 1873. Essentially there were two reasons, one negative and one positive. The negative motivation was the strains in his marriage to Jane Morris, ‘Janey’ to all who knew her, and her relationship with the painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
