The story of the Danish prince Halfdan takes place in the gray prehistory of the pagan North. It is a tale of magical ships and knightly tournaments, filled with fairy-tale curses and spells, where berserkers and trolls roam, princesses are captured, and long journeys are undertaken to the distant shores of Newfoundland. The saga, now available for the first time in German translation, has drawn attention especially due to the remarkable parallels with the Old English epic Beowulf, as seen in the described encounters with trolls. The detailed accompanying commentary introduces the genre of the Old Icelandic saga and outlines the origins of such stories in medieval Iceland, the manuscript transmission of the saga, and the various influences that shape the narrative, from courtly romance to fairy tales.