Introduction

As is well known to those familiar with the Bible, the Gospels offer little information about Jesus's childhood. The story of the Nativity is related in Matthew and Luke; in Matthew we also learn about the Flight to Egypt; while Luke includes two scenes that take place at the Temple in Jerusalem: that of Simeon blessing the infant Jesus; and the discussion the twelve-year-old Jesus has with the elders. Nothing further is written about Jesus's life until he approaches John the Baptist at Jordan and his brief career as a religious leader begins. There is similarly very little information about Joseph and Mary in the Gospels, and it seems that stories began to circulate early on that were aimed at putting this right by offering some background history of the Holy Family. In the course of time, stories of this kind spread far and wide and proved to have enduring popular appeal, irrespective of any doctrinal issues that may have troubled theologians and church leaders. Doctrinal concerns certainly shaped the reception of these texts, but the continuing demand for stories about the Holy Family meant that the core narratives were transmitted from the Eastern Church to the West and later adopted – and adapted – by Lutherans after the Reformation. In this essay we will describe the introduction of this material into Old Norse literature in mediaeval times before discussing its reintroduction as a chapbook text in Denmark, Norway, and Iceland and the different aspects of its dissemination in these countries.