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Bringing alive the dramatic poems of Old Norse heroic legend, this new collection offers accessible, ground-breaking and inspiring essays which introduce and analyse the exciting legends of the two doomed Helgis and their valkyrie lovers; the dragon-slayer Sigurðr; Brynhildr the implacable shield-maiden; tragic Guðrún and her children; Attila the Hun (from a Norse perspective!); and greedy King Fróði, whose name lives on in Tolkien’s Frodo. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the poems for students, taking a number of fresh, theoretically-sophisticated and productive approaches to the poetry and its characters. Contributors bring to bear insights generated by comparative...
Iceland was the last country in Europe to become inhabited, and we know more about the beginnings and early history of Icelandic society than we do of any other in the Old World. This world was vividly recounted in The Book of Settlements, first compiled by the first Icelandic historians in the thirteenth century. It describes in detail individuals and daily life during the Icelandic Age of Settlement.
Annotation The Saga of the Volsungsis an Icelandic epic of special interest to admirers of Richard Wagner, who drew heavily upon this Norse source in writing his Ring Cycle and a primary source for writers of fantasy such as J.R.R. Tolkien and romantics such as William Morris. A trove of traditional lore, it tells of love, jealousy, vengeance, war, and the mythic deeds of the dragonslayer, Sigurd the Volsung. Byock's comprehensive introduction explores the history, legends, and myths contained in the saga and traces the development of a narrative that reaches back to the period of the great folk migrations in Europe when the Roman Empire collapsed.
Includes section "Reviews".
One of a series of thirteenth-century texts that tell of the fortunes, quests and struggles of early Icelandic families, the Laxdæla Saga is a gripping historical account of emigration from Norway, passionate love triangles, evolving gender roles, heated battles, centuries-old grudges, vengeance, and much more.
The Historical Dictionary of the Vikings traces Viking activity in Europe, North America, and Asia for over three centuries. During this period people from Scandinavia used their longships to launch lightning raids upon their European neighbors, to colonize new lands in the east and west, and to exchange Scandinavian furs for eastern wine and spices and Arab silver. The Viking age also saw significant changes at home in Scandinavia - kings extended their power, Norse paganism lost ground to christianity, and new towns and ports thrived as a result of increased contact with the wider world. This book provides a comprehensive work of reference for people interested in the Vikings, including entries on the main historical figures involved in this dramatic period, important battles and treaties, significant archaeological finds, and key works and sources of information on the period. It also summarizes the impact the Vikings had on the areas where they traveled and settled. There is a chronological table, detailed and annotated bibliographies for different themes and geographical locations, and an introduction discussing the major events and developments of the Viking age.
First published in 1898, this guide to the primitive lore of Scandinavia recounts the creation of the world from the earliest fog-country and fire-land, the birth of the gods, their ascendancy, and their twilight. It profiles the chief gods and their attendant myths, including the all-wise Odin, father of the gods; hammer-wielding Thor; Baldur, the beautiful and wise; and malicious Loki, the devil of the North. It chronicles forms of worship and religious life, plus the most famous of the hero sagas: the Volsungs, the Helgi sagas; Volund the smith; the Hjathningar, and Beowulf. Unabridged republication of the A. Clinton Crowell translation as published by Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York, 1913. Index. 21 black-and-white illustrations.