a narrative telling the adventures of a hero or a family; originally (12th to 14th centuries) a story of the families that settled Iceland and their descendants but now any prose narrative that resembles such an account
"The ancient saga chronicled the heroic voyages of Norse explorers as they founded new settlements across the Atlantic."
An Old Norse (Icelandic) prose narrative, especially one dealing with family or social histories and legends.
"The scholar spent years translating an ancient saga that detailed the rise and fall of a Viking chieftain's lineage."
In plain English: A saga is an exciting story about many generations of people that takes place over a long time.
"The family decided to tell their long and dramatic saga at Thanksgiving dinner."
Usage: In modern English, saga refers to any long, dramatic story involving heroic deeds or a series of events that unfold over time. Use this word when describing an epic tale rather than for simple narratives or short anecdotes.
Saga Prefecture (a prefecture in western Kyushu, Japan)
"Saga was chosen as the middle name for her son because she loved the Norse legend of that same name."
A unisex given name.
The word saga comes from Old Norse, where it originally meant an "epic tale" or story. It traveled into English to describe the long narrative histories of Scandinavian kings and heroes that were popular in medieval times.