Synopses & Reviews
Written in the 13th century, the Eddas are Icelandic collections of early Scandinavian mythology that relate the marvelous deeds of Old Norse gods and heroes. The present volume features masterful retellings of 17 of the best tales -- from Odin's trip to Mimir in search of knowledge, the making of Thor's hammer, and the loss of Idun's wondrous apples, to securing the horrible Fenris-Wolf with strong, unbreakable silken twine "made out of . . . the sound of a cat's footsteps, the roots of the mountains, the breath of a fish, and the sinew of a bear." Here also are well-told accounts of "The Making of the World, " "Gods and Men, " "Thor Goes Fishing, " "The Death of Balder, " "How Loke was Punished, " "The Twilight of the Gods, " and "The New Earth." Brimming with fantasy and authentic Nordic flavor, these ancient stories offer a wonderful sampling of the imaginative tales that entertained medieval Scandinavians over 700 years ago.
Synopsis
Rooted in an oral tradition, fantastic sagas of Norse mythology found their way into print seven centuries ago, in documents known as the Eddas. This book presents 17 of the most popular tales, from the creation of the world to the death of the gods and the world's destruction.
Masterfully retold, the legends include Odin's trip to Mimer in search of knowledge, the making of Thor's hammer, the loss of Idun's wondrous apples, and the task of securing the dreaded Fenris-wolf with unbreakable silken twine devised from -the sound of a cat's footsteps, the roots of the mountains, the breath of a fish, and the sinew of a bear.- Here, too, are accounts of -The Wooing of Gerd, - -Thor Goes a Fishing, - -The Death of Balder, - -How Loki Was Punished, - -The Twilight of the Gods, - and -The New Earth.-
Synopsis
Imaginative retellings of 17 ancient Norse tales, ranging from the creation of the world to the death of the gods. Included are Odin's trip to Mimer in search of knowledge, the making of Thor's hammer, the loss of Idun's wondrous apples, and the task of securing the dreaded Fenris-wolf.
Synopsis
Imaginative retellings of 17 ancient Norse tales, ranging from the creation of the world to the death of the gods. Included are Odin's trip to Mimer in search of knowledge, the making of Thor's hammer, the loss of Idun's wondrous apples, and the task of securing the dreaded Fenris-wolf.
Table of Contents
Chapter
I. The Making of the World
II. Gods and Men
III. Odin's Search for Wisdom
IV. How Odin brought the Mead to Asgard
V. The Wooing of Gerd
VI. The Making of the Hammer
VII. Odin in Geirrod's Palace
VIII. The Apples of Idun
IX. Thor goes a Fishing
X. How Thor found his Hammer
XI. How Thor fought the Giant Hrungner
XII. The Binding of the Wolf
XIII. Thor's Wonderful Journey
XIV. The Death of Balder
XV. How Loke was Punished
XVI. The Twilight of the Gods
XVII. The New Earth