Icelandic and Old Norse sagas
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar
Book SynopsisFrom the translator of the bestselling Poetic Edda (Hackett, 2015) comes a gripping new rendering of two of the greatest sagas of Old Norse literature. Together the two sagas recount the story of seven generations of a single legendary heroic family and comprise our best source of traditional lore about its members—including, among others, the dragon-slayer Sigurd, Brynhild the Valkyrie, and the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok.Trade Review"This is a wonderfully supple and idiomatic modern translation of the most important account of the legendary Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer and his family in Old Norse-Icelandic literature. Crawford's version is vivid, clear, and exciting, tracing the intrigues, killings, battles, and magic that shape the lives of Sigurd's kindred. Coupled with it is the brilliant sequel, the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok. Rarely translated into English before, the saga tells of Sigurd's daughter and her husband, the unparalleled Viking king and hero, Ragnar, who is also a dragon-slayer. Lively and fresh, with gripping dialogue and intense scenes of action, the saga has long deserved to be better known. In Jackson Crawford it has found the perfect translator." —Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford"A clear, idiomatic English style that also retains the feel of the original is no easy feat, and Crawford succeeds admirably. . . . This translation should serve well those who teach the sagas, their students, and any interested readers, particularly at such a reasonable price." —Adam Oberlin, Princeton University, in The Medieval Review"This is only the second English translation of these two sagas to be published in one volume. . . . The overall aim of the book seems to be the entirely commendable one of inspiring beginners, in which it will no doubt be wholly successful. . . . Crawford's translation of both sagas reads fluently and engagingly. Reading this book has been, for me, an enjoyable and stimulating experience, as it undoubtedly will be for the audience for which it is aimed." —Rory McTurk, Leeds University, in Saga-Book"The book is a gift, especially to beginning readers of the northern mythological literature. It makes its two texts approachable through the use of easy to read contemporary language. It also provides useful tools for the reader to get an overview of the stories through its explanatory matter. The book has a straightforward introduction that provides a nutshell of the sagas, a cast of characters, historical information about the origin of the tales, a brief outline of the chapters, a pronunciation guide, and there is an excellent and useful Glossary of Names and Terms at the end of the book. Crawford also includes notes throughout the text, including recommendations to see relevant passages of his translation of The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes. . . . I have read the William Morris translation (1870) a few times throughout the scattered years and I wanted to see what a contemporary translation would look like. I wasn’t disappointed. I hope and expect that the Crawford translation will introduce many new readers to the pleasures of its two pieces of world literature." —Phillip Fitzsimmons, in Mythlore
£16.14
Hodder & Stoughton From the Mouth of the Whale: Winner of the
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE SWEDISH ACADEMY'S NORDIC PRIZE 2023Shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award'A terrific read...an extraordinarily accomplished novel' Independent'Kaleidoscopic and mesmerising, comic and poignant' TLSIn this magical evocation of a vanished age, a poet and self-taught healer is banished in 1635 to a barren island off Iceland - a place darkened by superstition, poverty and cruelty. With only a purple sandpiper for company, Jónas Pálmason retraces his path to exile, recalling his exorcism of a walking corpse, the massacre of innocent Basque whalers at the hands of local villagers and the deaths of three of his children. But amid the cacophony of Copenhagen he will find hope and, finally, recognition of his enlightened ideas.Trade Review'A terrific read...an extraordinarily accomplished novel' * Independent *'Kaleidoscopic and mesmerising, comic and poignant' * TLS *'An extraordinary and original writer' * AS Byatt, Guardian *Hallucinatory, lyrical and by turn comic and tragic-an extraordinary novel. * Hari Kunzru *Sjón's novels are brilliant collisions of history and fable, psychology and fantasy. * Chris Power, Guardian *Wildly comic and incandescent, elegant and brittle. * Keith Donohue, Washington Post *
£9.49
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Jackson Crawford Three-Book Boxed Set: The Poetic
Book SynopsisSince the 2015 publication of The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes, Old Norse specialist Dr. Jackson Crawford has delighted readers with his English-language translations of Old Norse sagas and poems that tell the tales of Odin, Thor, Loki, dragon-slayer Sigurd, Brynhild the Valkyrie, Hrólf Kraki, and many more. This limited-edition set collects three of Dr. Crawford's Hackett Publishing books, The Poetic Edda (2015), The Saga of the Volsungs (2017), and Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes (2021) in a beautifully designed, hand-numbered, and hand-crafted slipcase box. Each book in the set features smyth-sewn hardcover bindings with new custom artwork for the front covers. The Poetic Edda features a medallion of the wolf Fenrir, The Saga of the Volsungs a medallion of the dragon/serpent Fafnir, and Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes a medallion of a bear. Each volume in the set begins with a phrase hand-written by Dr. Crawford that best exemplifies the text to follow or Dr. Crawford's favorite passage from the book. The quotes in The Poetic Edda and Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes also contain the runic "originals." The Poetic Edda also includes a bookplate personally signed by Dr. Crawford and hand-tipped into the front of the book.
£115.19
Penguin Books Ltd The Vinland Sagas
Book SynopsisContains the descriptions of North America, a bountiful land of grapes and vines, discovered by Vikings five centuries before Christopher Columbus. This title counts the Icelandic settlement of Greenland by Eirik the Red and the chance discovery by seafaring adventurers of a mysterious new land.
£9.49
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar
Book SynopsisFrom the translator of the bestselling Poetic Edda (Hackett, 2015) comes a gripping new rendering of two of the greatest sagas of Old Norse literature. Together the two sagas recount the story of seven generations of a single legendary heroic family and comprise our best source of traditional lore about its members—including, among others, the dragon-slayer Sigurd, Brynhild the Valkyrie, and the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok.Trade Review"This is a wonderfully supple and idiomatic modern translation of the most important account of the legendary Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer and his family in Old Norse-Icelandic literature. Crawford's version is vivid, clear, and exciting, tracing the intrigues, killings, battles, and magic that shape the lives of Sigurd's kindred. Coupled with it is the brilliant sequel, the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok. Rarely translated into English before, the saga tells of Sigurd's daughter and her husband, the unparalleled Viking king and hero, Ragnar, who is also a dragon-slayer. Lively and fresh, with gripping dialogue and intense scenes of action, the saga has long deserved to be better known. In Jackson Crawford it has found the perfect translator." —Carolyne Larrington, Professor of Medieval European Literature, University of Oxford
£42.50
The History Press Ltd Icelandic Histories and Romances
Book SynopsisThe Icelandic sagas, composed between the twelfth and the nineteenth centuries, are one of the world''s great literary treasures. After an extended and lively introduction to the genre, Ralph O''Connor provides new translations for five of the greatest of these sagas. We encounter a humble Icelandic scholar dreaming of a Viking past, a royal adventurer evading the horrible lusts of troll-women, a demon popping out of a lavatory, the death spasms of the old Northern gods and unnatural acts in Muslim Germany. The sagas are evocatively illustrated by Anne O''Connor.Trade Review'All in all, this is a splendid production, easily accessible to the general reader but with a critical apparatus to satisfy the most stringent academic demands.' Magnus Magnusson writing for The Guardian
£11.69
Amber Books Ltd Norse Myths: Viking Legends of Heroes and Gods
Book SynopsisThe stories of Thor, Odin and Loki are familiar to most of us. Many people know that the Norse gods fought against giants and were ultimately betrayed by Loki the trickster. The end of the world and the death of the gods in a grim battle called Ragnarok has also found its way into popular culture. Ideas taken from Norse mythology are frequently found in modern fantasy and science fiction – such as elves, dwarfs and undead warriors rising from an unquiet grave, for example. Norse mythology is rich in adventure and ideas about creation, death and the afterlife. Norse Myths takes a wide-ranging approach, examining the creation stories of the Norse world, the monsters and the pantheons of the deities, including such figures as Heimdall, Freya and Baldr. It looks at the sagas and the Prose and Poetic Eddas, which tell of real and imagined people, featuring both heroic tales and humorous escapades. The book also examines how Norse myths were interpreted in a Christianized Europe and how their motifs influenced medieval German writers and, in turn, were used in the modern world in very different ways, by the likes of composer Richard Wagner and in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Illustrated with 180 colour and black-&-white artworks and illustrations, Norse Myths is an engaging and highly informative exploration of a rich mythology that still resounds today.Trade ReviewThis truly is an exploration of Viking culture that everyone can enjoy. * All About History *Table of ContentsIntroduction The sources of Norse mythology and how it compared with other mythologies of the Middle Ages. 1. Creation Myths and the Cosmology Various forms of a creation myth are recounted, where the world is created from the flesh of the primordial being Ymir, and the first two humans are Ask and Embla. Also explores Asgard, where the gods live, and Midgard, where humans live. 2. The Deities Norse mythology is unusual in that it has two sets of deities who became a single pantheon. The clash between the Aesir (gods of war) and Vanir (gods of nature or fertility) could have a different mythic significance, however. It might indicate a change in society to a more martial outlook, since although the two sets of gods are supposedly equal, the Aesir seem to be the senior partners. 3. Jotnar Norse mythology was populated by a range of creatures, in addition to mortals and gods. Some were monsters, some personifications of natural forces, and some were powerful supernatural beings. Others, like the Jotnar, were very similar to the gods and could have children with them. Many of the gods had at least one parent who was a Jotunn. 4. Other Creatures Norse mythology tells of a variety of magical creatures. These include Elves, Dwarfs, Trolls, Valkyrie, multi-legged horses like Sleipnir, sea beasts such as Jormungand, the wolf Fenrir, and the gold-hoarding dragon Fafnir. 5. The Eddas Most of what is known today about the Norse religion and mythos comes from the Poetic and Prose Eddas, or from the sagas written about mortal heroes. 6. Ragnarok The Valkyrie are maidens who carry half of those slain in battle to Valhalla to be ready to do combat when Ragnarok, the foretold battle at the end of the world, arrives. Some dead go to Hel. At Ragnarok, the gods Odin, Thor, Tyr, Heimdallr, and Loki are killed by fire jotunn; the world is destroyed and then repopulated by two human survivors. 7. The Legacy of Norse Religion Norse mythology saw a Romantic revival in 19th century art and music, such as in Wagner’s opera The Ring of the Nibelund, which drew on the Old Norse Edda, the Volsunga saga and Thidrekssaga. J.R.R. Tolkien, a scholar of Anglo-Saxon, was influenced by Norse mythology in writing The Lord of the Rings. Marvel comics also use the characters of Thor and Loki in their Avengers books and movies. Index
£16.99
Arc Humanities Press Eastern Europe in Icelandic Sagas
Book Synopsis
£128.33
Arc Humanities Press Volcanoes in Old Norse Mythology: Myth and
Book Synopsis
£112.51
Arc Humanities Press Icelandic Folklore and the Cultural Memory of
Book Synopsis
£112.51
Arc Humanities Press Icelandic Folklore and the Cultural Memory of
Book Synopsis
£31.50
